General Motors has filed an application to register ZR1 as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), GM Authority was first to discover.
The automaker’s May 16th, 2016 application is assigned serial number 87038207 and specifies that the mark will be used for “Motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles”.
The GM Authority Take
First and foremost, we should mention that General Motors currently does not hold any trademark rights for the ZR1 name with the USPTO. Second, we don’t believe that this trademark — or others filed by GM over the last few years — are for the purpose of protecting prior names or intellectual property, as doing so is nigh impossible with the trademark requirements established by the USPTO (as outlined here).
Keeping all that in mind, this filing is quite intriguing: though it’s far from an official confirmation that an even more capable Corvette is in the works, it certainly hints at such a vehicle. The biggest questions revolve around what kind of a vehicle a new Corvette ZR1 will be; namely, whether it will be based on the current Corvette C7 platform and what it will be powered by.
To note, GM has a total of three years to complete the registration of this trademark with the USPTO, including proving to the organization that it has plans to use the name on a real-world product or service.
C6 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Comments
Oh baby, I must be camping because I just pitched a tent.
This makes perfect sense for the C7 platform. To maintain excitement until the C8 comes along, a more potent version would keep the enthusiasts drooling for a few more years.
Let’s make this one a 10 second car with a top speed well past 200mph. And let’s not forget, lighter to properly handle the twisties.
Hmm so we have e ray, manta ray, zora and now zr1 all filled for trademark. Interesting. So we are in store for multiple different corvettes or a bombardment of corvette concepts. Either way I’m excited.
I expect this is the last hurrah of the C7 as rumored earlier this week. I expect they will eclipse the Hell Cat numbers with a limited special edition ZR1.
Now do those that did not understand the ZR1 coming at the intro of the C7 under stand now?
It is part marketing and part budgeting man power and money to do these projects and it gave them the time and money to sort this out as well a good kick to carry the car the last year or two before the new C8.
Now what this also means is that if they do this car now you can expect the C8 will pass it up as they will not make this car better than what is coming next. So you have good news and even better news yet to come.
Good times are coming.
The people who voted down my two comments as well as scott3 are ass holes. What is the problem, you don’t want a better Vette to be introduced for fear that you won’t have the top dog car anymore? Sorry to break it to you selfish egomaniacs, faster and better is on the way. Get over it!
Can’t take it personal as you can lead a horse to water but can’t make them drink.
Thanks for the nod.
That’s what I’ve been waiting for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The ZR1 will be a variant of the mid engine C8. There will be at least 2 other variants beginning in 2018/2019…..
Without protecting the use of the name “ZR1” means that anyone can use it for any kind of vehicle or vehicle parts.
Think of Mercedes with AMG or BMW with M series.
3 years.. which means Chevy could be preparing for a grand swan-song for the C7 Corvette like a 700-800 horsepower twin-turbo 6.2L V8.