Ever since the online configurator went live for the 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 went live earlier this week, rumors and speculation have been swirling around what some see as an accidental reveal of the fabled Corvette Zora. It started with a mysterious carbon fiber aero trim piece by the front wheels in the configurator images, which doesn’t appear in any press photos or real-world images of the ZR1. Now, eagle-eyed observers like the folks at Corvette Blogger have noticed another out-of-place detail in the ZR1 configurator.
Corvette Zora prototype
If you look at the driver-side opening in the lower front grille, you’ll see a vertically oriented supplemental radiator. This is another detail that appears in the configurator images but doesn’t appear to actually be part of the C8 ZR1. The speculation is that the presence of this radiator is another hint that Chevy has preemptively unveiled the Corvette Zora, which we think will be a hybrid.
Corvette ZR1 grille opening
As we’ve reported before, we believe the Corvette Zora is still on the way as the final C8 variant and that it will be a de-contented track car. We think it will have a hybrid system similar to the one in the Corvette E-Ray but will use the ZR1’s twin-turbo 5.5L V8 LT7 as its ICE engine. The result would be the most powerful C8, but at a more affordable price point than the ZR1 since it would be stripped of things like sound deadening and luxury features like heated and ventilated seats. Think fifth-generation Camaro Z/28, but a hybrid AWD Corvette with a 4-digit horsepower rating.
Corvette E-Ray grille opening
Corvette Z06 grille opening
But here’s why the extra radiator in the ZR1’s configurator images might not be a giveaway at all. We took a close look at the configurator for the Corvette Z06, and that vertical radiator is there, too. However, that radiator isn’t actually there on the C8 Z06. Its presence on the Z06 configurator is some kind of duplication error, likely copied from the E-Ray’s configurator images since their grille openings are the same shape.
Corvette Stingray grille opening
The same fluke may be happening with the ZR1’s configurator images and nothing more. The Stingray configurator doesn’t have the extra radiator present, and its grille openings are different than the other C8 variants.
What do you think? Is this really a glimpse of the Corvette Zora, or are enthusiasts getting too excited?
Comments
I don’t need to go faster around a race track. I just want to go around a race track in a corvette that I can half way afford. I. E. Take the standard vette and strip the fluff out of it. That’d be fast enough for myself and most buyers. More importantly, I wouldn’t need to be in the upper 2% income earner to have some fun on a race in a corvette.
CIRC….Welcome to the crowd. We all would like a standard affordable Vette with a mean looking body. It would do a lot for sales. How many need a 1000 H.P. Engine.
I like the idea of combining all the parts and bringing the beautiful Zora to life. Bragging rights for sure, practical, probably not.
I own a 2020 C8-3LT and I would be quite happy to drive it around a road at 70 mph just to get a feel for it and then maybe increase the speed each lap by 10 mph until I started to get nervous. Let’s all be honest here, while some of us 😉 may have driven around the century mark on an empty, Straight hwy we’ve never driven that fast on. Curvaceous road track.