GM has officially unveiled the 2026 Corvette, with the high-performance ZR1 once again leading the charge. Among the standout upgrades is a new cabin with an updated layout, controls, and colors. In addition, the 2026 Corvette ZR1 now offers an all-new brake setup as part of the optional ZTK performance package.
The new high-performance braking system includes 10-piston front and six-piston rear calipers, which are paired with massive carbon ceramic discs, making for the largest brake package ever fitted to a production Corvette.
Indeed, the C8 ZR1 can use all the braking power it can muster. Mounted just behind the cabin, the 2026 Corvette ZR1 is powered by the formidable twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 LT7 gasoline engine, which produces a staggering 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque. Fully unleashed, this powertrain enables the ZR1 to achieve a top speed exceeding 230 mph, making the C8 ZR1 the fastest and most powerful production Corvette ever built.
In addition to the enhanced braking system on offer with the ZTK package, the 2026 Corvette ZR1 also offers blue brake calipers, which are available for E-Ray and Z06 variants as well.
Inside, the 2026 Corvette lineup debuts a refreshed three-screen infotainment layout, which includes a 12.7-inch center display, a 14-inch digital driver information center, and an auxiliary 6.6-inch touchscreen located to the left of the steering wheel. The new 2026 ZR1 is also equipped with a carbon fiber display hood as standard, while Z06 and E-Ray models offer this feature as an available option.
Further highlights include a new Performance App, which is standard across the entire 2026 Corvette lineup and provides live readouts on horsepower, G-forces, tire pressure, and other metrics. On the customization side, customers can now spec a new asymmetrical colorway in Jet Black and Adrenaline Red, while two new exterior colors join the lineup.
All variants of the 2026 Corvette, including Stingray, E-Ray, Z06, and ZR1, are built on the GM Y2 platform and are assembled at the GM Bowling Green plant in Kentucky. Production is set to begin on August 4th, 2025.
Comments
I can’t begin to describe how much I hate all the screens in that car. 95% of Corvettes are gonna be owned by geriatrics who have to call their kids to figure out how to change HDMI inputs on their TV. Who is that panoramic wall of gobbledygook for? And do you really need all that nonsense in a car with a thousand horsepower? I’ve got a car with a 1000 hp in it now and not once have I wanted or needed a 30″ TV in the dash. Ridiculous.
Here’s the C8 age breakdown:
44 and under: 15%
45 to 54: 22%
55 to 64: 26%
over 65: 37%
According to Hedges & Company
Sooo….
Thank you Ted. Looks to me like how wealth is spread, and nothing else.
So it was 85%. I stand corrected.
Thx for the data. Funny how people quoting numbers almost never back them up with data, which makes their comment opinion, and usually wrong. And some people think “geriatric” begins at age 45.
According to the NIH and AGS, it’s usually age 65 unless the person has chronic conditions prior that seriously impair daily life, which means they are unlikely to be driving a Corvette. So max 27% of Corvette owners are “geriatric”, assuming 100% have chronic impairments.
99% of the stuff you need to setup on the menus is set and forget. All the very important buttons ARE PHYSICAL.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That’s hilarious
Please show us on the doll where the gray haired man touched you when you were a child.
So you don’t dig geriatric (older) folks?.
Well maybe if your lucky you will never become a “geriatric”
Good point. Let’s consider that some people are unlucky, die early and don’t even make it to “geriatric”. If some older people that have accumulated some wealth want to buy this car, so what? It’s not a limited production car. Let’s recall the old expression: “mind your own business”.
Is this just to make sure a production ZR1 can beat the mustang GTD’s ring time?
No. Like high hp, it just comes in handy when challenged by a modified mustang.
The largest brake package ever fitted to a Corvette? So how large are they?
I would much rather have a Viper and I do !
Sitting behind the steering wheel of a Viper, is like being in a 1964 Jag XKE! HORRIBLE compared to any year VETTE. but I do love all sports cars.
Some people prefer Packards too.
It not only can stop on a dime it can also pivk it up 😛
Will they be available in California? They hate brake dust.
I watched a video highlighting the C8 interior and thought how juvenile the dash looked. It’s a car not a video game. It’s an outstanding car but it’s got too much electronic fluff for me. I’ll just make do in my mid year.
No matter what they do to tweak the interior, that wouldn’t stop me from experiencing the driving experience of a desirable high performance car. I don’t intend to spend very much time parked staring at the interior. But all criticism is welcome that might encourage some in front of me in the several years-long reservation waiting lines to drop off so I can get my fantastic C8 ZR1 sooner. Thanks buddy!
Great to see the gay button wall is gone! Only took six years to figure it out. Now GM figure out how to make a 8 speed manual transmission and the C8 will be a driver’s sports car!