The highly anticipated 2025 Corvette ZR1 is finally arriving in Chevy dealerships across North America. Predictably, the earliest models coming to showrooms are coming with significant dealer markups. The C8 ZR1 is already an expensive supercar, and the privilege of being one of the first to own one is coming at an even greater price at many dealerships.
Sales associate Eric Magana of Camino Real Chevrolet in Monterey, California made a post in the “Corvette C8 Z06, ZR1 & E-Ray” Facebook group showing a ZR1 that’s in transit to the dealer. He lists an MSRP of $206,080, plus an additional dealer markup of an even $100k. Magana posted other available ZR1 allocations with $50k markups.
The ZR1 with the six-digit markup is a 3LZ coupe finished in Competition Yellow Tintcoat Metallic. Some customization options include yellow brake calipers (RPO J6E), yellow interior stitching (36S), yellow seatbelts (3M9), Carbon Flash exterior trim (EFR), and Dark Stealth exterior badges (LPO SFZ).
Horror stories of C8 ZR1 markups are quickly accumulating on social media. For example, a user named Vast-Trucking made the above post on the r/C8Corvette subreddit about his journey trying to get a ZR1 in the Midwest. He claims he contacted every Chevy dealer in a 300-mile radius of Chicago, and only one of them agreed to put him on the list for a ZR1 with no markup. He says the biggest markup he’s encountered is $150k over sticker.
Unfortunately, supercar shoppers can expect the markup problem to continue on the 2025 Corvette ZR1 since it has a limited production run for its debut model year. However, unlike the C7 ZR1, the C8 ZR1 will be produced for longer than one model year. The 2026 model has already been announced, and there’s still more life left in the C8 generation since it just got an interior refresh.
Speaking of paying over sticker, 2025 Corvette ZR1 VIN 001 is currently on display at Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet in North Carolina. Hendrick paid a cool $3.7 million for the first C8 ZR1 at a Barrett-Jackson auction, with the full hammer price donated to the Red Cross. The rest of us don’t have to worry about paying quite that much for a ZR1, but beware of massive markups and consider waiting for the 2026 model to save a hundred grand or two.
Comments
We only did 10k on our list
Any increase above MSRP by dealers is forbidden by gm and can effect future allocation!
Only if enforced which doesn’t happen therefore meaningless
I read GM was only filling sold orders for the limited 2025 production run
I had heard that as well. In fact, a Chevy dealer that I had visited during the Z06 tour contacted me and asked if I wanted their ZR1 allocation or if I knew anyone that wanted it. They were hard pressed to find anyone to take it and needed to do so in order for them to be considered for future allocations.
Their offer was at MSRP.
That being said, a dealer could do a straw order and claim the buyer backed out.
I can kinda see putting one up for auction with no reserve and maybe donating a percent to charity. This would put the Dealer in a much better light and still might bring the seller MSRP plus, but marking up the MSRP is just “in your face” greedy.
PURE GREED!!!!!!!
Exactly!!!
you spelled free enterprise wrong
Nice try Diddy. It isn’t free enterprise when the manufacturer artificially restricts supply and the buyer doesn’t have full access to production information.
This is why I absolutely despise dealers and salespeople. I haven’t bought a new car in over 20 years because of this exact reason. U dealers suck!
The ability of some (ok, MOST) Chevy Dealers to add a “Fair Market Value” above the already expensive but understandable cost due to the limited availability of the ZR1 (and it’s amazing complexity) simply adds to the already building excitement about this particular vehicle!
But…what about the looming availability of the (sic) Zora, possibly coming to a dealer near you in mid 2026, or whenever GM decides to unlease this future beast on the car buying public, we all know it’s on it’s way, the secret is out!
You think you’re seeing the ultimate in “banging the public” in the ZR1…ha! You ain’t seen anything yet my friends, the ultimate C8 Corvette is simply waiting in the wings, when this Corvette is made available, you’ll see investors from all over the world jumping on this car in an attempt to both hide and sell for a crazy limited production Corvette for a profit that’ll rival the best that Europe has to offer! Yes, it’ll be a “shark eating frenzy” that you and I will get to watch from the sidelines because, it’ll be a very limited production C8 Corvette too!
So, in the meantime…relax and watch the crazies out there with more money than god go head to head with the Chevy Dealers and those who’ll not question “how much” but rather “when” can I get my ZR1…here is a blank check, put in the amount over MSRP you’ll be asking and then deliver it ASAP so I can drive it, probably make a killing on my “YouTube” channel showing off this car and then dumping it on those with less available cash than they had, and now will be waiting for the Mighty Zora to magically appear and for that car to “clean out their bank accounts” by those Chevy Dealers who actually are looking forward to this “cash cow” being made available in the not too distant future! I can hardly wait to see this “Gang Bang” by those dealers who’ll probably have a “Plan” already set up and ready to go for this car!
We’ll be able to watch this craziness happen right before our very eyes in the not too distant future…should be one for the (Corvette) history books, I can hardly wait!
PS…as a Corvette owner for more years than I care to think about, I can’t help but be a little cynical as I can remember what it took for my 2001 C5 to be ordered and delivered to a dealer here in Southern California “back in the day”, it was simply a matter of weeks after the order, and an actual small but graciously accepted “discount” off the MSRP when delivered.
Hummm, I bet that could still happen with a new, current “base model” C8, ‘ya think?
You’re a fan of the quotation mark I see.
Ricky, I disagree with a lot of what you are trying to convey about the Zora vs. ZR1..
Take a look at current E-Ray vs. Stingray or even Z06 sales.
Even the Europeans are putting the brakes on EV technology help with their ICE/EV Supercars.
I firmly believe the ZR1 will be way more popular than the Zora even with the lower cost and added HP because of the AWD assist being generated by electric power.
Just saying!
The difference IS… people want the best. The E-Ray was NEVER intended to be the fastest or quickest accelerating, its main benefit is that GM could now say you could drive a Corvette Year-Round. And when it was introduced everyone knew the ZR1 was coming.
The Zora with the ZR1 drivetrain powering the rear wheels AND the E-Ray power train on the front wheels may likely make it the quickest accelerating production car on earth.
If you haven’t figured out it’s all about bragging rights.
Gulfstream Aerospace didn’t think the Cessna Citation X ( 10) would sell in the HUGE numbers it did since it was only .04 Mach faster( or about 26 MPH) than it’s G5.
The Gulfstream BTW is faster for nearly all flights beyond a couple thousand miles because it has significantly more range.
BUT “Mine’s Faster” is still what sold the schit out of the Citation 10.
Those greedy scum sucking capitalist pig dealers asking over MSRP for Corvettes are the worse examples of business’s ever. But if a customer does it, well that’s just fine, after all its a free market.
GM could end this overnight: mark up a ZR1 and lose your Silverado allocation.
simple fix—if customers don’t pay it–it won’t sell and cost the dealer floorplan expense every month. There’s a dealer with a 2024 Z06 that is still sitting at $20k over as I believe its an anniversary model. He won’t budge so it sits..sooner or later if he really decides to sell it, he won’t even be at MSRP. Customers set the market–if you pay these prices–you’re at fault.
I’d buy an EV before I’d buy any vehicle with additional dealer markup. Then, hate myself the next morning 🤣