We first heard this rumor over a year ago now, but a new report says it’s been confirmed that the hottest version of the new mid-engine Corvette will be hybrid, boosting its output to 900 HP.
That’s according to MotorTrend, which gave its 2020 Car Of The Year (TM) award to the new 2020 Corvette, and which I fully believe has credible sources inside Chevy, since there has rarely been a better marriage between automaker and publication.
Here’s MotorTrend:
Now, we can report from an even higher-placed source that the range-topping C8 Corvette ZR1 will add a performance hybrid system to boost it to 900 hp.
Rumors of a hybridized C8 have been flowing for quite some time, but now we have exclusive confirmation from a senior official at GM. The ZR1 will build on the Z06's all-new engine with a performance- (not fuel economy-) oriented hybrid system to fill in torque gaps and increase total output to an even 900 hp.
The electric system will apparently be mated with a twin-turbo V8, the engine that reportedly will power the Z06.
Beyond that, engineering details are scant, but MotorTrend thinks the electric motors could be mounted to the front wheels, making it an all-wheel-drive system. Any such system would have to account for the added weight since batteries are quite heavy. And then there is the question of where to put that battery, possibly up front under the frunk or between the engine and the seats.
At any rate, 900 HP would be almost double what the Stingray is claimed to make, or 495 HP. And it would be 100 HP more than what the Z06 might make. It would also be precisely triple the correct amount of horsepower, but ZR1 buyers won’t want to hear that nonsense.