Chevrolet Corvette Zora Leaked: Will It Crush Hypercars?

Chevrolet has already raised eyebrows with the release of the Corvette ZR1, a 1,064-horsepower monster that punches far above its price tag. But as wild as that model is, it may not be the ultimate expression of what this platform can do. That honor might soon go to a new model spotted undergoing testing at the Nürburgring: the long-rumored Corvette Zora.

Recently captured in spy photos at the famed German track, the Corvette Zora prototype looks to be a step above even the mighty ZR1. And that is saying something. While Chevrolet has not officially confirmed its existence, the details from these test vehicles give us more than enough clues to work with.

The biggest speculation? This Zora is expected to merge the fire-breathing 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine from the ZR1 with the electric motor setup from the Corvette E-Ray. That combination would make it a mid-engine, all-wheel-drive beast with total output nearing 1,300 horsepower. The E-Ray’s electric motor alone contributes 160 horsepower or more, depending on tuning. Add that to the ZR1’s already insane output and you are talking about a Corvette with potential hypercar-level performance.

Look closely at the spy shots, and you will notice small but important signs. For instance, there are yellow warning stickers on the rear windows, a legal requirement for hybrid vehicles testing at the Nürburgring. That alone raises eyebrows since the ZR1 is not a hybrid. Dig deeper and you will see an extra vertically slotted radiator tucked into the bumper behind the driver-side grille—a feature not found on the production ZR1 but present in the E-Ray to help cool its electric motor. That clue alone tells you this is not just another ZR1 prototype.

From the outside, the Zora seems to carry over much of the ZR1’s aggressive aerodynamic styling. With an available carbon fiber aero package that includes wings and splitters, the ZR1 can generate more than 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed. Expect the Zora to use a similar, if not identical, setup to keep all four tires glued to the pavement.

Chevrolet has been silent on when or even if the Zora will make its public debut, but with nearly production-ready prototypes now out testing, it seems clear that a full reveal is getting closer.

Pricing remains a mystery, but we can estimate it. The ZR1 starts at around $175,000 with destination charges. If you factor in the typical price jump from the base Stingray to the E-Ray—about $40,000—that puts the Zora in the $215,000 range. That is certainly not cheap, but for a vehicle that could run with machines costing over $1,000,000, it could be a staggering performance bargain.