The First C8 ZR1 Dyno Results Are Unbelievable

Caecey Killian June 25, 2025 3 min read 0

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Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about Chevrolet’s ZR1 and ZR1X Corvettes, but for good reason. Last summer, Chevrolet dropped the ZR1, a twin-turbo monster powered by the 1,064-horsepower LT7. And just last week surprised us with the long-awaited ZR1X (that we all thought was going to be called the Zora) that combined the E-Ray’s electric front-wheel-drive with that twin-turbo LT7 to create an all-wheel-drive hybrid hypercar that makes 1,250 horsepower. For an American brand to do all this, especially stubborn GM, has the car world talking. And now we have more to talk about: The first C8 ZR1 dyno results.

500 Mile Break In: Done

However, at the same time the ZR1X was announced, those who had placed the first orders for their ZR1 finally received their delivery. Like with any new hot model, we have to see what they’re really made of, and the team at Paragon Performance got that chance. This shop resides in Waukee, Iowa, and has a long history of late-model Corvette performance. One of their customers, who wishes to remain anonymous, allowed these C8 experts to get baseline horsepower and torque numbers on their in-house chassis dyno for the first ever C8 ZR1 Dyno run.

All Stock – Awe Inspiring

While there are no performance parts or tuning options yet for a car that’s only been available to the public for a few days, it’s still interesting to see what the LT7 can put to the tires. Once they strapped down the four-digit horsepower monster and made some warmup runs to make sure everything was safe and ready, it was time for the first real full pull of a C8 ZR1 dyno run. The results are surprising, as a chassis dyno will generate less horsepower and torque than what is rated at the crank, with a peak horsepower output of 1,028 at 7,100 rpm and a peak torque of 839 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm (1,010hp and 825tq when using SAE correction).

The ZR1 (without the X) is powered by the 5.5-liter LT7 flat-plane-crank V8. With a pair of massive 76-millimeter turbos – the largest ever fitted to a twin-turbo production car – and an 8,000 RPM redline, Chevrolet advertises 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 and 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm at the crankshaft. For this ZR1 to pump out over 1,000 horsepower to the tire on its first dyno run is shocking.

For those of you interested in the nitty-gritty specs, here you go: 100-percent bone stock. No special parts or tuning and just 93-octane pump gas. 85-degree Fahrenheit day and about 65 percent humidity, and still the untouched DCT (C8s do not come with the 8 or 10 speed autos that are currently underfire). That’s over 1,000 horsepower to the rear wheels on the first C8 ZR1 dyno run ever. Did GM underrate the ZR1? Maybe, maybe not. Still very impressive.

Check out the C8 ZR1 dyno results in our recent article about Hennessey.

AboutCaecey Killian

Caecey Killian covers builds, installs, and product features for Car Junkie Magazine. He has spent years on the floor of the garage chasing horsepower across SBC, LS, and modern muscle platforms, and that shop time runs through every article he writes. His current CJM project is Project Street Reaper, a 1976 Camaro built around a fresh SBC 350. He is also known for Project Mighty Mouse, a 1977 Chevy Nova running a 1962 small-journal 327 SBC, with build coverage published across multiple online automotive magazines. His media background spans long-form build documentation, install coverage, and product features across the magazine and the Car Junkie Magazine YouTube channel. He writes the way he wrenches: specific, honest about the mistakes, and grounded in real garage work.