The 2026 Corvette ZR1 Will Have A Twin-Turbo Z06 Engine

A very subtle easter egg and the distinctive wooshing sounds of a turbocharger give a strong hint at the C8 ZR1's engine.

By: Chris Perkins

Jun 3, 2024 at 12:08pm ET

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Chevrolet just put out a teaser video for the 2025 C8 Corvette ZR1, giving us our first listen to the mid-engine supercar. To our ears, it sounds like we're listening to a turbocharged engine, with the distinctive woosh of turbos over a V-8 sound. And an easter egg in the video hints that the ZR1's engine will be related to the flat-plane, dual-overhead cam V-8 from the C8 Z06.

Chevy tells us there's an easter egg in the video, and it took us a couple rewatches before we found it. At around 10 seconds in, you can see a little rocket taking off in the middle of the shot. It's the same rocket that GM stamps on various parts of the Z06's LT6 V-8. Chevy engineers called that engine the Gemini because it's essentially two twinned four cylinders with a common crankshaft.

It's hard to make out at first, but once you see the Gemini mark on the LT6 and rewatch the video, it becomes much more obvious. The swirling blue material in the video could also be a reference to turbocharging as well.

What do you think?

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The rumormill has long held that the ZR1 will get the first turbocharged engine in Corvette history, and this seems to be the best proof yet. In the Z06, the naturally aspirated LT6 displaces 5.5 liters and makes a heady 670 horsepower. With two blowers attached—and we're assuming it's two since a single-turbo doesn't make all that much sense in a high-performance V-8—this thing could make serious numbers.

We'll know for certain soon. The new ZR1 is set to make its debut some time this summer.