- The most powerful factory Corvette ever churns out a staggering 1,064 hp.
- This beast can hit 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds and tops out at 233 mph.
- In 2018, a GM executive crashed a C7 Corvette ZR1 during an IndyCar race.
For the 22nd time, the Indy 500 will be led by a Chevy Corvette ZR1 pace car. But this time, things are a little different. It’s the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the most powerful pace car to ever lead the race. With a performance that outshines the cars actually competing, this ZR1 has about 300 more horsepower than the race cars it’s pacing. Talk about flexing.
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Equipped with a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8, the new Corvette ZR1 delivers a mind-bending 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft (1,121 Nm) of torque through the rear wheels. That’s enough to send it to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds and through to a 233 mph (375 km/h) top speed. Attempting to control all this power, and inevitably fighting the urge to bury the throttle, will be former NFL player and current TV host Michael Strahan.
Read: GM Penalizes Corvette ZR1 Flippers By Punishing Second-Hand Buyers
The ZR1 unveiled for pace car duties has been equipped with the Carbon Aero package and rocks aggressive dive planes up front and a massive wing out back. It’s painted in Arctic White with green and gold Indy 500 logos. It also rocks the available lightweight carbon fiber wheels.
An Infamous ZR1 Pace Car From The Past
The last time a Corvette ZR1 was used as a pace car, things didn’t go to plan. In June 2018, GM executive Mark Reuss was piloting a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 for the Indy Detroit Grand Prix when he got a little too eager with the throttle. The car’s rear tires lost traction, and it spun directly into a concrete crash barrier on the side of the track. The incident forced organizers to delay the start of the race by 27 minutes.
Given that this will probably be Strahan’s first time behind the wheel of the new Corvette ZR1, he’d be wise to keep the traction control on and only feather the accelerator. If not, he may go down in automotive infamy as the second pace car driver to crash a ZR1.
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