By Eve 
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 just shattered all expectations for sheer American muscle—and, yeah, your wallet too. Packing a ludicrous 1,000+ horsepower from a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, it’s not just the meanest factory ‘Vette ever; it’s the baddest homegrown V8 period. But hold onto your hat, because that kind of firepower starts at a jaw-dropping $184k, officially crowning it the priciest Corvette in history.
Chevrolet Reveals 2025 Corvette Production Totals, Highlights Rise of the ZR1
Then come the dealers, gleefully cranking up the madness. Some are slapping on markups north of $100k, pushing the tab to a cool $340k in one laughable listing. And get this: a yellow ZR1 was spotted asking half a mil, probably some reseller betting big on desperate collectors. That’s not just gouging—that’s a whole extra Z06, or a base Stingray with enough leftover for a jet ski.
This isn’t exactly shocking, though. When the C8 Z06 dropped, certain dealers tacked on a casual $170k “because we can” fee. Even the humble Stingray wasn’t safe during its debut. If you’re not itching to burn cash, patience might be the move; Z06 markups eventually cooled when supply caught up.
But here’s the kicker: a fully loaded ZR1 could flirt with $220k before dealer antics, meaning a $100k markup rockets it toward $320k. At that point, why not grab two Z06s—or hell, three base ‘Vettes? The ZR1’s performance is wild, no argument there. Problem is, so are these price tags.
Shawn Henry