2025 Chevrolet Corvette

Even though the Chevrolet Corvette is recognized as an amazing car with power and looks that suggest stratospheric pricing instead of the reality — a starting cost that isn’t much more than a new BMW X5 — we still feel the ’Vette deserves even greater respect. Just like Ford can’t ditch the Mustang, Chevrolet keeps making the Corvette. They’re both too good to be consigned to history.

This generation of Corvette (the eighth) debuted for the 2020 model year and built upon the many excellent qualities of the C7. The thing that always blows our collective mind is that the Corvette’s power and poise is just incredible for the price — and that goes for any ’Vette variant.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of high-horsepower coupes and high-horsepower convertibles including the Chevy Corvette.

The most powerful production Corvette ever is upon us. It’s the new ZR1 and it makes a phenomenal 1,064 horsepower.

The 2025 Corvette also brings a few fresh exterior colors, a couple of interior color schemes, and a redesigned rear spoiler in the Z51 Performance package.

We recommend the Stingray 2LT coupe. We don’t think anyone really needs more than 490 horsepower, even on track days. And most Corvette buyers seem to agree, as this is the most popular variant. This one-up-from-base trim adds a few worthwhile features, like blind-spot monitoring.

Other top-selling sports cars include the Porsche 718 Cayman coupe and 718 Boxster convertible, both costing more than their base Corvette counterparts. The less expensive and less powerful Toyota GR Supra or Nissan Z coupes might be fun — but if you’ve always wanted a Corvette, these don’t have anything like the same kind of aura. Higher up the expenditure ladder is the evergreen and ever-wonderful Porsche 911. Beyond that, we’re looking at Italian exotics or a McLaren, in which case money is no object.

Before buying a new Corvette, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. The Corvette enjoys exceptionally strong resale values. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The most affordable Corvette Stingray is a thrill machine that has speed and handling to rival far more expensive supercars. Yet we’ve found that it’s not temperamental or uncomfortable. In our opinion, it’s just plain awesome. The composite body helps achieve a wonderful power-to-weight ratio. With 490 horsepower ready to respond to any flex of the right foot, it can flash from standstill to 60 mph in a mere 2.9 seconds.

From this point, the Corvette becomes ever more remarkable. Because of its hardware, the 655-horsepower E-Ray is heavier, but it’s also faster to 60 mph (2.5 seconds) and has its traction optimized by all-wheel drive. The E-Ray also comes with an adaptive suspension and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes as standard.

The Z06 nearly matches the E-Ray’s rapid acceleration time, thanks to 670 horsepower.

Chevrolet claims a quarter-mile dash in under 10 seconds and a top track speed of 215 mph for the fearsome, 1,064-horsepower ZR1. This car also has adaptive suspension as standard, as well as many bespoke components.

We’re throwing around these power numbers like they’re part of a fever dream, but let’s put them into some kind of context. The Porsche 718 Cayman is another mid-engined coupe with fabulous driving talent, but starts out with 300 horsepower for a few thousand bucks above the Corvette Stingray and needs 4.7 seconds to hit 60 mph. Greater power and faster speeds involves many more dollars. Financially speaking, Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini supercars start where the new ZR1 finishes. The Corvette’s action-per-Jackson formula is unsurpassed.

Fuel Economy

Corvette drivers probably don’t lose much sleep over their ride’s fuel economy, but let’s do this dance. Both the Stingray and the E-Ray achieve 19 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The Z06’s average is in the mid-teens. For reference, the 394-horsepower Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 (with an automatic transmission) runs to 21 mpg combined.

The Corvette isn’t one of those sports cars where only jockey-sized drivers can fit. It will accommodate those of a larger stature, up to a reasonable point. Materials are classy, especially in the higher trims, and the flat-bottomed/flat-topped steering wheel works just as it should. New interior color schemes this year are Habanero (a kind of orange, contrasted with black), plus a combination of blue stitching on black upholstery.

Despite an electric motor up front in the E-Ray, there’s still some storage space under the hood to go with the small trunk out back.

How many times have we watched intently as some exotic, mid-engined supercar rumbled past us and then reminded ourselves that “oh, yes, it’s a Corvette”? As well as having the goods in the engine bay and suspension settings, the Corvette delivers on the styling front. It’s available as a coupe with detachable roof panels or a convertible with a fabric top.

New paint choices this year are Competition Yellow Tintcoat Metallic and Hysteria Purple Metallic, while Sebring Orange Tintcoat Metallic returns to the palette. The brake calipers also become available in Velocity Yellow. The new ZR1 also has a split rear window, paying homage to the 1963 Stingray.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Because when you jump into a Corvette, you just want to drive off and not fiddle with cables. It also means that phones don’t have to be fished out of pockets or purses. Additionally, Wi-Fi is standard — even if download speeds aren’t the kind of speeds we care much about in a ’Vette,

Head-up display
Available from the 2LT trim and above, this projects crucial information onto the windshield directly in front of the driver. Less distraction and taking attention away from the road. It kind of makes you feel like a fighter pilot, too.

Front curb-view camera
Another 2LT feature and well worth having, in our opinion, because it could save scraping those lovely alloy wheels against the curb.

Front lift
This optional feature provides a little extra ground clearance at maneuvering speeds to protect the front lip from damage when negotiating uneven ground, speed humps, etc. It even has memory settings. We all hate that horrible feeling, so we say this is a great addition.

Brembo brakes
Available either as an option in some trims or standard in others, Brembo is a renowned third-party supplier of high-quality brakes whose client list also includes Ferrari and a whole ton of racing teams.

Pick it up in Kentucky
Buying a new Corvette is a special occasion, after all, so clients have the option of picking up their car from the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Every new Corvette comes with a mid-mounted V8 engine driving the rear wheels. The Stingray versions have a 6.2-liter unit generating 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque from a diet of regular gasoline.

The Z06 models employ a hand-assembled, premium-gasoline-using 5.5-liter V8 (with a lightweight flat-plane crankshaft, forged aluminum pistons and forged titanium connecting rods) tuned to produce a massive 670 horsepower, along with 460 lb-ft of torque.

The E-Ray takes the Stingray’s 6.2-liter V8, boosts output to 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, then augments it with an electric motor driving the front wheels and energized by a lithium-ion battery. Together, they endow the car with 655 horsepower. That motor applies 125 lb-ft of torque up front. Its battery receives electricity through braking and coasting, and does not need to be recharged from an outside source.

New for 2025, the ZR1 attaches a pair of turbochargers to the Z06’s 5.5-liter V8 to create a gobsmacking 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque.

Across the lineup, the transmission is an automated, dual-clutch unit with eight forward gears.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Chevrolet’s new-vehicle warranty lasts three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. Chevrolet also protects hybrid components and batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles. The first service is free as well.

Safety

The Corvette hasn’t been crash-tested by any independent agencies in the United States. The car doesn’t have a lot of advanced safety technology, but at least the two occupants have front and side airbags. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert is available from the 2LT level, along with a rear camera mirror.