Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Coupe with ZTK Performance Package driving up a curvy mountain road. ... [+]
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the most potent vehicle the automaker has ever produced for consumers, and it’s explicitly honed for the racetrack. The latest range-topping C8 boasts a twin-turbocharged “LT7” 5.5-liter V8 rated at 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque—more than double the power of the C6 Z06. Thanks to the lightning-fast shifts of an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the rear-wheel drive coupe can deliver a quarter-mile time in under 10 seconds and boasts a top speed in excess of 215 mph. It vaunts the biggest carbon-ceramic brakes ever fitted to a Corvette and the most advanced Magnetic Ride 4.0 suspension. No American automaker has ever come close to delivering a sports car with as much potential.
However, a formidable competitor is on the horizon—the 2026 Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
The GT2 RS is at the top of Porsche’s performance podium. Traditionally, it has integrated all of the race-ready componentry of the superb naturally aspirated GT3 RS, yet boosted with the turbocharged powertrain from the 911 Turbo S. The last 911 GT2 RS debuted for the 2018 model year with a 700 horsepower 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-6 sending power to the rear wheels through a 7-speed PDK (dual-clutch) gearbox.
Porsche hasn’t yet released its upcoming (type 992.2) 911 GT2 RS. Still, it promises to be one of the highest-performing, track-focused, street-legal vehicles the German automaker has ever offered—performance should be equal to or better than the Corvette ZR1.
As Porsche moves towards electrification, we can assume it will have a mild hybrid system. Instead of using the 3.7-liter twin-turbocharged flat-6 mounted in the current Turbo S, it will likely be fitted with a variant of the T-HYBRID system recently debuted for the 911 GTS. Most expect a twin-turbocharged variant of the 3.6-liter flat-6, supplemented by an electric motor sandwiched between the engine and gearbox, developing an output of 850-1,000 horsepower. Power again goes to the rear wheels but through an upgraded 8-speed PDK gearbox.
Even with the hybrid powertrain and battery, the GT2 RS should tip the scales around 3,500 pounds—about 500 pounds lighter than the ZR1.
Mass is everything on a sports car. So, even if the Porsche is down a bit on power, the reduced mass (and advantageous rear-engine weight distribution) will give it the edge in a sprint through the quarter mile—expect it to be quicker than the ZR1. Porsche will also use adaptive aerodynamics on the GT2 RS, allowing it to run aerodynamically clean and hit a top speed in excess of 220 mph. The track-focused ZTK package on the Corvette will likely provide more downforce (up to 1,200 pounds) than the Porsche, but downforce produces drag that will keep it from hitting the same ultimate speeds as the German.
Acceleration and top speed aside, the real test comes on a racing circuit. The Corvette will be offered with lightweight carbon-fiber wheels wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. Porsche will use lightweight magnesium alloy wheels, which are more resilient than those on the ZR1, and wrap them in similar Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. High downforce delivers faster lap times, but so does grip and the ability to put the power to the pavement—Porsche has historically excelled in this category.
On paper and in theory, it appears that the 2026 Porsche 911 GT2 RS will deliver better performance than the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. But there’s more to the story. Experts predict that Chevrolet will price the ZR1 at just below $200,000. Conversely, Porsche will likely ask $300,000 for the GT2 RS, and most customers will pay a hefty premium markup. That’s a massive price difference.
And don’t forget that Chevrolet has another trick up its sleeve—the Zora. The supercar variant of the C8 Corvette is believed to combine the twin-turbocharged V8 from the ZR1 with the e-motor and battery from the E-Ray. Rumors are swirling that the Zora could make 1,200-plus horsepower. Will the Porsche GT2 RS have finally met its match? Maybe. That is until the debut of the GT2 RS MR, performance-tuned by the track experts at Porsche’s Manthey Racing team.