First retail 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 heads to auction

• The first sale will happen at Barrett-Jackson’s upcoming Scottsdale auction
• All proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross
• Customer deliveries for the ZR1 are scheduled to start in early 2025

With the arrival of the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and its screaming twin-turbocharged V-8 capable of hitting 1,064 hp, America’s sports car is verging on hypercar status. This is a car that can accelerate to 60 mph from standstill in 2.3 seconds, run the quarter-mile in under 10 seconds, and reach a top speed of 233 mph.

Deliveries start early next year, and if you’re looking to get your hands on the first retail example, you’ll need to bring the big bucks. Chevy will offer the rights to the car— the one with a VIN ending in 001 — at a charity auction to raise funds for the American Red Cross.

The car will cross the block on Jan. 25 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, and all proceeds from the sale will be donated. As the car won’t be built until after the auction, the winning bidder will be able to configure it to their liking.

Auctioning off the rights to the first retail example of a new Corvette model has become a tradition in recent years. It’s also become somewhat of a tradition for the winning bidder to be dealership and NASCAR mogul Rick Hendrick.

Corvettes sold at charity auctions have fetched million-dollar bids in recent years. The first 2023 Corvette Z06 was sold at the same auction in 2022 and managed to raise $3.6 million. The winning bid for the ZR1 may go even higher.

Chevy hasn’t announced the actual price of the car, but the starting figure is expected to be in the upper $100,000 bracket. Fully loaded examples may crest the $200,000 mark, which would be another first for the brand.

That’s steep, but the ZR1 boasts a maximum 1,064 hp generated by a newly developed twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8, mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. The ZR1 also stands out from the rest of the 2025 Corvette range thanks to a unique split rear window—a nod to the design used on the 1963 Corvette—which also serves an aerodynamic function. An available ZTK Performance Package adds a host of aerodynamic modifications that collectively lift maximum downforce to 1,200 pounds.

Chevy is thought to be working on another, even more potent Corvette variant, possibly dubbed the Zora. It is expected to have greater power thanks to the addition of a front-mounted electric motor, meaning the ZR1’s top speed may soon be surpassed. However, Chevy hasn’t announced any plans for additional Corvette variants beyond the ZR1.