This 2026 Corvette ZR1 Was The Cheapest Sold On Bring A Trailer - Here's What It Cost

 SlashGear's first drive of the Corvette ZR1 had us wondering whether it was too much for the road, but buyers weren't intimidated by the Corvette's supercar-killing 1,064-horsepower engine. Chevrolet auctioned off the first production unit for $3.7 million in January 2025 to benefit the Red Cross, and the market has been hot ever since. Classic.com reports 8 sales of secondhand C8-generation ZR1s at an average price of $273,375; that's more than $45,000 above the dealership cost of a new 2026 convertible in 3LZ trim (the most expensive variant). A 2026 ZR1 coupe in 3LZ trim that sold via Bring a Trailer in late January of 2026 for $223,000 fetched the lowest price of any of the 15 C8 ZR1s sold via the auction site, but that's still more than $34,000 over the price of a new one from the dealership.

The current version of the Corvette ZR1 is powered by a heavily-upgraded, twin-turbocharged version of the 5.5-liter V8 first seen in the Corvette Z06. The new LT7 puts its 1,064 horsepower to the ZR1's rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Car and Driver got it from 0-60 mph in a scant 2.2 seconds and 0-100 in just over twice that; the quarter mile went by in 9.5 seconds with a trap time of 149 mph and the ZR1 pulled 1.13g on a 300-foot skidpad.

The Corvette ZR1 is available in two different trim levels: the base 1LZ and the full-zoot 3LZ, which adds $11,000 to the cost and gives buyers a few upgrades: heating and ventilation on the eight-way power seats, carbon fiber and leather interior panels with microfiber suede trim, and 14 speakers in the Bose sound system vs. the 1LZ's 10. A ZR1 convertible is also available for an additional upcharge of $10,000 in either trim. All of the cars auctioned at BaT so far were built to the 3LZ spec, and 9 of the 15 were hardtop coupes.

The highest-priced Corvette ZR1 sold via Bring a Trailer was a 2025 Launch Edition Convertible that sold for $301,000 in December 2025. The seller had reportedly purchased it on Halloween for $210,000; clearing more than $90,000 on the quick flip. The Bring a Trailer listing claims that this car was  one of only four convertibles made in Rapid Blue (a color that was discontinued after the 2025 model year). A black 2026 ZR3 coupe with a sticker price of about $221,000 sold for $290,000 a few weeks ahead of the blue ragtop, netting that seller nearly $70,000.

Some BaT users have chimed in with comments noting that Corvette ZR1s can still be purchased from dealers at sticker price. GM's Bowling Green, Kentucky plant is making Corvettes and LT7 V8 engines with no known planned end date, so the secondhand market should cool down. The ZR1 is also no longer the top dog in the Corvette stable. Those bragging rights now belong to the new Corvette ZR1X, which combines the ZR1's twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor in the front axle to produce an all-wheel drive monster with 1,250 horsepower.

During the C8 Corvette ZR1's young life as a production car it has set some impressive performance milestones. The ZR1 went 233 mph on a test track in Papenburg, Germany in October of 2024, setting a new record for American-made cars. GM then brought the car back to the United States, where it set new production car lap records at five tracks: Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, Road America, and the Full and Grand courses at Virginia International Raceway. 

These lap records were set with four different engineers and executive Aaron Link at the wheel; while not full-time test drivers, all five have plenty of experience and on-track bona fides. In July of 2025 the team headed back to Germany to take on the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife proving ground. Three Corvettes were put through their paces: a Z06 with the Z07 performance package and ZR1 and ZR1X 'Vettes with the ZTK package that includes some carbon-fiber aero pieces and an upgrade to Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ultra high-performance tires. 

Engineer Drew Cattell piloted the all-wheel drive hybrid ZR1X to a 6:49.275 lap, the fastest Nordschleife time ever recorded by someone who wasn't a professional race driver. Fellow Engineer Brian Wallace turned in a lap of 6:50.763 in the "regular" ZR1; that was the seventh-fastest Nordschleife lap ever for a production car. Taking a new one home will set you back between $193,000 and $300,000 depending on trim and options, but the Corvette ZR1 is faster than some supercars that cost even more.