2026 Chevrolet Corvette Expert Review
Reviewed by Billy Rehbock
Car enthusiasts spent decades anticipating the arrival of a mid-engine Corvette. Now, with the debut of the groundbreaking 2026 ZR1X AWD hybrid, fans have a wide range of variants to choose from. The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette also brings significant interior upgrades and a host of other updates.
The standard Corvette competes with the Porsche 911, BMW M4, and Lotus Emira. Higher-power variants square off against bona fide exotics such as the Ferrari 296 GTB, Lamborghini Temerario, and McLaren Artura.
What’s New
A new top model emerges this year: the Corvette ZR1X. An all-wheel-drive hybrid like the E-Ray, this C8 makes a claimed 1,250 hp and can sprint to 60 mph in under 2 seconds.
Chevrolet has also revealed the 2026 Corvette with a freshly redesigned interior. The strip of buttons running down the rail that separates the driver and passenger has received a mixed reaction since the C8’s debut, so Chevrolet has relocated those controls to a horizontal bar of toggles underneath the central HVAC vents.
Basics
- Performance Traction Management Pro (PTM Pro) is available for all Corvette variants
- The ZR1’s ZTK performance package receives new 10-piston front and six-piston rear calipers with carbon ceramic discs
- A Performance App for all Corvette models
Exterior
- An electrochromic roof is available with full, medium, and low tint options
- An asymmetrical Edge Red and Carbon flash exterior center stripe is available
- Body-color rocker panels are standard on E-Ray and available on Z06 models
- Blue brake calipers available on E-Ray and Z06 models
- Roswell Green Metallic and Blade Silver paint colors are available for all models
Interior
- A larger 12.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen
- A small 6.6-inch auxiliary display to the left of the steering wheel
- A redesigned center console with centralized buttons and a USB-C port beneath the passenger grab handle
- Redesigned cupholders with hand-wrapped inserts, ambient lighting, and Corvette logos
- Four new interior color schemes with a first-ever asymmetrical Jet Black and Adrenaline Red colorway
- A carbon-fiber instrument cluster hood that’s standard on the ZR1 and available on the E-Ray and Z06
- The E-Ray’s Charge+ button now resides on the steering wheel
What We Think
The eighth-generation Corvette—C8 for short—has won multiple MotorTrend awards since its introduction, with the base model handily capturing our 2020 Car of the Year, and the high-powered Corvette Z06 netting our 2023 Performance Vehicle of the Year.
Our long-term Corvette Z51 was a daily drivable supercar, with surprising practicality and thrilling driving dynamics. Even the Z06 iteration, which challenges exotics with its glorious flat-plane crank V-8 engine, retains that same ease of use in everyday driving.
Not only did the C8 Corvette introduce the first mid-engine layout to America’s sports car, it also was the first to receive a hybrid powertrain. Dubbed the Corvette E-Ray, this version of the C8 comes close to the Z06’s performance with the addition of an electric motor driving the front wheels.
Just a few negatives dull our excitement for the 2026 Corvette. The supercar styling can hardly be described as pretty or restrained. Also, the square-ish steering wheel isn’t for everyone, and the frunk doesn’t have any ventilation, so items stored under the hood get hot in direct sunlight.
These complaints are trivial, though—every version of the C8 we’ve driven so far has left us satisfied, and our first impressions of the hypercar-challenging ZR1 have us excited for more. The specs for the ZR1X are even more enticing.
Top-Ranked Competitors:
Performance and MPGs
With the ZR1X, the lineup adds a new hybrid powertrain this year, one that uses the ZR1’s LT7 turbocharged V-8 (and not the E-Ray’s 6.2-liter engine). The 2026 Corvette continues to make use of an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Most Corvette models are equipped with rear-wheel drive, but the hybrid Corvette E-Ray and ZR1X use all-wheel drive. An electric motor powers the front wheels.
2026 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
- Drivetrain: RWD
- Engine: 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8
- Horsepower/Torque: 490–495 hp/465–470 lb-ft
- Efficiency (city/highway): 16/25 mpg*
- Range: 352 miles*
- Acceleration (0–60 mph): 2.8–3.3 seconds
2026 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
- Drivetrain: RWD
- Engine: 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V-8
- Horsepower/Torque: 670 hp/460 lb-ft
- Efficiency (city/highway): 12/20 mpg*
- Range: 259 miles*
- Acceleration (0–60 mph): 2.6–2.8 seconds
2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
- Drivetrain: AWD
- Engine: 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8 and electric motor
- Horsepower/Torque: 655 hp/595 lb-ft
- Range: 352 miles*
- Efficiency (city/highway): 16/24 mpg*
- Acceleration (0–60 mph): 2.6 seconds
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
- Drivetrain: RWD
- Engine: 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8
- Horsepower/Torque: 1,064 hp/828 lb-ft
- Efficiency (city/highway): 10/17 mpg (MT est)
- Range: 250 miles (MT est)
- Acceleration (0–60 mph): 2.5 seconds (MT est)
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
- Drivetrain: AWD
- Engine: 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 and electric motor
- Combined Output: 1,250 hp
- Acceleration (0–60 mph): 1.9 seconds (manufacturer est.)
*2025 model year figures
Safety Features
Sports cars have historically been light on active safety tech, but the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette offers a robust suite of technology:
- Lane keeping assist with lane departure warning
- Automatic high beams
- Forward collision alert
- Following distance indicator
Rear cross-traffic alert and side blind zone alert are standard above the base trim level.
Cargo Space and Interior Room
The Chevrolet Corvette is one of the most practical sports cars on the market. It has both a trunk and a frunk, which provide enough storage space for luggage and even golf clubs.
Technology
Infotainment
In addition to having its switchgear relocated to a more central position beneath the infotainment display, the 2026 Corvette also gets new screens with new animations and updated graphics for its various drive modes.
A 12.7-inch digital instrument cluster replaces the old 12.0-inch display while a 14.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability stands in for the outgoing 8.0-inch unit. Like other Chevy models, the Corvette is now equipped with Google Built-in features such as the Google Play store and Google Assistant voice commands.
Sound System
The Corvette’s base audio setup is a 10-speaker arrangement from Bose. A 14-speaker arrangement is available as an upgrade.
Chevrolet's Performance Data Recorder
For lap sessions, Chevrolet’s Performance Data Recorder uses the dash camera to record your efforts on the track. It also logs speed, acceleration, braking, and gear changes. An SD card records this data and allows you to analyze it with the Cosworth Toolbox software. This feature has been updated with a new interface to suit the 2026 Corvette’s larger displays. Performance Data Recorder now provides real-time data analysis and automated “speed tips” that can be relayed to the driver via the center display.
2026 Chevrolet Corvette Trims
We expect the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette to carry over with the same basic trim structure as last year. All variants are offered as a coupe with a removable targa top or as a convertible.
Stingray
- 1LT: GT1 bucket seats, eight-way power driver seat, Bose 10-speaker sound system
- 2LT: Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system, performance data and video recorder, body-color auto-dimming mirrors with heating and auto-folding functionality
- 3LT: GT2 bucket seats, leather interior package, micro-suede upper interior trim
E-Ray
- 1LZ: GT1 bucket seats, eight-way power driver seat, Bose 10-speaker sound system
- 2LZ: Memory Driver and Passenger Convenience package, performance data and video recorder, Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system, aluminum cupholder trim
- 3LZ: GT2 bucket seats, Custom Leather Wrapped Interior package, micro-suede upper interior trim
Z06
- 1LZ: GT1 bucket seats, eight-way power driver seat, Bose 10-speaker sound system
- 2LZ: Memory Driver and Passenger Convenience package, performance data and video recorder, and Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system, aluminum cupholder trim
- 3LZ: GT2 bucket seats, Custom Leather Wrapped Interior package, micro-suede upper interior trim, aluminum cupholder trim
ZR1
- 1LZ: Performance data and video recorder, carbon-fiber ground effects, GT1 bucket seats, aluminum cupholder trim
- 3LZ: GT2 bucket seats, Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system, micro-suede upper interior trim
ZR1X
- Standard with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires
- Available ZTK package upgrade, which features Pilot Sport Cup 2R summer tires and stiffer suspension springs
2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray: America’s Hybrid Supercar
The hybrid version of the Chevrolet Corvette carries over into 2026 with an electric motor powered by a 1.9-kWh battery powering the front wheels and a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8 driving the rear. Output totals 655 hp and 595 lb-ft of torque.
The Corvette E-Ray has been an astounding performer in our testing—0–60 mph in 2.6 seconds, a 10.6-second quarter-mile at 128 mph, and a 60–0 stopping distance of just 103 feet courtesy of Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.
Chevy upgrades the car’s handling capabilities with staggered 20- and 21-inch wheels, a wider track that accommodates the electric motor, Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 adaptive suspension, and a ride height 3.6 inches lower than Stingray models.
Further distinctions between the 2026 E-Ray and Stingray include the Charge+ button for enabling on-demand battery charging and power saving. Model-specific infotainment pages show output from the gas and electric motor in addition to the efficiency of the E-Ray’s hybrid system.
In the past, Chevrolet has made an Electric Blue racing stripe available. You should also be able to outfit the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray with a black exhaust setup, carbon-fiber aero accents, and carbon-fiber wheels as options.
The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X Are Hypercar Killers
Chevrolet reserves the ZR1 nomenclature for the most hardcore versions of its Corvette sports car. With its 5.5-liter twin-turbo flat-plane-crank V-8, dual-clutch automatic, and total output of 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque, the C8 2026 Corvette ZR1 enters hypercar territory.
The new 2026 Corvette ZR1X is even nuttier. Chevy adds an upgraded version of the E-Ray’s front motor and battery to the car to produce a combined output of 1,250 hp.
The ZR1’s gas engine, codenamed LT7, is differentiated from the Z06’s flat-plane-crank V-8 by more than its turbochargers—model-specific internals, cams, and cylinder heads, an extra oil scavenge stage, additional cooling, and a supplementary port fuel-injection system are all part of the package. Get more info in our First Look review.
For the ZR1, 0–60 mph should take 2.5 seconds or less, and the quarter-mile should take fewer than 9.7 seconds with a 150-mph trap speed. The ZR1X will be quicker, launching to 60 mph in under 2 seconds and hitting the quarter-mile in under 9 seconds according to the automaker.
The ZR1 should top out at 215 mph. Chevrolet has already started vetting the new Corvette ZR1 at race tracks around the world, with five records set so far.
