The Chevy Corvette ZR1 Is Priced Like a Lamborghini in Europe

In a world where hypercars can command seven-figure prices, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 makes one question their value, delivering 1,064 horsepower for just $175,000. At least, that’s the case if the purchase is made in the ZR1’s home country. Across the Atlantic, the ZR1 is much less of a budget-friendly hypercar slayer. The first two examples of the ZR1 have just landed in Europe (well, technically, the United Kingdom) via retail automotive dealer Clive Sutton, and one of them is still available, but with an eye-watering price. The dealer says that, with sourcing, transportation, 10% import duty, 20% tax, U.K. homologation, and registration fees, customers across the pond will have to pony up at least £365,000, and possibly as much as £425,000, depending on the spec they choose.

ZR1 Becomes a Half-Million-Dollar Car

Converted to dollars, this pricing puts the ZR1 at between roughly $491,200 and $572,000. That’s nearly as much as a Lamborghini Revuelto, though the ZR1 makes more power than the 1,001-hp Italian bull, but the scary pricing hasn’t alienated well-heeled English buyers. Clive Sutton says the black-and-red ZR1 in these images is already allocated, and so is another that will soon arrive at the dealer. The fully-specced Competition Yellow car is yet to find a buyer, but with so few examples making their way to European shores, it’ll likely be snapped up soon.

Related: Watch Chevy’s 1,250-HP ZR1X Set a New American Production Car Record on the Drag Strip

Let’s not forget that big V8s are just as adored by our British cousins as they are here, and the ZR1’s LT7 is one of the most extraordinary, with 5.5 liters of capacity, a flat-plane crankshaft, and two of the largest turbos ever fitted to a production car. The only drawback for Brits is that these are imported left-hand-drive cars (yes, RHD C8 Corvettes do exist), so U.K. buyers will have to lean across the cabin to explain themselves to Mr. Plod if they attempt to approach the ZR1’s 233-mph top speed.

Autoblog’s Take

Despite such high costs, the fact that two-thirds of Clive Sutton’s ZR1s have already been sold is evidence that there’s a strong appetite for high-performance cars worldwide — Lamborghini’s record sales figures last year are more proof thereof — and GM is poised to take advantage. A special, one-off ZR1X is headed to auction, and despite its unique paint adding complexity to the manufacturing process, Chevy has hinted that more bespoke options and variants could be in the pipeline. And let’s not forget that the Mustang GTD is far from cheap, yet has attracted plenty of buyers, several of whom are willing to shell out extra on the exquisite Liquid Carbon finish. High-performance American motors are reaching new levels of excellence, and Europeans want a taste.