By the numbers, Chevrolet’s 2026 Corvette ZR1X is a true hypercar. It combines the mid-engine Corvette ZR1’s twin-turbocharged V8 with the Corvette E-Ray’s electric motor powering the front wheels for 1,251 horsepower. It rockets to 60 mph in under 2 seconds and on through the 1/4-mile in 9 seconds. But speed and power are far from the most unique aspects of the latest monster to emerge from Chevy’s Bowling Green Kentucky plant.

The first 1,000 horsepower production car

A century ago, land speed record hot rods were claiming 1,000 horsepower. But many consider 2005’s Bugatti Veyron to be the first 1,000 horsepower production car. Volkswagen resurrected the classic brand to take on Ferrari and Lamborghini. To hit that magical 1,000 horsepower mark, it developed an 8.0-liter W16 engine with four separate turbochargers.

The Veyron 16.4 started at $1.25 million. There were few supercars with that sort of price tag. But remember, this is 25 years ago. Adjusted for inflation, that would be just over $2 million today.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Chevrolet hit the 1,000 horsepower mark with a twin-turbocharged V8. Built in the heart of the U.S.A. Today, the 1,064-horsepower turbocharged Corvette ZR1 starts at $174,995. But the ZR1X may prove an even more incredible.

In 2016, Bugatti decided to raise the stakes again. It tuned its 8.0-liter W16 to make 1,500 horsepower and launched its all new Chiron. But it also doubled the Veyron’s price tag, with “base” Chirons starting at $2.4 million. By 2024, special editions such as the Our Sport started at $3.6 million. And it’s as if other supercars are trying to catch up. Ferrari just unveiled its new 12Cilindri. This front-engine V12 coupe starts at $423,000. And it makes just 819 horsepower.

Chevrolet’s new Corvette ZR1X is America’s hypercar

The final Dodge Challenger, the Demon 170 broke 1,000 horsepower when sipping racing fuel. But it was a a one-trick pony: a drag racer engineered for straight-line speed. There was something incredible cool about the retro-styled Challenger Hellcats. And the Mustangs and Camaros trying to keep up with them. But Corvette has always marched to the beat of a different drum.

Chevrolet earned Corvette’s “America’s Sports Car” nickname by chasing the best European performance with an accessible halo car. The Corvette brought a long list of innovations to US mass-manufacturing. You could argue these include a small-block V8, a big-bock V8, fuel injection, independent rear suspension, a rear transaxle, quad overhead cams, a factory-installed supercharger, magnetic suspension, a dual-clutch transmission, and a mid-engine layout.

Like the 1,000-horsepower mid-engine hypercar ZR1X, the Corvette didn’t invent any of these innovations. But it may have done something as important. It found a way to build them at a price point accessible to millions of Americans. Many predict the 2026 Corvette ZR1X will begin at $250,000. And while that’s not cheap, it means the next generation of retirees may be toodling around Detroit or Kentucky while enjoying Bugatti Veyron power.