​​Corvette ZR1 Breaks Edmund’s U-Drags Record​ 

Edmunds’ second sentence says it all. “The 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 is a monster.” It is a 1064-hp, 825 lb-ft, 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8, a testament to American excess. The statement “It ain’t over till it’s overdone!” comes to mind. Edmunds has a test for such vehicles called the U-Drag, and the ZR1 just broke its record for… gas-powered cars. More on that in a minute, after McFarland Chevrolet details the ZR1’s accomplishment in this test. 

Edmunds U-Drag starts as a classic drag race between two competitors. The vehicles stand side by side, and when the time starts, they both sprint full blast for the quarter mile. But after that, the vehicles brake to a speed that allows them to make a U-turn, then head full blast again. They now hit the beginning of the quarter mile, speed built from emerging from the turn, and reach the end of the quarter mile again.   

Thus, the race clocks the quarter mile with the 0-60 recognized along the way, but then pulls a skid-pad g-rating, with the exit speed contributing to the overall performance at the end of the quarter mile. Mere mortal vehicles may hit their top speed at this point, but nothing in the ZR1 competitive set does. Still, the final speed is illustrative. 

When it comes to high-performance cars, America isn’t alone in its excess, with German, British, and Italian excess coming immediately to mind.  But none of the super sports car brands from those countries were interested in going toe-to-toe against the ZR1.   

So, the ZR-1 had to do it alone, or against an all too symbolic man in an inflatable chicken suit.  They may have reduced the visual suspense, but it was no less exciting for vehicle testers Alistair Weaver and Jonathan Efalan, who each had an identical run in the ZR-1.  They have probably been giddily looking forward to this since the assignment came down. 

Getting the best time in a ZR-1 starts by putting it in track mode and setting PTM to defeat the Traction Management system. The Launch Control allows for manual setup. After discussing with Corvette engineers, it was set to 3200 rpm and 10% slip, and they set the tire pressures “exactly as proposed,” which means we don’t know whether that differed from the normal recommended tire pressure. The launch controls mean that rather than stabbing the accelerator at start, you already have one foot flooring the brake and the other doing the same on the go-pedal, and the start entails lifting the brake – and holding on. 

Edmunds offered the testing conditions, which consisted of: 

Ambient Temperature 88.9° F 

Relative Humidity 20% 

Barometric Pressure 26.9 (inHg) 

Wind Speed 4.6 mph with gusts up to 12.6 

Wind Direction Tailwind in the initial quarter mile  

For the best numbers of the ZR1’s two runs: 

0-60 2.7 seconds 

Quarter Mile 10.0 seconds at 144.1 mph 

Cornering 1.38 g 

Overall time  28.9 seconds with 159.6 mph final speed 

As it turns out, that is the fastest gas-powered vehicle Edmunds has ever tested. That gas-powered qualifier stands out like a sore thumb, so we will tell you that the ZR1 is third overall, beaten by the 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT EV (9.3 sec quarter, 28.8 sec overall) and, at the top of their leaderboard, the 2025 Lucid Air Sapphire (9.2 sec quarter, 27.9 sec overall).   

Yes, it is a bit discombobulating that a vehicle as purpose-built as the ZR1, with looks to match, is beaten by a vehicle that looks like something your Granddad drove late in life after he had done well himself.  

It is worth noting that the ZR1 did its thing, driving only the rear wheels, while the Sapphire and Taycan put power to the ground through all four wheels. And for what it’s worth, even with a $174,995 starting MSRP, the ZR1 is about $40K-50K less than those two EVs. 

But the real difference, as Alister Weaver remarked more than once after his run, is the sheer violence of the ZR1 race experience. All the explosive sound and sensation we associate with high-performance hit your ears and permeate your body, unlike the ethereal, silent operation of the EVs. 

As Edmunds notes, the ZR1, amazing as it is, will not be the pinnacle of the Corvette line. Coming is the ZR1X, which takes everything in the ZR1 and adds an enhanced version of the Corvette E-Ray’s hybrid system, which includes all-wheel drive. And that just might top Edmund’s leaderboard. 

You may or may not have close to $200K to spend on one of the most amazing four-wheel toys. Still, it does show what Chevrolet engineers are capable of, and what they learn in Corvette development will find its way into more practical Chevrolet models, just as it always has.  

McFarland Chevrolet invites you to visit and experience the Corvette or whichever meticulously engineered Chevrolet model best suits your needs and desires.