Chevrolet just revealed the most powerful Corvette ever built, the 2026 Corvette ZR1X. It’s a hybrid, all-wheel-drive, twin-turbo supercar cranking out a staggering 1,250 horsepower. At its core is the new LT7 engine, a 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 making 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque, paired with a front-axle electric motor adding 186 hp. The result? A car that goes from 0–60 mph in under 2 seconds and storms through the quarter-mile in under nine.

Rather than celebrating the fact that an American car can now outpace multi-million-dollar exotics, people are fixated on the usual suspects: “Where’s the manual?” Because what better way to handle 1,250 hp than with a clutch pedal and a prayer? The ZR1X’s 8-speed dual-clutch transmission shifts in under 100 milliseconds, about five times faster than any human could dream of shifting a manual. But sure, let’s hold out for that three-pedal nostalgia trip.

The ZR1X cockpit is less “kid-designed” and more “fighter jet with cupholders.”

Design complaints weren’t far behind. “Too much blue,” “looks like a kid designed it,” and “why is the center console so high?” were among the highlights. If Chevy had released this with woodgrain and pop-up headlights, maybe they’d have been happier.

Then there’s the hybrid outrage. “More hybrid bulls***,” one user declared, missing the point that this isn’t a Prius, it’s an AWD torque monster that uses electricity to annihilate 60 mph like it owes you money. At speed, the ZR1X even disengages the front motor, going full rear-drive for top-end performance.

Badge of controversy or badge of progress?

And yes, some people are mad about the name. “Why call it ZR1X? That’s not a real ZR1!” As if adding an extra letter somehow unravels the legacy. Never mind the fact that this ZR1X laps faster, hits harder, and evolves further than any Corvette before it.

Add in active aero, Alcon carbon-ceramic brakes, over 1,200 pounds of downforce, and a stealth EV mode for short-range cruising, and you’ve got the most advanced Corvette ever. But because it doesn’t come with crank windows or a tape deck, some folks are ready to throw in the towel.

Change is hard. Horsepower isn’t.