Listen To The Chevy Corvette ZR1 Idling With Alleged Twin-Turbocharged V8

While we await more details about the more potent Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, what appears to be a prototype of the car has been caught idling at a gas station in Colorado. The engine sounds much like the 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 in the Corvette Z06, but it's unclear whether the rumored forced induction is present in the idling prototype.

Reports suggest the power unit will be strapped with two turbochargers that could increase the output from 670 horsepower to 850 hp. If so, the current naturally-aspirated LT6 engine would become the LT7.

The camouflaged 'Vette was filmed idling before slowly taking off, so no turbo whistling sounds were heard as there wasn't enough gas to spool the alleged turbos. The rear window for the engine was also blocked off, so we're unable to see whether any layout changes have been made to make room for the forced induction components.

Speaking of the windows, the camouflaged prototype suggests the ZR1 may get a split rear window we've seen in previous sightings of the car.

The last time we saw this design cue was in the C2 Corvette and only for the 1963 model year. It was discontinued due to safety concerns, and the "Father of the Corvette," Zora Arkus-Duntov, did not like it.

The latest spy video didn't show the interior either. However, previous reports tell us that the physical buttons along the center console could be replaced with a more straightforward control layout in the upcoming Corvette. The windows were tinted, and there was a laptop in the way, so we couldn't tell whether the "Great Wall of Buttons" would indeed be discontinued.

For now, Chevrolet offers US consumers the Stingray and the Z06 for a starting price of $66,300 and $108,100, respectively. There's also the hybridized Corvette E-Ray, which starts at $102,900. The Corvette ZR1 should sit at the top of the range next year, with the 1,000-hp Zora expected to take the flagship seat in 2025.