A few years ago, there were rumors that General Motors was considering using the Corvette nameplate for a standalone brand completely separate from Chevrolet, with the lineup perhaps including a SUV and sedan along with the traditional sports car.
However, in a recent episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage” featuring the new 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1GM Chairman Mark Reuss ruled out Corvette becoming its own brand.
Leno addresses the issue at the 18:30 mark of the episode, and Reuss responds that the Corvette will remain a Chevy because it symbolizes what the Bowtie brand truly stands for, which is giving buyers more for the price than they expect, and doing so with fantastic design and performance.
The video is worth watching in its entirety, as Reuss provides a wealth of information about the new ZR1, as well as GM in general. Reuss’ father, Lloyd E. Reuss, also worked for GM and was also its president in the early 1990s, and we learn about some of his history, including his own Corvette generation C2 which is also featured in the episode.
THE 2025 Corvette Lineup is expected to begin deliveries later this year, though the ZR1, which was revealed in July, isn’t expected to hit showrooms until next year. Chevy hasn’t announced a price, but it’s expected to start at $150. upper range of $100,000. Fully equipped examples can fetch as much as $200,000, which would be a first for an American sports car.
Incredibly, the 1,064 hp ZR1 This isn’t expected to be the end of the road for the C8-generation Corvette, at least in terms of performance. Prototypes have already been spotted for what is thought to be a Zora’s new flagship combining the ZR1’s 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 with the E-Ray’s front electric motor. Combined output could reach hypercar levels.