- The rights to the first retail 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 were sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction
- The winning bid of $3.7 million was made by Rick Hendrick
- All proceeds from the sale will go to benefit the American Red Cross
With the arrival of the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and its screaming twin-turbocharged V-8 capable of hitting 1,064 hp, America’s sports car is verging on hypercar status. This is a car that can accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in 2.3 seconds, run the quarter-mile in under 10 seconds, and reach a top speed of 233 mph.
Deliveries start early this year, and if you’re looking to get your hands on the first retail example, you’re too late, even if you have the big bucks. Chevy offered the rights to the car—the one with a VIN ending in 001—at a charity auction.
The car crossed the block on Jan. 25 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, with the final selling price coming in at $3.7 million. All proceeds will go toward the American Red Cross, and as the car hasn’t been built yet, the winning bidder, dealership and NASCAR mogul Rick Hendrick, will be able to configure it to his liking.
Hendrick being the winner was no surprise. He’s created a tradition of winning charity bids at Barrett-Jackson auctions. Auctioning off the rights to the first retail example of a new Corvette model has also become a tradition in recent years. The latest sale brings the total amount of money Chevy has raised at Barrett-Jackson charity auctions through the sale of C8 Corvettes to $12.9 million.
Sale of first retail 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 at Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale – Jan. 2025
The $3.7 million bid is the highest known price paid for a Corvette, eclipsing the $3.6 million paid for the first retail 2023 Corvette Z06 at a Barrett-Jackson charity auction three years ago. The latest bid is also roughly 21 times the 2025 ZR1’s starting price of $174,995, including destination.
That starting price is steep, but the ZR1 boasts a maximum 1,064 hp generated by a newly developed twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8, mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. The ZR1 also stands out from the rest of the 2025 Corvette range thanks to a unique split rear window—a nod to the design used on the 1963 Corvette—which also serves an aerodynamic function. An available ZTK Performance Package adds a host of aerodynamic modifications that collectively lift maximum downforce to 1,200 pounds.
Chevy is thought to be working on another, even more potent Corvette variant, possibly dubbed the Zora. It is expected to have greater power thanks to the addition of a front-mounted electric motor, meaning the ZR1’s top speed may soon be surpassed. However, Chevy hasn’t announced any plans for additional Corvette variants beyond the ZR1.
