Corvette ZR1X beats Bugatti Chiron in a drag race
The 1103 kW Bugatti Chiron just lost a 402 metre drag race to the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, a hybrid supercar with 932 kW and a price tag that, according to the organisers of the comparison, is more than 17 times lower. In the Drag Times runs, the Corvette won from a standstill and then did it again in the repeat rolling start.
The Chiron met a very different kind of Corvette
The Bugatti Chiron is hardly the sort of car that usually lacks status at a start line. Its 8.0 litre quad turbo W16 produces 1103 kW and the car weighs 1950 kg. This time, though, it lined up beside the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, powered by a 5.5 litre twin turbo V8 working with an electric motor. Its total output sits below the Chiron’s, but 932 kW is not exactly a modest figure, even on paper.
The ZR1X had the smarter way of putting power down. It uses a dual clutch gearbox and all wheel drive, but not in the usual way. An electric motor drives the front axle, then shuts off above 250 km/h, leaving the Corvette as a rear wheel drive car at higher speeds. Chevrolet also weighs around 100 kg less than the Bugatti.
The Corvette made the Chiron look unusually beatable
In the standing start 402 metre runs, the Corvette gave the Chiron little room to argue. In both attempts, the ZR1X crossed the line several car lengths ahead.
The first rolling start looked better for Bugatti, but not because the Chiron suddenly found a hidden advantage. The Corvette driver made a mistake with manual gear selection. The repeat run settled the matter, with the Chevrolet pulling clear once again.
The price difference makes it sting
The result hurts more when the numbers move from performance to money. The organisers valued the Chiron at roughly $4 million, or about €3.44 million. The top specification Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X used in the comparison cost $231,000, or about €199,000, which puts it more than 17 times below the Bugatti.
Chevrolet’s official starting price for the 2026 Corvette ZR1X in the United States is $209,700, or about €180,500. That still buys a serious slice of hybrid performance, just without the seven figure jewellery box around it.
The Chiron remains a landmark hypercar, of course. One drag race does not erase what Bugatti built. But it does show how quickly the ground is shifting when a Corvette can turn up with electric front axle traction, a twin turbo V8 and just enough insolence to make Molsheim look over its shoulder.
