The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X has been named one of the 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems winners. It joins a list unlike any WardsAuto has published before. For the first time since the program began in 1995, none of the ten honorees relies on an internal combustion engine alone. WardsAuto announced the results on October 13 in Detroit. With 1,250 combined horsepower, the ZR1X is the most powerful winner of the year by a wide margin.
How the ZR1X Makes 1,250 HP
The core of the system is the LT7, a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft. On its own, it produces 1,064 hp and 1,123 Nm (828 lb-ft) of torque. Chevrolet pairs it with an electric motor that drives the front axle and adds 186 hp and 197 Nm (145 lb-ft), which gives the car electrified all-wheel drive. The front-axle hardware traces back to the E-Ray, the car that introduced hybrid power to the Corvette lineup for the 2024 model year.
That much hardware comes at a price. Wards lists the ZR1X at $242,060, the highest sticker among this year’s winners and more than five times the cost of the least expensive honoree.
How Wards Judges the Field
This year’s judges evaluated 26 nominees in real-world driving. They scored each powertrain on horsepower, torque, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), observed efficiency and the technology behind it. Only all-new or significantly improved powertrains are eligible, along with returning winners from the previous year. The jurors then meet to compare combined scores and decide whether each powertrain gives buyers a real reason to want the vehicle it sits in.
The makeup of the field said a lot on its own. Robin Warner, who manages the Wards 10 Best programs, noted that even the most exciting sports cars in the running now lean on electric assistance to improve the driving experience. Juror Drew Winter was more direct: “It’s hard to believe the car-buying public once considered hybrids slow and underpowered.” Electrification first appeared on the list in 2001, when the first-generation Toyota Prius won. Wards later renamed the competition in 2020 to reflect how much the industry had changed.
The Rest of the 2026 Winners
The ZR1X is one of four hybrid winners. The other three are the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder, the Nissan Rogue Hybrid with a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder and the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid with its electrically assisted 3.6-liter flat-six. Two plug-in hybrids won, the BMW M5 Touring and the Toyota RAV4 PHEV GR Sport. The four battery-electric winners are the Mercedes-Benz GLC 400 4Matic Electric, Rivian R2 Performance, Subaru Trailseeker and Volvo EX60 P10 AWD. Prices start at $43,035 for the Rogue Hybrid.
Not every Corvette on the ballot made it through. The 6.7-liter V8 in the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport was also among the nominees but missed the final ten. In a year when Wards rewarded only electrified powertrains, the hybrid ZR1X carried the Corvette name onto the list.
