What the 918 and ZR1X Have In Commonillustration by john lawsonillustration by john lawsonThe Carrera GT was Porsche's first production road car with carbon-fiber construction. Porsche kept the carbon fiber and many of the styling cues for the follow-up 918 Spyder but went high-tech with the powertrain instead of merely making it more potent. Granted, the 918 is quicker, lopping more than a second off the Carrera GT's 0–60-mph and quarter-mile times. All the extra oomph comes from the electric motors, as the 918's 4.6-liter V-8 is less powerful than the 5.7-liter V-10 in the Carrera GT.This story originally appeared in Volume 36 of Road & Track.Hearst Owned - Hearst OwnedThe 918 was one of a defining trio of hybrid hypercars circa 2013, the other two being the Ferrari LaFerrari and the McLaren P1. Like the McLaren, the Porsche is a plug-in, but it is the only one with a motor on the front axle. Hybridization, plugging in, and all-wheel drive have since become common in supercars. Like the 918, many have electrified front axles, albeit using two motors: Acura's second-generation NSX; the Aston Martin Valhalla; the Czinger 21C; Ferrari's SF90 Stradale, 849 Testarossa, and F80; Lamborghini's Revuelto and Temerario; the upcoming Bugatti Tourbillon. Plus, of course, with a single front motor, there's the Corvette Grand Sport X and ZR1X.AdvertisementAdvertisementClick on the gallery below for more informationA.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe 918 Spyder's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission shares much with the one in the 991-gen 911 Turbo S but is flipped upside down. The first three gears have the same ratios.B.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonAs if there weren't enough going on, the 918 also has rear-wheel steering.C.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe flat-plane V-8 is based on the engine from the RS Spyder race car. The 918's naturally aspirated V-8 is larger at 4.6 liters, but even so, it revs to 9150 rpm.D.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonAdvertisementAdvertisementWhile two carbon-fiber roof panels provide protection from weather, they also filter out the better exhaust-note frequencies. As the Spyder name suggests, the 918 is best experienced top off.E.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonRegenerative braking puts up to 0.5 g of deceleration through the hybrid system. Carbon-ceramic discs (16.1 inches in front and 15.4 out back) supply the rest of the stopping power.Because all the latest Corvette model variants were conceived and approved during the C8's early planning process, the ZR1X is a straightforwardly engineered 1250-hp giant killer. The rear of the car is standard ZR1, and the LT7 twin-turbo V-8 shares its architecture with the Z06's naturally aspirated LT6. The electric motor up front is borrowed from the outgoing E-Ray, but its output is bumped up to 186 hp via new software and upgraded internal components. Chevy engineers also extended the e-motor's cutoff speed another 10 mph to 160, so it's fully contributing to the ZR1X's quarter-mile performance of 9.2 seconds at 155 mph.A companion upgrade is larger brakes, standard on the ZR1X and now optional on the ZR1. The carbon-ceramic discs are 16.5 inches at all four corners, versus the ZR1's standard 15.7-inch fronts and 15.4-inch rears. As a '26 model, the ZR1X also gets the updated Corvette interior and the latest Performance Traction Management system, which adds a Pro mode at the highest level. Pro removes all driver assistance except the antilock-braking system and, in the hybrid Vettes, still uses the front-axle motor as a stability aid.AdvertisementAdvertisementClick on the gallery below for more informationA.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe Tremec eight-speed dual-clutch transmission in the ZR1X (and ZR1) uses the same housing as other Corvettes, with beefed-up internals to handle the higher engine output.B.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe LT7 is a 1064-hp twin-turbocharged 32-valve flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter V-8 that produces 828 lb-ft of torque. It boasts an 8000-rpm redline and a vicious exhaust growl.C.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe ZR1X gets more usable battery capacity out of the otherwise-carryover pack from the E-Ray for 1.5 kWh of juice.D.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonAdvertisementAdvertisementAn extra 300 pounds of weight in the X model comes mostly from the electric motor and battery.E.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe ZR1X's Alcon brakes use 10-piston calipers in front, with six-piston rears.F.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThere's no frunk, as that space is occupied by the motor and various heat exchangers in both the ZR1X and the ZR1.A car-lover's community for ultimate access & unrivaled experiences.JOIN NOWHearst OwnedYou Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State
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