Long before the current C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette was introduced, the American car manufacturer went on a trademarking spree to secure the rights to ‘Zora’ in markets around the world.
In fact, it made more than 30 trademark applications for the name in 2014 alone, including in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, Moldova, Iceland, Australia, the European Union, Bahrain, Vietnam, Chile, Singapore, Mexico, Zimbabwe, and others.
GM Authority reports that Chevrolet most recently filed to trademark the ‘Zora’ name in the Philippines on February 14, 2020.
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When news first emerged of Chevrolet filing to trademark the name, it was speculated the C8 Corvette could be dubbed the Zora in honor of the late Zora Arkus-Duntov, who is considered the “father” of the Corvette. However, that hasn’t been the case with the current C8 model, which is instead using the Stingray name. It is now thought that the Zora moniker will be affixed to a future performance version of the C8 Corvette, with the most likely candidate being the claimed hybrid range-topper.
It is widely believed that the flagship version of the C8 Corvette will utilize a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter LT7 V8 paired with a hybrid-electric powertrain that could churn out upwards of 1,000 hp and 1,000 lb-ft (1,355 Nm) of torque. This engine will inevitably be mated to a bespoke transmission, or a heavily-upgraded variant of the Stingray’s eight-speed, and paired to an all-wheel drive system.
If a future version of the Corvette is indeed in the works with the Zora nameplate, we likely won’t see it for quite some time. In fact, it may not premiere until 2023 and hit the market as a 2024 model.
