- Corvette ZR1 premiums have dropped sharply since early December.
- A ZR1 that once brought $119K over MSRP now fetches $25K more.
- One recent 49-mile ZR1 sold for $266K despite a $241K sticker.
One of the hottest tickets in the American performance car scene, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, is beginning to show signs that its reign as an auction house favorite may be approaching its limit. Prices that recently climbed far beyond MSRP are starting to lose altitude, and for buyers eyeing a nearly-new ZR1, a little patience might soon pay off in dollars saved.
Read: Chevy Says The Corvette ZR1 Has 1,064 HP. Dyno Tests Say Otherwise
In October, November, and early December, Bring a Trailer sold a slew of low-mileage 2026 Corvette ZR1s for well over their respective MSRPs. One of them sold for $301,000 despite having a relatively low $209,795 MSRP. Another reached $286,000 against a $211,000 sticker. Perhaps most striking, a third listing peaked at $333,000 on a $214,000 MSRP, though it ultimately failed to meet the seller’s reserve.
Signs of a Market Topping Out
Fast forward to the end of December, and the market seems to be cooling. Just before Christmas, bidding on a black ZR1 driven just 174 miles stopped at $265,000, despite that car having a high $227,210 sticker price. The same day, an orange ZR1 with just three miles failed to move at $241,000 on a $214,330 MSRP.
Bring a Trailer
Two days later, a white ZR1 with 32 miles topped out at $230,000, barely above its $213,665 sticker. Then came the Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat example that you see pictured here, which finally sold on New Year’s Eve. It brought in $266,000, making it one of the few recent ZR1s to actually trade hands. While that might seem like a decent outcome for the seller, it falls short of what this car could have commanded not long ago.
The Corvette had just 49 miles on the clock and came equipped with the ZTK Performance Track package and the ZR1 Carbon Fiber Aero package. It also featured the top-tier 3LZ trim, bringing the total MSRP to $241,373, placing it among the priciest ZR1s recently listed. Only a few months back, a build like this might have fetched closer to $300,000.
There’s another factor in play here. Chevrolet’s warranty policy strips factory coverage from ZR1s resold within the first 12 months of original purchase. And with production not capped in any meaningful way, buyers may prefer to wait for a fresh build, or at least one that retains its factory support.
As things stand, a cooler head might end up with both the car and the warranty.
