It’s been seven years since Chevrolet used the “ZR1” name to denote the top-of-the-line Chevrolet Corvette. But with the seventh-generation Vette due for replacing, it looks like General Motors is planning to bring back the badge before the Corvette C7 gives way to the next-generation model. According to Autoblog, GM has filed a trademark application for the name “ZR1” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Apparently, GM wants to use the name for “motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles,” a telling sign that the long-rumored return of the Corvette ZR1 is inching closer and closer to becoming a reality.
No specifics were given on what GM plans to do with the “ZR1” name, but if history is any indication, it could be used on a range-topping Corvette that would sit above the Corvette Z06. Such a car has been talked about before, most recently when news broke that Chevrolet is planning to turn the Corvette into a mid-engine sports car that can compete against its European counterparts. It’s unclear if the ZR1 name will be used on the eighth-gen C8 model or on a send-off model for the current-generation C7. Either way, the return of the ZR1 could only mean great things for Chevrolet.
It’s worth noting that General Motors already owns the trademark for “ZR-1,” a name that it has used in past Corvette models, most recently in 1995 with the LT5-powered model. It also used the ZR1 name from 2009 to 2013 on a model that featured a supercharged LS9 6.2L small-block V-8 that produced 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque.
Whatever decision GM makes, it looks like the company is finally staking claim to the name with the filing of this trademark application.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
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