When Jay Leno has really nice things to say about a car, you know he’s saying it from the bottom of his heart and he’s being genuine about it.
As the owner of one of the world’s finest car collections, the former talk show host knows his cars all too well and is always telling it like it is. It will come as no surprise then that Jay is full of praise for the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, having recently bought a fully loaded example for himself.
A Fully Loaded ZR1X Is Still a Bargain, Leno Says
His ZR1X features pretty much all the options you would want on a car like this, including the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 sticky tires, carbon fiber wheels, carbon ceramic brake package with massive 10-piston calipers, and the Carbon Fiber Aero Package that includes a high-wing spoiler.
The Corvette also features an interesting color combo, with the black exterior with dual stripes reminding of his other American supercar, the 2017 Ford GT. Inside, Jay’s ZR1X gets the mixed seating layout combining a Competition Sport bucket seat for the driver and a GT2 bucket seat for the passenger. This is a really interesting option and it’s easy to notice because the seats are in different colors as well.
The video starts with an friendly conversation between two genuine car guys—Jay Leno and GM President Mark Reuss—before moving to the serious stuff when the owner takes the car out for a drive.
You can tell Jay is absolutely thrilled with the ZR1X, which he names “the most incredible Corvette ever built” and the “greatest high-performance steal in history.” Ever the gentleman, Jay did not disclose how much he paid for his ZR1X, but he did mention that he paid full price; the ZR1X Coupe 3LZ starts at $220,595 before the $2,495 destination charge, $2,600 gas guzzler tax, and options.
Leno’s Corvette ZR1X Costs at Least $257,000
Speaking of options, after using the Corvette online configurator to add all the ones that are visible on Jay’s car (we’re sure there are several others that are harder to notice), the price went up to $251,820 before the destination and gas guzzler charges.
That’s still a fantastic price for an AWD hybrid supercar that makes a combined 1,250 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque from a 5.5-liter twin turbo V8 (LT7) and a front-mounted electric motor. The performance is breathtaking, with Jay noting that “you literally can’t use all the power on the street, but it’s nice to have it just in case.”
The ZR1X will do 0-60 in 1.68 seconds on a prepped surface and cover the quarter-mile in 8.67 seconds, which is mind-blowing for a car in this price range. “I am not worthy,” Jay humbly says as he drives the ZR1X on the Angeles Crest highway, the perfect setting for the most powerful production Corvette ever.
And the engine sound is so intoxicating you hardly need to turn on the stereo system. “This is just the greatest American car,” Leno says. Enough said.
