Arkansas Chevrolet dealer adds $400,000 markup to a Corvette ZR1X

A Chevrolet dealership in Arkansas is asking $400,000 over sticker for a Corvette ZR1X, pushing a car with a $296,445 MSRP to $696,445. George Nunnally Chevrolet describes the surcharge on the window sticker as an "Exclusive Market Value Adjustment", framed as a "Tier-1 Production Allocation, Extreme Exclusivity, and Hypercar Demand Premium".

The listing drew attention after images of the bright Red Mist Metallic car were shared on social media, with the markup rather than the car itself becoming the talking point. The ZR1X is Chevrolet's flagship mid-engined, V8-powered, all-wheel drive Corvette, and it starts at $212,195 in base form.

What the extra $400,000 buys, and what it does not

The car in question is a Convertible with the 3LZ package and a Jet Black interior, carrying an MSRP of $296,445 before the adjustment. The dealer's sticker argues that the ZR1X is built in "strictly limited production quantities from Bowling Green Assembly" and that market adjustments reflect "authentic real-time secondary and primary market demand".

Demand for the flagship Corvette is genuinely strong, and ZR1Xs have been changing hands for well above list in recent months. The catch is that the ZR1X is not a special edition, and Chevrolet is not strictly limiting its production, so the sticker's language oversells how scarce the car actually is.

At $696,445, the Corvette moves into territory occupied by established Italian supercars in the US. The Lamborghini Revuelto is priced from a little over $600,000, and the Ferrari 849 Testarossa starts at approximately $565,000. The ZR1X offers comparable performance to both, but a Corvette does not carry the same cachet as either Italian badge.

A flagship with a successor still to come

Buyers weighing a ZR1X have another reason to think carefully: there is no guarantee it stays the C8 flagship until the new C9 generation arrives. Last year, Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma said the ZR1X "is not the end of the story", which has prompted speculation that a model could be positioned above it.

One possibility raised is a future Corvette using the new 6.7-litre V8 paired with the same twin-turbo and hybrid all-wheel drive setup as the existing ZR1X. That remains speculation rather than a confirmed product plan.

The ZR1X is not currently listed on George Nunnally Chevrolet's website, for reasons that have not been explained. For anyone genuinely shopping for one, that makes a phone call to the dealership the practical first step before treating the $696,445 figure as the final word.

BMW's new-generation iX3 50 xDrive M Sport has been listed at $112,500 before on-road costs in Australia, $2,600 above the $109,900 price announced in March 2026, ahead of customer deliveries starting in late June. The rise arrives roughly four months after the electric SUV's local launch and brings no change to the vehicle's standard equipment.

BMW calls the increase a commercial decision

A BMW Australia spokesperson told CarExpert the adjustment reflects how the company positions its portfolio rather than any specification change: "BMW regularly reviews its pricing in response to market conditions and the positioning of its entire model portfolio. The recent price adjustment for the BMW iX3 50 xDrive is a commercial decision and is not associated with any equipment or specification changes".

The new figure puts the iX3 50 xDrive $300 above the Mercedes-Benz GLC400 electric SUV, which lists at $112,200 before on-road costs. It also stretches the gap to the Audi Q6 e-tron Sport at $105,400 and the Volvo EX60 P10 at $101,990, both before on-road costs.

Buyers weighing the iX3 against those rivals now face a narrower value argument at the top of the comparison set. A $2,600 increase with nothing added to the equipment list shifts the calculation toward the Mercedes-Benz, which undercuts it, and leaves the Audi and Volvo looking like the cheaper alternatives in the same electric SUV bracket.

Where the rest of the iX3 range sits

The 50 xDrive was the first grade of the new-generation iX3 to reach Australia, and it sits above the entry-level rear-wheel-drive iX3 40, which remains at $89,900 before on-road costs.

BMW has also unveiled an iX3 M60 xDrive, which is expected to join the Australian range in 2027. Local timing and pricing for that variant have not been confirmed.

iX4 confirmed for early 2027

The iX4 will join the local lineup in the first three months of 2027, essentially an iX3 with a swoopier, coupe-like roofline. It will arrive in dealerships in two grades, both with standard xDrive all-wheel drive. The iX4 40 xDrive M Sport is priced from $103,900 before on-road costs, while the iX4 50 xDrive M Sport is also part of the confirmed line-up.

The iX4 M60 xDrive has separately been confirmed for Australia later in 2027.

A milestone model line for BMW Australia

The iX3 was the first of BMW's Neue Klasse generation, introducing a new vehicle architecture, design and electric powertrains intended to set the tone for future models. Since then BMW has unveiled the related i3 electric sedan, the almost identically styled but mechanically unrelated 3 Series, and the larger iX5 and X5 SUV lineup.

BMW reports iX3 and X3 sales together, and the combined line is BMW Australia's best seller, with 4081 sales through to the end of September, up 12.5 per cent on the same period in 2025. That momentum gives BMW room to test a price rise on its newest electric SUV, though the absence of added equipment means the increase reads as margin management rather than a richer specification for buyers.