Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Car Reviews

If you were online yesterday and had even a passing interest in performance cars, you probably read about the new 2009 Corvette ZR1. The car will go on display to the public during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, but we released some photos and the all-important technical information on this ultimate Vette. It’s the Corvette that challenges the supercar hierarchy, with world-beating performance offered at a world-beating price.

Just in case you missed it, here’s the story: The ZR1 is the fastest and most powerful Corvette ever produced. In fact, it’s the fastest and most powerful production car in General Motors’ history. We’re still conducting performance testing, so I can’t throw out 0-60, quarter-mile and braking numbers, but suffice it to say that we couldn’t use the Corvette Z06’s 200-mph speedometer because there weren’t enough numbers on it.

The power behind this performance capability is the new LS9, a supercharged and intercooled, 6.2-liter version of the famed small-block V-8 that is assembled by hand at GM’s Performance Build Center in Michigan. The LS9 uses a new, sixth-generation Eaton supercharger that expands the effectiveness of the compressor, helping give the engine terrific low-end torque and high-rpm power. The tremendous power boost of the “blower” allowed the engineers to spec a “smaller” cam than we use on the Z06’s LS7 engine, giving the ZR1 exceptional drivability. You can drive this car to work every day and it doesn’t beat you up, yet you can take it to a racetrack on the weekend and mop the floor with the competition.

Final power numbers are still being calculated, but we’re confident the LS9 will make at least 100 horsepower per liter, or 620 horsepower, and nearly 600 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is backed by a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual that uses a dual-disc clutch that, again, enhances the overall driving feel with a smooth, easy pedal effort. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the carbon-ceramic brakes and second-generation magnetic ride control that are standard, too.

On the outside, the ZR1 stands out with unique, larger wheels and tires, a distinctive rear spoiler and unique front fenders with dual-split vents. But admirers and wary competitors will certainly know the car from its windowed hood and exposed-weave carbon fiber parts. The hood window provides a look at the top of the engine’s intercooler and the exposed-weave carbon-fiber parts are found on the roof, rocker moldings and front splitter. We’ve used carbon fiber previously on the Corvette, but we really wanted to show it off on the ZR1 and a new clear coat that blocks ultra-violet rays finally allowed us to do it.

The Corvette has always been a performance and technology leader, from the fuel-injected racers pioneered by the likes of Zora Arkus-Duntov and the ground-shaking L88 big-blocks of the late 1960s, to the first ZR-1 supercar that was introduced in 1990 and the track-dominating C5R and C6R racecars. The new ZR1 is the culmination of that legacy, delivering an uncompromising balance of performance and driving comfort that exotics costing two, three or four times as much, cannot match.

The technical information on the ZR1 that was released yesterday has already spawned the inevitable “pushrod versus overhead-cam” debate, with preconceived notions continually perpetuated about the perceived technical sophistication of a cam-in-block design. Our Powertrain team’s testing shows the LS9 makes about 300 horsepower by only 3,300 rpm and a significant 320 lb.-ft. of torque at only 1,000 rpm. The engine’s rev range is competitive with many overhead-cam engines, but we’ve also got usable torque at every notch on the tachometer. It’s a also a compact, relatively low-mass package, which helps the ZR1 achieve a better power-to-weight ratio than the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 and the Lamborghini LP640.At Chevrolet, we couldn’t be prouder about the ZR1; it is a world-beating supercar from America that makes no apologies. And to those who question its capabilities or technical supremacy, I have only two words: Bring it.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Cars Images

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Car

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Cars Accessories ;

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Car

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Car

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Cars Specifications;

You’ve read the press releases, you’ve made it through years of the hype, now let’s see some raw data in association with our sponsorship of Digitalcorvettes.com We have some sweet sheets for you!

Don’t forget at the bottom of this article is an email link and we would love to hear your feedback. Without using any last names, I’ll be happy to share your feedback on Chevy’s new masterpiece via the comments section of this article. Thank-you for being here….

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