RE: Corvette ZR-1 - official!

[PGNSagaris]

This is sheer bloody drama. What a cool looking car.

[andy_s]

thegreenhell said:

No prices have been announced yet, but it's expected to be about $135k in the US.

Cheers

[tomic]

I just saw this after reading this article about a guy who's put over 700k miles on his Vette

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a13516646/...

Wonder if he'll be replacing it with one of these

[Todd Bonzalez]

This and the ACR viper are the boys for me. No pratting about like Porsche with preferred customers and all that money just, "HERE'S ALL THE POWER WE COULD FIND AND SOME AERO YA CAN HAVE IT FOR ~100K!"

Magical.

[AndySheff]

What's happening with PH ? Still no mention of poor quality interior. No, "if only it came in RHD". No "too big for UK roads".

[Bo_apex]

Manual stick ? Proper blokes weapon ! Looks good too

[Guvernator]

AndySheff said:

What's happening with PH ? Still no mention of poor quality interior. No, "if only it came in RHD". No "too big for UK roads".

I think it's recognition that finally the Murcan's seem to be making some very decent cars. In fact over the last 2-3 years they've mostly overtaken my usual preference for European cars as they seem to make cars that actually look fun to drive and make your inner child go Phooaar, I'd love a go in that rather than the downsized, 10 speed dsg'd, 50 driving modes, fake noise through speakers BUT it's got the best soft touch plastics rubbish that seems to be coming out of most European manufacturers these days.

[unsprung]

rockin said:

There are rumours that this car is the "last hurrah" for front engine Corvettes with numerous spy shots of mid-engine mules out testing,
http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/n...

Time will tell, but it may be risky to change the basic formula of one of the world's most successful sporstcars.

There have been seven generations of Corvette since 1953 and, yes, the current C7 is on the way out. This is no rumour. Or even rumor. Photos and commentary of final-stage prototypes of the mid-engined C8 can be found on numerous websites.

Long ago, Zora Arkus-Duntov campaigned to evolve Corvette into a mid-engined platform. Shamelessly, the dour lot in top management at General Motors had deferred this question for as long as four decades. The global financial crisis tabled the matter further.

You're right that there is risk in this pivot from a front-mid-engined platform (the entire LS block sits behind the front axle) to a traditional mid-engined layout. But the time has come.

The market for this large two-seat performance car is small and largely defined by the American middle class (which, itself, is not without its own existential issues). Corvette will now move upmarket where it can trade more profitably and more efficiently. The C8 will become a global contender in a way that eluded its predecessors. It is believed that the launch series will be named in honour of Duntov, himself.

Camaro and its range of variants will cover some of the populist ground ceded by the ascendance of Corvette.

Furthermore, the risk is greater than one might imagine. To wit: the C8 is thought to abandon the small and power-dense pushrod V8 in favour of a true DOHC lump.

qube_TA said:

Unsure about the front of this car but crazy numbers.

thatguy11 said:

It's a shame they've given such an astonishing piece of kit an incredibly goofy face...looks like a grinning hamster.

The gaping scoops on either side of the nose are functional -- this car has 13 heat exchangers.

Also, I will go out on a limb and state that the nose of this car is intentionally designed to resemble the nose of the car that will replace it -- the mid-engined C8 Corvette -- thus providing a modicum of continuity in terms of design language.

[m3jappa]

I love the thing and can only wish they were for sale here in rhd and that i could actually afford one.

[ChocolateFrog]

It sounds hilarious on Doug DeMuro's review.

The US do seem to be on a roll at the moment for for making great sounding, handling and looking (bit more subjective) cars.

[Matt Harper]

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/2018-chevrolet-c...

A little more information

[liner33]

ChocolateFrog said:

It sounds hilarious on Doug DeMuro's review.

The US do seem to be on a roll at the moment for for making great sounding, handling and looking (bit more subjective) cars.

It does and here a link to that video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_adY_b-aLQ

755hp and 1600kgs wow

[Leggy]

Looks mental in that colour too. Will be mad to drive. Room this and Exiges, different animals.

[kambites]

Uppercut said:

This or an Exige 430 at circa £100k? No contest.

Will this really be ~£100k in the UK? Seriously cheap performance if it is.

[unsprung]

kambites said:

Uppercut said:

This or an Exige 430 at circa £100k? No contest.

Will this really be ~£100k in the UK?

This particular version of the C7 won't be offered for sale in Europe, and it won't qualify for personal importation by EU residents. The engine with supercharger rises through the bonnet; the exhaust note on throttle is generous.

US, Middle East, China... no problem.

[kambites]

Ah OK, so a meaningless comparison for those of us in the UK then.

[HD Adam]

Guvernator said:

AndySheff said:

What's happening with PH ? Still no mention of poor quality interior. No, "if only it came in RHD". No "too big for UK roads".

I think it's recognition that finally the Murcan's seem to be making some very decent cars. In fact over the last 2-3 years they've mostly overtaken my usual preference for European cars as they seem to make cars that actually look fun to drive and make your inner child go Phooaar, I'd love a go in that rather than the downsized, 10 speed dsg'd, 50 driving modes, fake noise through speakers BUT it's got the best soft touch plastics rubbish that seems to be coming out of most European manufacturers these days.

I am disappointed too.

No "leaf springs or interior made from Tic Tac boxes" from people who get all their info from Clarkson.

[Ho Lee Kau]

gofasterrosssco said:

Uppercut said:

Love this generation of Corvette.

This or an Exige 430 at circa £100k? No contest.

I'd take the Exige too!

I would take Exige as well. ZR1 will be completely undrivable unless on Californian desert race track on slicks. Who cares about headline power figures if they are unusable.

[Ho Lee Kau]

The Vambo said:

130R said:

here is no price mentioned but I seriously doubt there is another car that will get anywhere near the performance of the ZR-1 for the same money. This will wipe the floor with most supercars.

911 GT2 performance for likely around half the price.

And it will actually be for sale to real people, not only available through some weird handjob-a-dealer raffle.

There is a reason this is half price and sold to whoever. In hands of professional driver it may be faster on the Ring but that’s about it. It has nothing else on GT2.
Personally I’d rather buy 2009 997 GT2 than 2009 ZR1. Same goes for 2017 crop.

[GroundEffect]

rockin said:

GroundEffect said:

What I don't understand is how they get through the pedestrian head impact testing with the air intake being in place of the actual bonnet.

Unless it's completely collapsible (i.e. wasted volume) or the car somehow doesn't have to comply with it either due to volumes or some other exemption.

It's been said this ZR1 won't be offered for official sale in Europe due to the hood/bonnet height. You may have put your finger on the reason.

Not just a pretty face