Monday 13th November 2017

Corvette ZR1 - official!

755hp, 715lb ft and 210mph, plus a manual gearbox if you want one - and that's just the start...

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It wasn't all that long ago - 2009, in fact - when the last Corvette ZR1 arrived with 640hp. Crikey, we all thought, that's a heck of a lot of power for a Corvette. It probably was, too, given how the final car turned out. But then we had a new Corvette, and a new Z06 with 650hp - the Big Nasty, remember? Great idea, yes, though it did beg a question: if the C7 Z06 was 10hp up on a C6 ZR1, what on earth was in store for the next ZR1?

Now that's a wing!

Now we know, with this Sebring Orange hell-raiser. 755hp and 715lb ft are the big - really big - numbers, the ZR1's 'LT5' 6.2 V8 an evolution of the LT4 as used in the Z06. The important changes are in a new supercharger, offering 52 per cent more displacement than the Z06's, plus Chevy's first dual fuel injection system; port injection supplements the regular direct injection. The first ever automatic gearbox is available for this generation of ZR1, with a seven-speed manual as well, and both are claimed to allow The King - Chevrolet's self-effacing nickname for the car - to hit more than 210mph.

In fact the more significant influence on top speed kudos is which aero package the ZR1 is optioned with. The car you see here has the two-way adjustable High Wing, which offers the most downforce (60 per cent more than a Performance Package Z06, at an estimated 430kg) and therefore the quickest lap times. It also looks fantastically bonkers - a fortunate coincidence, surely - and claims some race car cool by being "tied into the chassis, like the Corvette Racing C7.R, for strength and stability."

Standard low wing. Sad.

The Low Wing - keeps things simple, doesn't it - is standard, looks moderately less badass and is only capable of 70 per cent more downforce than a regular Z06. Tsk. It is, like the High Wing though, "tied" into the chassis again. And it has the greater top speed. But you want the High Wing, right? The more so because the High Wing is part of a ZTK Performance Package that includes Cup 2s, a new front splitter and revised tuning for the magnetic dampers. Get the High Wing, go on...

All ZR1s will be recognisable, even if they aren't orange, thanks to a new front end. As before it features the 'halo' bonnet to give you a peek into the engine bay, but also a fresh bumper arrangement to accommodate four new radiators - the heat exchanger total is now 13... If you opt for the Sebring Orange Design Package, the exterior is also embellished with orange brake calipers and orange accent stripes, plus orange seatbelts and orange stitching inside. Maybe leave that on the options list when you're choosing the High Wing.

Chevrolet says the ZR1 will go on sale next spring, "poised to take on the world's best." With the spec looking how it does, we've no reason to doubt that!

[RumbleOfThunder]

Good god. That will likely decimate most things on the cheap side of £500k

[thatguy11]

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

[thegreenhell]

Similar performance to a GT2RS, but you'll actually be able to buy one. I like it.

[The Vambo]

That is awesome, the Americans really are producing some pretty cool cars at the moment.

[Vocht]

As much as I like the latest tech such as hybrid torque fill and Lambo's ALA etc, I love that this just takes the 'old school' recipe and keeps pushing it further and further. This is truly mental vehicle!

[HappyMidget]

Holy cow! Can't wait to see what sort of numbers this posts!

[David87]

Makes the Ford GT seem like exceedingly poor value, no? I'm assuming this will be enormously cheaper!

[hondansx]

Looks really ugly to me, and I was a big fan of some the previous ones. Shame, as it looks great on paper.

[Debaser]

I love this! I am a bit of a dinosaur though.

[Krikkit]

Absolutely mental. This plus a Jeep Trackhawk with a trailer for the track, then a Charger Hellcat for the daily.

[snuffy]

I really like that rather a lot.

I've read the article more than once, but there's one bit of vital information I can't find.

[Yipper]

Very fast. Wing looks like something from Halfords and completely out of synch with the rest of the car.

[Tuvra]

I'll take mine in all black, including the exhaust tips

[Harry_mac]

What's the F******g point of offering an extra "performance package" on a car like this??

[Uppercut]

Love this generation of Corvette.

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

[Maldini35]

Yipper said:

Very fast. Wing looks like something from Halfords and completely out of synch with the rest of the car.

Agreed

Chevy have been shopping at the same branch of Halfords as Lamborghini.

It looks like the wing from the Performante.

Cool car though

[DBRacingGod]

Ossum. Loving the Trump-tribute paint.

[Katzenjammer]

Is there any indication of the price?

[GroundEffect]

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.

[gofasterrosssco]

Uppercut said:

Love this generation of Corvette.

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

I'd take the Exige too!