First Instrumented Test of Corvette ZR-1- how does she stack up
How many times have you read the words “the best Vette yet” in a car magazine? Well, you’re about to read them again. It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Chevrolet’s iconic and extremely well-rounded Corvette, as evidenced by the seven straight 10Best trophies it’s earned since 2002. And while we’re loathe to recycle trite headlines, the incredible ZR1 is poised to hit the Corvette out of the ballpark, over the river, and into a whole new borough.
How far into the new borough? Actually, not as far as you might have been led to believe. After months of listening to GM’s claims, we’ve finally strapped our equipment to one and recorded the first ZR1 performance data:
- Zero to 60 mph in 3.4 brain-scrambling seconds
- Zero to 100 mph in 7.6 seconds
- An 11.5-second, 128-mph quarter-mile blast
GM’s early estimate for the quarter was 11 seconds flat, which was then revised to 11.3. We believe we could match that number with power shifting, but that sort of drivetrain abuse is not a part of our testing regimen.
If those numbers aren’t quite what you were hoping for, let the skidpad and braking numbers lift your spirits: 1.07 g and just 142 feet to stop from 70 mph—the shortest stopping distance we’ve ever recorded for a production car. Those 15.5-inch ceramic rotors appear to be money well spent. Top speed is claimed to be 205 mph, but we ran out of room before we could verify that. No doubt these numbers helped a ZR1 prototype lap the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in a blistering 7 minutes, 26 seconds. It could have wood paneling and an eight-track player and we’d still consider this the best Vette yet.
With results like these, the ZR1 is ready to stare down the world’s elite supercars on both road and track, and its $105,000 price tag represents a giddy bargain among ultra high-performance automobiles. If the idea of dropping six figures at a Chevrolet dealer seems akin to buying a $15,000 Rolex at Wal-Mart, one stab of the accelerator pedal should serve as a reminder that not only is the ZR1 the best Corvette ever, but it is among the best sports cars available today!
With chiseled bodywork and a powerful 5.9-liter V-12 that generates 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, the breathtaking, $266,350 Aston Martin DBS serves as Aston Martin’s speedy flagship, not to mention the reigning James Bond car.
As slick as his ride may be, however, Mr. Bond will struggle to keep up should his nemesis be driving a ZR1. He could very easily find himself lost in billowing tire smoke as the ZR1 escapes in a delightfully American twist on the ol’ James Bond smoke screen trick. Despite extensive use of carbon fiber, the DBS is still saddled with 400 extra pounds, while facing a massive power disadvantage of 128 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. At 4.3 seconds, the Aston takes nearly a full second longer to hit 60 mph, while its laudable skidpad rating of 0.97 g nonetheless trails the ZR1’s phenomenal 1.07 g.
No matter how fast the ZR1 is, we could never envision M tossing Bond the keys to a Corvette instead of the sapphire starter of a DBS. As an Aston Martin, the DBS is born into privilege, destined to spend most of its life briskly shuttling between soirees and climate-controlled garages (and the occasional movie set), far beyond the reach of the Corvette’s more, uh, blue-collar fan base. That is what separates quarter-million-dollar GTs from $105,000 Corvettes—$105,000 Corvettes whose taillights are growing smaller and smaller.
With the car world all atwitter over the ZR1, it’s easy to forget America’s other home-grown hero: the Dodge Viper. Considerably updated last year, the Viper remains a meaty American muscle machine that can out-badass pretty much anything short of an Abrams battle tank on looks alone. Furthermore, all that nastiness is available as a coupe, a roadster, or a truly frightening, track-oriented Viper ACR.
Behind the Viper’s shrieking mug is a naturally aspirated 600-hp, 8.4-liter V-10 that made the Viper America’s first homemade production car to enter the 600 Club last year. Now, the ZR1 blows right by the big snake with 38 more ponies, as well as a distinct torque advantage (604 lb-ft versus 560). Still, our most recent test proves that the Viper can accelerate with the same 3.4-second 0-to-60 voracity as the ZR1, while at the track, its astounding grip and communicative chassis make a quick friend of any thrill-seeking pilot.
As a daily driver, however, the Viper can’t touch any Corvette. Our list of Viper gripes remains as long as ever: calf-roasting side exhausts and a cramped pressure cooker of a storage-challenged cabin desperately lacking in refinement. Then again, the Viper’s base price of $87,175 ($99,891 for the ACR) makes it the only ZR1 competitor to undercut the Vette’s price. Just to be able to drive such a car every day without complaint, though, we’d find the money and spring for the ZR1.
2008 Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
If the ZR1’s competitors gathered to take cheap shots at the bratty American newcomer, our money says the Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 would be first in line. Even in this intimidating group, the $325,200 Murciélago is clearly the bully, happy to throw the first punch at the relatively fuel-efficient, bantam-weight neophyte with a cheap interior and only eight cylinders.
Good luck, Lambo. The ZR1 crashes this party with four more horsepower, 117 lb-ft more torque, and a weight advantage of around 500 pounds. By some measures, the Murcié is up to the task. In a recent test of a Murciélago roadster we hit 60 in 3.5 seconds, and it boasts a top speed that matches the ZR1’s 205 mph.
Just 11.5 seconds into the drag race, however, the Lambo will find itself still 0.3 second short of the quarter-mile mark while the ZR1’s brake lights illuminate the braking zone. And the Lambo’s roadholding is mighty impressive for a two-ton porker, at 1.01 g, but it still doesn’t reach the Vette’s centrifugal velocity. Add water, however, and the performance balance tilts back to the Lamborghini, thanks to standard all-wheel drive.
Nearly as important to exotic-car owners is how their car moves them even when standing still. And clearly, in terms of curb appeal, the Lambo will happily show that pesky Chevy who steals this show.
It’s rare that a Mercedes-Benz and a Chevrolet woo the same customer, but the $188,075 SL65 AMG and the $105,000 Corvette ZR1 have a lot in common. Each embodies an equally ambitious exercise of in-house performance that cost about double that of the car on which it’s based, and both can render their massive rear tires into steaming pools of molten rubber without much provocation. Our most recent SL65 road test shows a 3.8-second 0-to-60 run, nearly a half-second behind the ZR1’s sprint.
While both cars corral more than 600 horsepower, the ZR1’s 604 lb-ft of torque appears modest next to the locomotive-like 738 lb-ft of the SL65’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12. The ZR1 is still the better sprinter, however, as the Benz is burdened by roughly 1100 pounds of extra mass, some of which comes courtesy of its heavy folding hardtop.
Upgrade to the SL65 AMG Black Series, however, and watch the mighty King of the Hill gallop back to the castle for reinforcements. With outrageous sheetmetal, a fixed roof, active rear wing, and massive spider-spoke wheels, the ultra-exclusive super-Benz is 550 pounds lighter than the base SL65, and also extracts 661 brutal horsepower from its V-12 (torque remains stet). Of course, it will also downgrade your bank account to the tune of $300,000 or so. Mercedes is either being coy or careless in projecting a 0-to-60 sprint of 3.9 seconds. A head-to-head match with the ZR1 could be very entertaining.
In every competitive field, there’s always one to beat, and among top-shelf sports cars, it often sports a prancing horse on the hood. And yes, Chevrolet benchmarked none other than the $318,045 Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano while honing the ZR1.
Chevy hit the mark. According to the instruments, anyway. While the LS9 outmuscles the Italian V-12 both in horsepower (638 versus 612) and torque (604 lb-ft versus 448), dynamically, the cars are practically twins. At 3.3 seconds, the 599 is just one tenth quicker to 60, with a 206-mph top end versus the Vette’s 205. And the Vette’s 1.07-g cornering clobbers the Ferrari’s 0.98 g.
From the driver’s perspective, however, the cars are fundamentally different. The 599 comes from a company focused first on its highly successful F1 racing program, with all corporate endeavors—including building road cars—serving that end. This translates into the mother of all racing R&D programs, which in turn provides a steady stream of race-bred technology to Ferrari’s road cars. This comes through in the vivid immediacy and predictability of the Fiorano’s controls, in its extraordinarily composed chassis, and of course, the unleashing of ever-deeper reserves of horsepower as its tach soars to an 8400-rpm peak.
Of course, Chevrolet’s C6.R racing team also provides R&D feedback for future Corvettes. But to bring a Corvette to the level of masterful finesse offered in the 599—to say nothing of its magnificent assembly quality and splendid interior—will take way more than $105,000, if not a whole new corporate mission statement.
If you are dreaming of a Corvette that approaches Ferrari-grade finesse and character while delivering Ferrari-grade performance, here’s the bad news: Chevrolet doesn’t build one. The good news? Pratt & Miller, best known for building the extraordinarily successful Corvette-based C6.R racers for the American Le Mans racing series, does.
The new Pratt & Miller C6.RS is a comprehensive, cost-no-object actualization of the Corvette’s visual, tactile, and performance potential. Starting with a donor C6 or Z06, Pratt & Miller replaces the body with wide, low, carbon-fiber duds. Meanwhile, every interior surface is reupholstered in exquisite leather and Alcantara. All insulation is replaced with Dynamat sound- and heat-absorbing material, virtually eliminating interior white noise. This creates an optimal chamber in which to savor the glorious sounds of the C6.RS’s massive, naturally-aspirated 8.2-liter V-8, pumped up to 600 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. At 3215 pounds, the C6.RS is blazingly fast—effectively matching the ZR1’s power-to-weight ratio—and though we have yet to strap test equipment to it, we’re confident that any performance gap with the ZR1 will be slim.
Of course, efforts such as these don’t come cheap. At $260,000, the C6.RS targets only the most adamant and moneyed Corvette-philes. But each will also get two days of personalized track instruction in a C6.RS with C6.R racing legend Ron Fellows. And to those who follow all things Corvette, that in itself might just make the whole thing seem worthwhile.
Superman
Okay, the ZR1 comes not from Planet Krypton, but rather Bowling Green, Kentucky. It does not wear red, blue, and yellow simultaneously (we hope). And in all likelihood, no one will confuse it with a bird or a plane.
But, like the Man of Steel himself, the ZR1 is blessed with strength, speed, and stamina far beyond the scope of normal. It does not have Super Breath or X-ray Vision, but it does have a Plexiglas window in the center of the hood offering a peek at the supercharger—fittingly enough—which represents an interesting parallel to the big, bold shield in the middle of Superman’s barrel chest. Hmm.
In any case, we expect ZR1 sightings on the street to evoke a hero’s welcome such that Superman himself might receive after rescuing a hapless damsel or saving a mountain town from imminent annihilation. Men will stare, ladies will swoon, kids will jump for joy. We welcome the ZR1 as our newest four-wheeled Super Friend with none of the trepidation its competitors experience.
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