A two-seat car with 620 horsepower from a huge V8 engine isn't exactly "on message" when your corporation is pulling out the stops to become the automotive industry's environmental leader, so the Corvette ZR1 didn't get a podium introduction at the North American International Auto Show.
That doesn't mean that it didn't create more than its share of excitement on the show floor. Its staggering amount of horsepower - the most ever in a General Motors car - and its relatively svelte curb weight of 3,350 pounds calls to mind supercars like those from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. And cars from those brands were directly in the sights of the Corvette engineering team.
ZR1 guru Harlan Charles told us that the goal of the ZR1 effort wasn't just to be the greatest value in high-performance sports cars but simply to become the greatest high-performance sports car, bar none.
Equipped with a hand-built, supercharged 6.2-liter V8, electro-magnetic suspension components and carbon-ceramic brake discs, it is not difficult to grasp that GM trundled out all the technical trickery it could muster in pursuit of that goal. The 2009 Corvette ZR1 promises to offer a top speed of 200 mph and cornering force of 1 g. Massive (and startlingly attractive) 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels contribute to that cornering ability.
The ZR1 is not without its bling, but the bling is functional. Among several visible carbon-fiber pieces is the raised carbon-fiber hood with a clear polycarbonate window revealing the Corvette "crossed flags" logo on the engine - a little showmanship attached to weight savings.
Other tasteful identifiers distinguish the ZR1 from lesser Corvettes. Among them are various blue accents, including on the engine cover visible through the hood window, the brake calipers and the rear fascia badge, which is the only rear fascia badge affixed to current-generation Corvettes and appropriate since drivers of most cars will be viewing the ZR1 primarily from the back. Chevrolet will begin producing the ZR1 this summer and is expected to price it around $100,000 - a supercar bargain indeed.
