As a last hurrah before the open-secret mid-engine C8 Corvette debuts, Chevy is treating enthusiasts of its two-seat sports car to its 755 horsepower ZR1. This 6.2L LT5 small block V8 is supercharged and churns out 716 lb.-ft. of torque. With a claimed top speed of 212 mph, this is the fastest production Corvette in history. Stopping power is provided by Brembo carbon ceramic brakes. An outrageous-looking wing is available with the ZTK Performance Package that is intended to provide down-force for optimal track times. Also part of the ZTK package are carbon fiber end caps on the front splitter, Michelin Sport Cup 2 summer tires and Magnetic Ride Control. Notably, this is the first time the ZR1 is available in a convertible bodystyle. Purists can rejoice that a 7-speed manual transmission is available alongside the eight-speed automatic. A Sebring Orange Design package includes orange brake calipers, rocker and splitter accent stripes, seat belts, interior stitching and bronze aluminum interior trim. Chevy announced a starting price of $119,995 so it looks like the ZR1 will continue the Corvette tradition of being a relative performance bargain.
Corvette enthusiasts who want the ultimate in performance can now choose to drop the top on their Z06 and the best news is they don’t have to sacrifice any of the hardcore extras available on the new Z06. If you want the Z07 package or the 7-speed manual or the giant Carbon Ceramic brakes go right ahead and check the appropriate boxes. You’re still treated to the same 650-hp 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and you’re even more likely to enjoy the ferocious exhaust yowl in the Convertible. Just do enthusiasts everywhere a favor and pass on the available 8-speed automatic, which seems to us like the fastest way to ruin a great car.
The only people not happy to see the C7 ZO6 roll onto the Detroit Auto Show stage today are owners of the once-mighty ZR1. Corvette engineers have forgotten all about model heirachy and brought the new ZO6 model to market with even more power and performance than last year’s $120k range-topper. What makes that news even harder to hear is that the much-improved ZO6 will almost certainly cost tens of thousands less than the previous flagship. Chevrolet expects true supercar performance with regards to road holding, acceleration and braking. All of the aggressive body additions are the result of intensive wind tunnel testing to improve downforce at speed and the car looks downright menacing in person. Oh yeah, one more fact to wrinkle ZR1 drivers’ noses: the ZO6 broke the Milford proving ground track record on the first go-round. You’ve gotta love the march of progress. We do!
We don’t get to write about a new Corvette very often and the proof is in the math where it’s taken 60 years to finally deliver up a seventh generation. The wait has always been worth it and this time looks like no exception. The most dramatic changes are with the styling where lines get sharpened and a new quarter window adjoining the door glass takes the greenhouse in a daring new direction. The rear is also emboldened with dramatic LED lights, new vents and quad exhaust. In person the Corvette Stingray (that name returns to denote the base model) comes off as lithe and athletic but not overly refined or timeless. We do expect great things from the 450 hp LT1 V8, which finally features Direct Injection and should pay dividends in fuel economy, especially when paired with the new 7-speed manual transmission. Yes, seven speeds, just like the Porsche 911 only Chevrolet has engineered in a rev-matching system that should be a hoot. The C7 is 99 pounds lighter than the outgoing car and boasts a stiffer chassis thanks to hand-me-downs in the form of the aluminum frame from the ZO6 and ZR1. The interior is one area where we didn’t want to see any sharing from the outgoing car and we’re glad to report the new interior looks and feels leagues better. There are even two styles of seat for those who want even more aggressive bolstering. With as promising as the C7 looks we might not have to write about the next generation Corvette for a long time. Read more…
We’ve never been given the task to design a car, much less one as sacred to the automotive faithful as the long running Chevrolet Corvette. The look of such a car must be a challenge to the designers in order to balance the continuation of the legend while reinventing and innovating to keep the car fresh and competitive. It is much easier for those of us on this side of the drawing board to praise or criticize each generation of Corvette. At the end, however, it is the consumer and enthusiast who decides the success and failure of each successive automotive generation. We’re critics though and we know what we like and we know Corvette history. Unfortunately this new car, which revives the Stingray name, did not immediately take our breath away. Even so we must remember our original thoughts when casting our gaze on the C5 Corvette, which is now considered the car that revolutionized what it meant to bear the beloved name. That car didn’t immediately strike us as beautiful then either. Certainly we can praise the upgraded interior and speculate on what it will feel like to row through seven gears. What we can’t predict is whether the C7 will grow better with age or be remembered as the car that broke the Corvette’s beauty streak.
Chevrolet Packages Unbridled Spirit in a Corvette for the Country Club Crowd
Appropriately built in Kentucky, a state whose license plates declare its ‘unbridled spirit’, the legacy of the Corvette is long, rich and detailed. A late addition to the 6th generation (C6) Corvette, the Grand Sport model finally allows the Corvette buyer to upgrade to the suspension and brakes available on the Z06 model without being limited to a manual transmission and fixed roof combination.The first question many ask is why bother offering a Corvette with an automatic?The reality is that many Corvette buyers are retired gentlemen who have waited much of their long lives to buy a Corvette.To them it is an image car that lets them relive their childhood dreams.Many of these customers have spent most of their driving years piloting the family car with an automatic and have no desire to relearn how to shift for themselves.They simply want something fast and fun combined with the appeal of the Corvette name.If it weren’t for these buyers, GM likely wouldn’t be able to draw enough volume to offer a Corvette at all, much less one with a genuine manual transmission. Read more…
The 2007 Chevrolet Corvette ZO6 tries to bend the laws of physics just a little with its seatback crushing 505-hp V8 cranking out 3.7 second sprints to 60mph and its face deforming 14″ front brake rotors bringing you back to steady state in 111-feet!
We brought you news of Chevy’s limited edition 2011 Corvette ZO6 Carbon a little bit ago, but GM would only share a pair of photos at the time. Thankfully, they’ve remedied that problem. Click into the post to see more detail shots of the Carbon in all its menacing glory! Read more…
