[SDNR]

^^ I hear GM is giving Al Gore one for Christmas

[Merc1]

Like Lincoln at Gettysburg, General Motors chairman Rick Wagoner uttered but a few select words to inspire a whole new Chevrolet Corvette. Reacting to plans for the $65,800 Z06 outlined by chief engineer Tadge Juechter no score and three years ago, Wagoner mused, "I wonder what this team could do for $100,000?"

The answer is the 2009 Corvette ZR1, engineered to be the most powerful, best performing, highest priced Chevy in history.

Read the full story in the February issue of Automobile Magazine. For now, check out the specs from GM and our photo gallery full of wallpaper-quality images.


* All-new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V-8 targeted at producing at least 100 horsepower per liter, or 620 horsepower (462 kW), and approximately 595 lb.-ft. of torque (823 Nm)
* Six-speed, close-ratio, race-hardened manual transmission
* New, high-capacity dual-disc clutch
* Higher-capacity and specific-diameter axle half-shafts; enhanced torque tube
* Specific suspension tuning provides more than 1g cornering grip
* Twenty-spoke 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels
* Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires--P285/30ZR19 in front and P335/25ZR20 in the rear--developed specifically for the ZR1
* Standard carbon-ceramic, drilled disc brake rotors--15.5-inch-diameter (394-mm) in the front and 15-inch-diameter (380-mm) in the rear
* Larger brake calipers with substantially increased pad area
* Standard Magnetic Selective Ride Control with track-level suspension
* Wider, carbon-fiber front fenders with ZR1-specific dual vents
* Carbon-fiber hood with a raised, polycarbonate window--offering a view of the intercooler below it
* Carbon-fiber roof panel, roof bow, front fascia splitter and rocker moldings with clear-coated, exposed carbon-fiber weave
* ZR1-specific full-width rear spoiler with raised outboard sections
* Specific gauge cluster with boost gauge (also displayed on the head-up display) and 220-mph (370 km/h) speedometer readout
* Only two options: chrome wheels and a "luxury" package
* Curb weight of approximately 3,350 pounds (1,519 kg)


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This thing is mighty good looking too.


M

[Just_me]

The perfect car for Optimus prime

[martinbo]

It's really, really AWESOME! Damn, never thought I'd like a Corvette this much.

[drronh]

The tires are Michelin Pilot Sport Run flats- I saw a set of prototypes in the factory that makes the wheels for the ZR-1, when I was getting my Z06 track wheels.
I have put out feelers to try and get a ZR-1, but I heard they are making 2000 a year for the remainder of the C6 lifespan, so they shouldn't be too hard to get after the initial excitement dies down. I had one of the first 1990 ZR-1 back in the day.
It will be interesting to see how the ZR-1 does on the track- I think the Z06 will remain the preferred track car. 300 pounds is a lot. I don't think softening the rear has anything to do with performance in this case- its to make the ZR-1 more agreeable to the touring crowd. My Z06 has no problem even on a bumpy track like Sebring.

[siko]

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[Imhotep Evil]

Originally Posted by Merc1

And since launching a car with so much horsepower can become a violent, axle-hopping mess, Chevrolet has come up with two novel countermeasures.

First are the rear shocks. When you're stopped and the clutch pedal is depressed and you pile on some revs, the car assumes you want to launch it hard. It automatically softens the compression damping of the rear shocks, and this allows the rear end to squat and effectively shift more weight to the rear of the car for added traction. At the same time, the rebound damping of the rear shocks goes up to 99 percent of full stiffness. This means that the rear cannot spring back up under power in the up-and-down monkey motion of axle hop.

All this is perhaps the cleverest use of adjustable shocks that we've ever heard of. Also, according to Juechter, the standard magnetic shocks allow the ZR1 chassis team to use softer springs than the Z06 for a more compliant ride. To further mitigate power hop, Chevy has also fitted the ZR1 with axle half-shafts of different diameters (33mm on the right and 40mm on the left).

We'll see how all of this works next year when we finally get to drive the thing. We might just try a hard launch or, you know, several.

F1 active ride cars did that. These semi-active suspensions truly impress me, along with the rest of the car.

[Bartek Sikorski]

Corvette ZR-1 unveiled at GM Style stage

[Merc1]

Some live shots:













Can you say GM and hot in the same sentence? Yes you finally can.


M

[siko]

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