The Strange New Corvette

By Author: Richard Shrayck
Total Articles: 21
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The differential is a limited slip with carbon and steel plates. The front calipers are Brembo 6 piston. The clutch upgrade is considered a dramatic improvement over the unit employed within the Z06. The ZR1 does as this without compromising drivability.

Sub 4 second sprints to 60 mph and a genuine 200-mph top speed. Very good: -- $103,300 MSRP (including $850 destination charge) -- EPA-estimated fuel economy of 14 city and 20 highway -- 0-60 mph in 3. Chevrolet has been working on a high-end Corvette to slot above the Z06 as GM's hottest sports car for some time. The ZR1 is the first car ever to have a carbon fiber clear coat that will last the life of the car.

MSRC is provided by Delphi. Today, that dream is more in reach than ever. The 260 mm (10 in) ZF-Sachs twin-plate clutch supplants Z06's 290 mm (11 in) single-plate unit to reduce inertia for better shift feel. Production will be limited to 2,000 units each year for worldwide consumption and pricing will be revealed sometime this month.

A ZR1 was never part of the original C6 plan, but, at an early program review, the Z06�s proposed aluminum ...
... frame, carbon-fiber parts, and LS7 engine so impressed CEO Rick Wagoner that he reportedly wondered aloud, �Geez". Michelin North America�s C3M facility is producing new-technology run-flat tires that will be original equipment on the 2009 Corvette ZR1, according to a Michelin spokeswoman. GM spokeswoman Carolyn Markey said the problem has caused 267 vehicle fires and six injuries, five of them minor and one moderate.

How about 0-60mph in 3 seconds. To cut weight, many panels will be made of carbon fiber. Expect to reach 60mph in the sub-4 second range. The Corvette ZR1 is powered by a LS9 6.2 liter V8.

GM Powertrain has completed SAE certification of the ZR1? And what about that big chunk of land they're sitting on? 2L V-8 dubbed LS9, the ZR1 will produce at least 620 hp, with at least 595 lb-ft of torque.

The name of the ride control system is Magnetic Selective Ride Control (MSRC). But those speed junkies and midlife crisis victims still need to hang on a big longer -- the ZR1 won't arrive until this summer. Chevrolet offers seven E85-capable models in 2008. We were lucky enough to spend some time with Ron Meegan, the assistant chief of GM's small block engine program, and he gave us an engineer's view of the supercharged LS9 engine.

The 2009 Corvette ZR1 starts at $103,300 including $850 destination charges. Cars like the ZR1 are typically weekend cars and not used for daily driving. Both front and rear pads have twice the contact area of the Z06's, as well as the addition of brake pad wear sensors. GM has not disclosed specific performance numbers, but the company admits a top speed of 200 mph is very likely.

Brakes discs are huge carbon-ceramic units that are clamped on by six-piston Brembo calipers in front and four-piston units in the rear. It hates how it the world rejects the Z06 as a supercar. The chassis, similar to the 2008 Z06, will be made of aluminum.