THE CAR
100 » CORVETTE ZR1 Shahzad Sheikh likes this sledgehammer on wheels
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T SEEMS INAPPROPRIATE to precede Corvette with the Chevrolet marque name – a car like this road-bound supersonic missile just cannot sit in a model range alongside the likes of a $7000 Chevy Spark! That might be a bargain in one sense but if I told you that this Corvette was also a bargain at nearly $130,000, you’d look at me with incredulity. Wouldn’t it be better to spend that sort of money on an Aston Martin V8 Vantage? Indeed, that would give pause for thought. But if you’re playing the numbers game, let’s take a look at the stats: 0-100 in 4.8 seconds, 290kph top speed and 420bhp from a 4.7-litre V8. By contrast the $130k Corvette ZR1 has a 6.2-litre V8 producing 638bhp. It will rip past 100kph from standstill in a barely believable 3.4 seconds and onto a terminal velocity of 331kph. A Ferrari 599 GTB will do the acceleration run in 3.7 seconds, achieve 330kph, boasts 620bhp and costs well over $300k. You’ll pay the same for a Lamborghini LP670-4 SV, though at least its 661bhp beats the ZR1 with 3.2 seconds and 341kph. The Corvette has always been America’s best sportscar and the ZR1 is quite simply the best of breed, the ultimate evolution of the finest road racer ever to come from across the Atlantic Ocean, the fastest too. It’s also almost as rare as the finest European exotica with just 1800 ZR1s set to roll off the Kentucky production lines by 2012.
92 ] THE CAR 100
On the same line an Eaton supercharger is bolted onto the V8 to whip up over 600lb ft of torque, which means that in a car weighing just 1508kg you can dispatch 100kph without changing out of first and less than half a minute later you’ll be over 300kph. This car is quicker around the Nurburgring than a Nissan GT-R. It stops too, thanks to huge ceramic brakes – 394mm front and 380mm rear – and if you recall the racecar harshness of the lesser Z06, you’ll be amazed to learn that the ZR1 is actually more refined – relatively speaking of course. The suspension is more compliant and the Z06’s magnetorheological dampers – also found on the 599 – are utilised to much better effect in this car keeping the shock absorbers well in check. Stick a g-force meter on this thing and you’ll regularly see over 1.0g – which for a road car, is absolutely astonishing. Of course, should those massive rear 20-inch tyres let go at speed it could well be the last time you ever soil your underwear. The cabin let’s the side down by being, well, pretty unimpressive, but it’s remarkably easy to pilot around town. Dont’ forget, it’s about the same size as that other brilliantly usable everyday supercar – the 911 Turbo. In its latest guise that’ll do 0-100kph in 3.4 secs, although its 493bhp runs out of puff at 312kph. Price? $133k. Makes you think, but for sheer drama the ‘Vette’s even got that car beat. Shock and awe, baby, shock and awe…