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[Edit] Take the Z06 Corvette, one of the meanest production Corvettes ever, and almost double its pricetag by adding Ferrari brakes and a Ferrari-like suspension, then top it off with the latest in forced induction technology and a lot of carbon fiber. What do you end up with? GM pulled off the wraps at the December Detroit Auto Show: the 2009 ZR1 Corvette, a.k.a. the Blue Devil, the SS Corvette, the Ultimate Corvette, etc. It might also be the last ultra-high-performance Vette.
The Corvette team at GM started with a challenge from GM management to see how far beyond the Z06 Corvette they could go if the retail price was set around $100,000, about $40,000 more than a Z06. Named the ZR1, the outcome of this challenge recalls the famous 1990 C4 ZR-1 Corvette (that hyphen is not a typo, but the way Corvette designated that model) with a double-overhead-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder V8 built by Lotus; its LT5 5.7-liter V8 produced 405 hp or 71 hp per liter, compared to the Z06's 505-hp, 7.2-liter V8, which works out to 72 hp per liter.
The Corvette team started with a Z06 and aimed at a performance goal of 100 hp per liter. They didn't use the Z06's LS7 V8, because the cylinder walls were considered too thin for the forced induction engineers believed would be required to reach their hp goal. Instead, they took a step backward to move forward and picked the base Corvette's LS3 6.2-liter V8 to develop. The new LS9 engine retains 76% of the parts from the LS3. The remaining 24% represents the best GM has to offer the performance enthusiast.
Most visible is the sixth-generation Eaton Twin Vortices Series supercharger sitting between the cylinder banks. For forced induction, turbochargers are more efficient, but they suffer from "turbo lag," which can get expensive to overcome. With Eaton's new design, primarily the addition of a fourth rotor lobe, they attained 76% thermal efficiency (up from 60% and close to that of a turbocharger) and reduced the unit's noise. The integrated intercooling system routes air sideways through parallel air-to-water coolers, keeping the height of the new induction system low, so that the ZR1's hood is only 1 inch higher than the Z06's. This dedicated system's one-gallon cooling circuit lowers charge temperature by 108 degrees F. Maximum boost is 10.5 psi (that is, until hot-rodders get their hands on the system's electronics!).
To deal with all this pressure, the aluminum block was reinforced, special head gaskets were designed, titanium connecting rods were joined to forged aluminum pistons, piston-cooling oil squirters were added, and a higher-capacity oil pump and second auxiliary tank were added to the Z06-type dry-sump oiling system, which cools through an oil-pan-mounted oil cooler. A redesigned fuel system and water pump are among the many additional tweaks required to accommodate the supercharger.
Supercharged air flows into swirl-inducing wings cast into the intake ports to improve combustion. Using a special alloy coating, the combustion chambers are designed to better withstand the heat produced in a supercharged engine. The intake valves are titanium, and the exhaust valves are sodium-filled. The engine's reciprocating gear was strengthened and lightened. Blue (as in Blue Devil) badges, engine rocker covers and, closer to the ground, brake calipers furnish a visual exclamation point. You can't help but notice the engine's blue as you gaze through the 19" x 17" polycarbonate (the material used in headlight covers) hood window situated over the top of the intercooler in the carbon-fiber hood.
The ZR1's LS9 engine is expected to produce from 620 to 650 hp with approximately 600 lb-ft of torque; final figures will be available in the first quarter of 2008. Taking the brunt of all this power is a new twin-disc clutch system that provides more grip and reduces clutch effort, making it equal to the Z06's. The power continues into a beefed-up Tremec six-speed manual transaxle. The gears are redesigned, and the ratios are closer: 16% taller at the bottom, with first topping out at around 64 mph (0-60 blasts should be interesting), but 26% shorter in sixth, which is calculated to top out at more than 200 mph. Yes, a production Corvette that can achieve 200+ mph off the showroom floor. Speculation is for 0-60 in 3.5 seconds or better and 11-second quarter miles. Car and Driver magazine's comment may be apt: "The idea that such a Vette could exist is certifiably bonkers."
Moving down the drivetrain, some key components attached to the Z06-shared aluminum chassis are new. The variable-ratio steering slows at very high speeds. New, larger wheels (19x10 in front and 20x12 in the rear) and tires bolt onto huge - originally designed for Ferrari - front and rear brakes. Six-piston Brembo calipers clamp the 15.5-inch-diameter front carbon ceramic brake rotors, while the 15-inch rear carbon ceramic brake rotors (designed for the front of the Ferrari Enzo supercar) get four-piston Brembo calipers. All told, the brake pads have twice the contact area of a Z06's.
The second-generation Delphi auto-reactive magnetic shocks that interpret the road-driver connection are similar to the system used in the Ferrari 599 GTB. The ZR1 system has two modes: Tour and Sport. The use of this electromagnetic system allowed Corvette engineers to dial back on the composite leaf-spring tension and stiffen the anti-roll bars. Thus, in Tour mode, the ZR1 is said to ride more comfortably than a Z06, and the ZR1's handling, in Sport mode, is expected to better its sibling's.
The interior adds a 220-mph speedometer, boost gauge, and ZR1 seat embroidery, and says farewell to the 6-way adjustable passenger seat, but offers a standard power-tilt/telescoping steering wheel to achieve proper driving position for any 200+-mph runs to the supermarket. The only option is a full leather interior treatment.
With the addition of the blower and its attendant performance enhancements, the ZR1 was put on a diet. This is most evident in the extensive use of carbon fiber in the modified Z06 body. The hood and front fenders are carbon fiber. The Z06 1-inch front spoiler extends to 4 inches - that's C6R Le Mans-winning Corvette race-car influence. The normal single fender vents have been transformed into two unique gills/stacked vents/hot-air extractors on each side. In addition, the roof panel and roof bow cover are both clear-coated carbon fiber. And that clear coating is mighty special: It includes a $60,000-per-gallon special UV-protecting chemical additive, making for $2,000-per-gallon clear coat. The doors and rear are from the Z06, with the addition of a larger rear spoiler that runs the width of the car and works with the front spoiler to provide balance during those high-speed grocery runs. With all of these changes, the ZR1 adds about 150 pounds to a Z06's curb weight; that's not very much, considering the considerably larger punch packed by the Ultimate Corvette!
Some reviewers had the presence of mind to point out that with fuel-efficiency legislation escalating, this could be the king of the Vette hill for a long, long time. And with only 2,000 copies slated for production per year, that will only add to the collectibility of the ZR1.
This overview covers this specific trim only. You can read more on our 2009 Chevrolet Corvette page.
The Corvette team at GM started with a challenge from GM management to see how far beyond the Z06 Corvette they could go if the retail price was set around $100,000, about $40,000 more than a Z06. Named the ZR1, the outcome of this challenge recalls the famous 1990 C4 ZR-1 Corvette (that hyphen is not a typo, but the way Corvette designated that model) with a double-overhead-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder V8 built by Lotus; its LT5 5.7-liter V8 produced 405 hp or 71 hp per liter, compared to the Z06's 505-hp, 7.2-liter V8, which works out to 72 hp per liter.
The Corvette team started with a Z06 and aimed at a performance goal of 100 hp per liter. They didn't use the Z06's LS7 V8, because the cylinder walls were considered too thin for the forced induction engineers believed would be required to reach their hp goal. Instead, they took a step backward to move forward and picked the base Corvette's LS3 6.2-liter V8 to develop. The new LS9 engine retains 76% of the parts from the LS3. The remaining 24% represents the best GM has to offer the performance enthusiast.
Most visible is the sixth-generation Eaton Twin Vortices Series supercharger sitting between the cylinder banks. For forced induction, turbochargers are more efficient, but they suffer from "turbo lag," which can get expensive to overcome. With Eaton's new design, primarily the addition of a fourth rotor lobe, they attained 76% thermal efficiency (up from 60% and close to that of a turbocharger) and reduced the unit's noise. The integrated intercooling system routes air sideways through parallel air-to-water coolers, keeping the height of the new induction system low, so that the ZR1's hood is only 1 inch higher than the Z06's. This dedicated system's one-gallon cooling circuit lowers charge temperature by 108 degrees F. Maximum boost is 10.5 psi (that is, until hot-rodders get their hands on the system's electronics!).
To deal with all this pressure, the aluminum block was reinforced, special head gaskets were designed, titanium connecting rods were joined to forged aluminum pistons, piston-cooling oil squirters were added, and a higher-capacity oil pump and second auxiliary tank were added to the Z06-type dry-sump oiling system, which cools through an oil-pan-mounted oil cooler. A redesigned fuel system and water pump are among the many additional tweaks required to accommodate the supercharger.
Supercharged air flows into swirl-inducing wings cast into the intake ports to improve combustion. Using a special alloy coating, the combustion chambers are designed to better withstand the heat produced in a supercharged engine. The intake valves are titanium, and the exhaust valves are sodium-filled. The engine's reciprocating gear was strengthened and lightened. Blue (as in Blue Devil) badges, engine rocker covers and, closer to the ground, brake calipers furnish a visual exclamation point. You can't help but notice the engine's blue as you gaze through the 19" x 17" polycarbonate (the material used in headlight covers) hood window situated over the top of the intercooler in the carbon-fiber hood.
The ZR1's LS9 engine is expected to produce from 620 to 650 hp with approximately 600 lb-ft of torque; final figures will be available in the first quarter of 2008. Taking the brunt of all this power is a new twin-disc clutch system that provides more grip and reduces clutch effort, making it equal to the Z06's. The power continues into a beefed-up Tremec six-speed manual transaxle. The gears are redesigned, and the ratios are closer: 16% taller at the bottom, with first topping out at around 64 mph (0-60 blasts should be interesting), but 26% shorter in sixth, which is calculated to top out at more than 200 mph. Yes, a production Corvette that can achieve 200+ mph off the showroom floor. Speculation is for 0-60 in 3.5 seconds or better and 11-second quarter miles. Car and Driver magazine's comment may be apt: "The idea that such a Vette could exist is certifiably bonkers."
Moving down the drivetrain, some key components attached to the Z06-shared aluminum chassis are new. The variable-ratio steering slows at very high speeds. New, larger wheels (19x10 in front and 20x12 in the rear) and tires bolt onto huge - originally designed for Ferrari - front and rear brakes. Six-piston Brembo calipers clamp the 15.5-inch-diameter front carbon ceramic brake rotors, while the 15-inch rear carbon ceramic brake rotors (designed for the front of the Ferrari Enzo supercar) get four-piston Brembo calipers. All told, the brake pads have twice the contact area of a Z06's.
The second-generation Delphi auto-reactive magnetic shocks that interpret the road-driver connection are similar to the system used in the Ferrari 599 GTB. The ZR1 system has two modes: Tour and Sport. The use of this electromagnetic system allowed Corvette engineers to dial back on the composite leaf-spring tension and stiffen the anti-roll bars. Thus, in Tour mode, the ZR1 is said to ride more comfortably than a Z06, and the ZR1's handling, in Sport mode, is expected to better its sibling's.
The interior adds a 220-mph speedometer, boost gauge, and ZR1 seat embroidery, and says farewell to the 6-way adjustable passenger seat, but offers a standard power-tilt/telescoping steering wheel to achieve proper driving position for any 200+-mph runs to the supermarket. The only option is a full leather interior treatment.
With the addition of the blower and its attendant performance enhancements, the ZR1 was put on a diet. This is most evident in the extensive use of carbon fiber in the modified Z06 body. The hood and front fenders are carbon fiber. The Z06 1-inch front spoiler extends to 4 inches - that's C6R Le Mans-winning Corvette race-car influence. The normal single fender vents have been transformed into two unique gills/stacked vents/hot-air extractors on each side. In addition, the roof panel and roof bow cover are both clear-coated carbon fiber. And that clear coating is mighty special: It includes a $60,000-per-gallon special UV-protecting chemical additive, making for $2,000-per-gallon clear coat. The doors and rear are from the Z06, with the addition of a larger rear spoiler that runs the width of the car and works with the front spoiler to provide balance during those high-speed grocery runs. With all of these changes, the ZR1 adds about 150 pounds to a Z06's curb weight; that's not very much, considering the considerably larger punch packed by the Ultimate Corvette!
Some reviewers had the presence of mind to point out that with fuel-efficiency legislation escalating, this could be the king of the Vette hill for a long, long time. And with only 2,000 copies slated for production per year, that will only add to the collectibility of the ZR1.
This overview covers this specific trim only. You can read more on our 2009 Chevrolet Corvette page.
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Recommend a site related to the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1!
- Chevrolet's site for the Corvette ZR1... www.chevrolet.com
- This preview of the ZR1 includes lots of technical details, some nice photos, and a video... www.caranddriver.com
- Shaun Bailey takes a look at the ZR1, providing tons of technical details and enthusiasm... www.roadandtrack.com
- Frank Markus's first look at the Corvette ZR1 includes loads of technical details, an interview with GM CEO Rick Wagoner, and tidbits from engineers who worked on the project... www.motortrend.com
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