2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

It stops, goes, and turns better than pretty much anything out there.

You can buy either a 2009 ZR1 or an absolutely mint ’63 split-window coupe for about the same price, except with the ZR1's production cap of 2,000, there are probably more of the split-windows floating around.

The ZR1 is brutal, almost atavistically so. Imagine a Neanderthal with an aluminum bat; all of the force with none of the vulgarity. If you’ve got the money, and a desire to shame Ferrari owners, go for it.

Can you say stupid fast? We knew you could. The 2009 ZR1 Corvette is all skills and no frills. Well, there are *two* options available - a luxury leather package and chrome wheels - but other than that, every bit of this leviathan is about going or stopping fast. The 6.2-liter supercharged V8 produces 638 hp, and to combat the extra weight of its blower, carbon fiber has replaced a good portion of the front end. The mere fact that it uses a Ferrari’s front brakes for its rear should say enough.  

Visibly, the ZR1 has full front and rear spoilers, a hood a full inch taller than its brothers’, and carbon fiber visible in its roof and hood. To make sure the carbon fiber isn’t degraded by UV from the sun, an additive costing $60,000/gallon was added at a 3% concentration to the clear-coat, which still bumps the price to $2,000/gallon.

Twenty-spoke 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels are wrapped in specially developed Michelin Pilot Sport 2 run-flat tires - P285/30ZR19 in front and P335/25ZR20 in the rear. The interior is available in four colors and features a standard heads-up display. The luxury leather package adds a voice-activated navigation system and wireless cell phone link.

Believe it or not, the engine for the 2009 ZR1 is a modified 6.2-liter LS3 V8, the engine in the Base trim. The goal from the beginning was to reach 100 horsepower per liter, and given the necessary forced induction to reach those kinds of numbers with a small block, engineers felt the LS7’s cylinder walls were simply too thin. What you have left is an engine that retains 76% of the LS3’s parts - the LS9.

Originally conceived as a turbocharged engine, Eaton conveniently came out with a sixth-generation, four-lobe, twin-vortices supercharger just in time, which presented an increase in thermal efficiency of up to 76%, close enough to the turbo to win the day.

To handle the extra pressure, a lot of changes were made to the LS3. Aluminum pistons and titanium rods, a reinforced aluminum block, and a completely redesigned oil and fuel system were configured, along with an integrated intercooling system. Titanium intake valves and sodium-filled exhaust valves keep this monster from breathing fire. A strengthened, lighter reciprocating gear and an alloy-coated combustion chamber mark a few more of the changes.

In all, the goal was met, and at 10.5 psi, the LS9 produces 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft of torque mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox with a new twin-disc 260mm high-performance clutch designed specifically for this application. While smooth, some have complained that it's a bit heavy and a tad on the notchy side.

Gear ratios have been specially tuned as well, with first at 16% taller than the base trim's, topping out at 64 mph, and sixth is 26% shorter, to achieve a top speed in excess of 200 mph. 0-60 times for this rear-wheel-drive monster are supposed to hover just below 3.5 seconds. Don’t worry, asymmetric shaft diameters will keep the half-shafts from syncing up under hard acceleration, which should help fight any ideas about bouncing around those rear tires might get.

Currently, no EPA MPG rating has been released, but the ZR1 is estimated by the manufacturer to achieve an average of almost 16 mpg.

The Z06's aluminum chassis and magnesium roof structure are used in the ZR1, which comes standard with Magnetic Selective Ride Control. This allows the driver to choose between Tour and Sport modes, depending on his or her level of enthusiasm. Drivers have noted that the system reacts so quickly it can create a wallow over washboard pavement and will abruptly thump when encountering more daunting bumps. That said, the ride should be more comfortable than the Z06's in Tour mode and should out-handle it in Sport mode, with a reported 1g cornering grip. Variable-ratio steering compensates at higher speeds by slowing down so you don’t have to.

Comfort? The ZR1 takes the Base interior and adds a 220-mph speedometer, a psi gauge for the boost, and ZR1 embroidery on the leather seats. Passengers lose their adjustable seating, but the driver gets a standard power-tilt and telescoping steering wheel.

Giant four-wheel carbon-ceramic antilock brakes provide twice the contact area of those on the Z06. Six-piston Brembo calipers bite the 15.5-inch-diameter front rotors, while four-piston Brembos tackle the 15-inchers out back.

No safety data has yet been released for the 2009 ZR1.

It’s been called the best-handling production car ever built and faster than even the most optimistic fans had expected. Chevrolet apparently met its goal of making the ZR1 just as well-behaved in the parking lot as on the track, even if road and tire noise are evident, especially at high speeds. Many have found that the ZR1 is less than composed over rough pavement, but still manageable, especially for a car with a standard track-level suspension.

By Michael Perkins