Take the Z06 Corvette, one of the meanest production Corvettes ever, and almost double its price tag by adding Ferrari brakes and a Ferrari-like suspension, and 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 the wraps off 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's. Named the ZR1, the new car recalls the famous 1990 C4 ZR-1 Corvette (that hyphen is not a typo, but the way Corvette designated that year's 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, but aimed at a performance goal of 100 horsepower per liter! They didn't use the Z06's LS7 V8, because the cylinder walls were considered too thin for the forced induction they believed would be necessary to reach their 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 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. The 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!).

With all this pressure, the aluminum block was reinforced, special head gaskets were designed, titanium connecting rods were joined to forged aluminum pistons, and piston-cooling oil squirters were added. 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, and a redesigned fuel system and water pump were also necessary 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. The power continues on into a beefed-up Tremec six-speed manual transaxle. The gears are redesigned, and the ratios are closer: 16% taller in first, topping out at around 64 mph (0-to-60 blasts should be interesting), but 26% shorter in sixth, which is calculated to top out at over 200 mph. Yes, a production Corvette that can achieve 200+ mph off the showroom floor. Fans speculate that it will get from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds or better and cover a quarter-mile in 11 seconds. Car and Driver magazine's comment may be apt: "The idea that such a Vette could exist is certifiably bonkers."

Moving down the drivetrain, the key components attached to the aluminum chassis the new ZR1 shares with the Z06 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 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 ZR1's 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 handling, in Sport mode, is expected to outdo its sibling's.

The interior adds a 220-mph speedometer, a boost gauge, and ZR1 seat embroidery, and removes the 6-way adjustable passenger seat, but offers a power-tilt/telescoping steering wheel as standard to achieve the proper driving position for those 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's 1-inch front spoiler was extended to 4 inches, as a result of C6R Le Mans-winning Corvette racecar 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-a-gallon special UV-protective chemical additive, making for $2,000-a-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 will work with the front spoiler for balance during those high-speed grocery runs. With all of this, the ZR1 adds about 150 lbs. to a Z06's curb weight - 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 a year slated for production, the ZR1 will be a race-ready rarity.