The 233 MPH Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Is a $200,000 Deal

Stepping on the gas pedal in the Corvette ZR1 unleashes a fury like no Chevrolet before it.The low-slung two-seater is powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 that produces an astonishing 1,064 horsepower. It is seven times more powerful than the original 1953 Corvette and twice as potent as today’s entry-level Corvette Stingray.Leave your foot on the floor long enough and the ZR1 will reach 233 mph. General Motors President Mark Reuss, an engineer by trade and certified test driver, proved it himself on a high-speed oval test track in Germany. That makes it the fastest production car ever sold by a major American automaker.The ZR1 is the culmination of a decades-long dream to transform the iconic American sports car into a world-class juggernaut. As far back as the 1960s, the Corvette team was toying with the idea of building a racing-inspired mid-engine Corvette and built several concepts to showcase the idea over the years, but the realities of the marketplace and the ups and downs of the economy conspired to keep it from coming to fruition until the stars aligned in 2020.That’s when Chevrolet launched the eighth-generation Corvette with its V8 engine mounted behind the cabin. This layout optimizes its weight distribution, aerodynamic profile and cool factor. Some traditional Corvette fans were — and remain — appalled by the idea, but it has been a huge sales success, so it seems Chevrolet has found plenty of new ones.The Corvette ZR1 is available in coupe and hardtop convertible models. ChevroletThe “C8” Corvette was initially introduced as the Stingray with a 490-horsepower V8, but Chevrolet knew the platform could handle much more and soon added the 670-horsepower Corvette Z06, which still barely scratched the surface of its capabilities.Fans expected a ZR1 to be in the works, as the trim typically marks the high-water mark for a Corvette generation, but the power it arrived with surprised everyone. All of it is directed to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the rear tires are more than a foot wide to handle it. Even Fred Flintstone would be jealous.The standard ZR1 doesn’t outwardly appear much different from the other Corvettes, but it can be equipped with an array of aggressive wings and canards that make it look like it belongs in the 24 Hours of Daytona, where racing Corvettes do compete. They generate more than 1,200 pounds of downforce at speed, which is roughly a third of its weight, and allow it to corner at G-force levels that might make a fighter pilot queasy.It can also accelerate to 60 mph in a scant 2.3 seconds, which is on pace with a Formula 1 car, but outrun by many electric sports cars today, thanks to their immediate power delivery. What the EVs don’t provide is the theater of a thundering V8 spooling up its turbos and pumping its pistons at 8,000 rpm just inches from your head as you launch into hyperspace.I spent a long day with a ZR1 that included several hundred miles of driving and a stop at the autocross track at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. The short, twisty ribbon of asphalt is the opposite of a high-speed test track suitable for a top speed attempt, but challenges a car’s other performance attributes.The ZR1 turns straights into hyphens, veritably teleporting itself to the other end. When you arrive there, a set of carbon-ceramic brake discs the size of medium pizzas slow it down almost as abruptly as running into a wall. Turn the wheel for a tight corner, get back on the gas, and the tires barely squeak as they bite the pavement. The ZR1 is equipped with an electronic Performance Traction Management system that modulates the power delivery and stability to keep you from spinning into oblivion when you do this. It’s as close to being strapped into a rollercoaster on rails as a 1,064-horsepower car can be. It’s adjustable, and you can dial the intervention as low as you dare, but even professional drivers are faster with it partially engaged. The Corvette ZR1 is available in coupe and hardtop convertible models. ChevroletThat is the brilliance of the ZR1. It is a tame beast until you let it off the leash. On the street set in Tour mode, the throttle response is less aggressive and the computer-controlled shock absorbers soften for a comfortable ride suitable for hours of driving. Not long ago, a car with this much power and performance would be a back-breaking handful for any driver, but someone with a learner’s permit could hop into it straight from an economy compact and not be too intimidated. As long as they practice some restraint.Unfortunately, it is definitely not an economy car. While a Stingray starts at $73,495, the ZR1’s base price is $200,195 and $210,195 for with a hardtop convertible roof. That includes a $3,000 gas guzzler tax due to its 14 mpg combined fuel economy rating, although I was able to coax 22 mpg from it on the highway at legal speeds. Nevertheless, it is so popular that some customers have been willing to pay 50% markups to get their hands on one, and the handful of other new cars as fast as it all cost far more than $1 million. In the world of supercars, the ZR1 is a steal.

The 233 MPH Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Is a $200,000 Deal

The 233 MPH Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Is a $200,000 Deal

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