Welcome Everybody to The Automotive Corner, I Am VizX your automotive go to guy representing Flytoyz, the number 1 place to get the 411 on all the goodies, gadgets, and goodness from the automotive world.
NOW… today, we are looking at two of Chevrolet’s most prized vehicles…one of them being a limited edition and well..this one! We shall see if it last’s longer then 5 years, this may tickle the funny bone of all you bow tie guys, but today is the day of the Z06-427 and ZR1 Corvette’s!!
Im thinking GM must be doing good in Q1 and has predictions of a few more to go forward with the release of these two models this year because WOW they are expensive! But you will see why today. Lets start with the ZR1.

Now people have been saying “The King is back” meaning the return of the ZR1 well heres a little background on the ZR for ya. Chevrolet had went to Lotus in 1986 when the Corvette, then on the C4 platform, reigned supreme! Well from ‘90-’95 Lotus had given Chevrolet a vette like no other…at that time, at WOT(Wide open throttle) it produced 375HP and had an “FX3″ active suspension system. Further changes were made in ‘92: ZR-1 badges were displayed on both front fenders and traction control was added as a standard feature. In ‘93 Lotus reworked the heart of the ZR1 and gave it 30 more HP til its demise in ‘95. The beauty about the 1st generation ZR1 was that in only the 1st year in its life, Chevy gave ALL the vettes an updated look, well the updated look was what made the ZR1 stand out before…but now was offered on all vette’s,it looked like a bone stock vette to the untrained eye!!
The ZR was identifiable by wider rear wheel’s and Center High Mounted Stop Light(CHMSL) because it was integrated into the new rear fascia used on the base model, but remained at the top of the rear-hatch on the ZR-1’s, thats pretty much the only way you could tell it was a ZR, only saying that because who know’s how many ZR owners debadged it to keep the stock corvette look(smart).
Now this new generation ZR1 is based on the C6 platform with a Supercharged LS9 6.2 Liter V8 cranking out an estimated 620HP-600 TQ, the only problem….its the most expensive Corvette in History around a mere… :cough: $100,000 :cough: lol
Yeah, thats a hard pill to swallow vette lovers, 100K! This Mercedes price tagged piece of American muscle is also the 1st Corvette to have factory forced induction(supercharger and intercooled) AND will be the 1st vette to top 200MPH off the showroom floor!! Viper and Shelby GT500 Owners, you have been warned(though GT500’s are around 40-50k less and only 70HP slower and vipers are around 10k cheaper and only 20HP slower).
The ZR1’s power plant, the famed LS9 has been validated to 150,000 hours and had no piston, rod, or crank failure in 6800 cumulative dyno hours. The hand-assembled engines come from GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan, and each one is hot-tested before it goes out the door so there is no worry that this new motor will break down on you quickly if you have a heavy foot. Because this LS9 has a Blower on it, chevy included a boost gauge on the cluster and also one in the heads up display.
This new venture for chevy having a S/C in their vette, they wanted to make sure they had a great company to go with and who they could trust, so they went with the same company who provided SuperChargers for Fords SVT program(cobra’s&lightning’s) and thats Eaton. This blower is a Roots style blower which produces around 10LBS/Boost and apparently Chevy is claiming an increase in efficiency and noise reduction over their past blowers. Now im sorry, if im rocking a beast of a car with a blower, when I bury the throttle I want to hear it whine, but thats just me. Eaton also included an Air to Liquid intercooler that sits on the top of the blower so again,thats chevy wanting to keep the boost a visual secret by keeping a Big intercooler from being seen behind the front bumper. Chevy also lowered the stance of the motor inside the engine bay so that a massive hood bulge could be avoided. There is a hood bulge but only about an inch.
Now with all this power, what did they do for a transmission??
Well as the LS9 does roars through its power band,its many, many ponies invade the tranny, where they meet a rather beefy six-speed manual that has closer ratios than the one found in the Z06 but heres something to wrap your head around, 1st gear is still good enough for 60MPH…ok let that sink in lol, you ok? ok Think about when you go out driving today if you floor the throttle, the ZR1 can hit 60 with no problems in 1st gear,and lets not forget the other 5 gears after it lol. Times expected to be a 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds or better and the quarter-mile in 11.0 seconds, one word: Impressive.
Ok so we have Engine,and Trans covered, the two main things to get you to 200MPH… now lets talk about what will save your just about to take flight self… BRAKES! The ZR uses the very same Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes as the ones found on the million-dollar Bugatti Veyron. With its vented and cross drilled rotors, they measure an incredible 15.5 inches at the front and an even 15 at the back. The front calipers utilize six pistons and the rears four so there is no worry when you try to stop unless you try to drift or do something else you shouldn’t in a car this expensive.
Want to hear something else expensive yet impressive? The ZR1 rocks Carbon fiber goodies like a hood, front fenders, sill extensions, front splitter, and roof. The car has eight major panels of carbon fiber. GM says the ZR1 will be first to offer clear-coat carbon-fiber exterior panels designed to last the life of the car so you dont have to worry about the CF(carbon fiber) going bad or heavy maintenance needed to maintain it!
With production beginning in July the ZR1 should be on sale in August or September. GM can deliver about 2000 ZR1s a year with a choice of seven colors. Each car will have a unique VIN that incorporates the sequential build number, which should please collectors because I am sure that about 3/4’s of these unfortunately will be garage queen’s whom only see track use or are the weekend drivers.
So a 100,000 corvette? Are you that die hard for chevy to drop that much money on a vette?? I dont think I could bring myself to spending that much money on a car!!! But it will sell, no matter what, it will sell.
Wondering What it looks like??
Here’s some shots for ya!!







Up Next Part Two: 2008(9) Chevrolet Corvette 427!
Recent Comments