Flytoyz

Ok, Last week I wrote an article about how “Godzilla”(Nissan’s GTR) had set records at “The Ring” in Germany and how Acura was bringing back the NSX to take the title from Nissan, Well believe it or not Acura has someone else to worry about, All American Made Chevrolet. I Say this because the 2009 Corvette ZR-1 took down Godzilla as of just yesterday!!

General Motors development engineer (did you catch that, he’s only a development engineer! not a race car driver!) Jim Mero drove a stock ZR1 around the Nürburgring in a time of 7:26!!!! That’s significantly faster than the 7:29 lap set by the Nissan GT-R. I abosolutely cannot wait to see what the rest of the world’s supercar competitors are gonna do now to up the ante and maybe tie, or break the ZR-1′s record.

GM has stated that the lap time was set by stock ZR1, fitted only with extra safety and communications equipment. Everything else, from the Michelin Pilot tires that wraps those corvette wheels when you purchase it at your local dealer, to the factory suspension settings and all in between.Hell even the fuel was normal pump gas!! So whats next for the ring? We still are awaiting a GTR Spec-V which there are rumors circulating the internet that a brochure from over sea’s has leaked to the internet. With the Spec-V using several techniques, even more performance can actually be wringed out of the GT-R! The car will most likely go through a weight-loss program, which means it may lose up to 100kg, which is the equivalent of a fully grown adult male of average weight. “Lose the man, lose the milliseconds” is Spec V’s mind set to regain a title back at “the ring.”

Typically extra revisions include an even farther improved suspension, advanced roll cage and a reprogrammed AWD system. Power is said to be up to 512 bhp, and coupled with an all-carbon fiber body!!! This should make the Spec V not only as quick as far more expensive super cars(watch out ZR-1), but only handle even better than its entry level self around challenging places like the Nurburgring track. Let’s hope some this isn’t the last we’ll see of the ZR1 ripping up a racetrack as im sure when this version of the GTR drop’s, they will need an actual race car driver to hit the ring, and not just one of their engineer’s.

Acura, you have ALOT of work to do to keep up! Do you think there might be an Acura NSX Type R? (shivers) Damn I hope so

Here is a pic I found regarding the Spec V GTR:

Standard GTR:

Well there you have it! Another Automotive corner, another week! Thank you for coming by the Number 1 spot to stay in the know for all your automotive needs!

I Am VizX, And you are now IN THE KNOW!! Ill see you in the Mod Shop come thursday!

Ok so I just want to throw out there, im not a corvette fan boy by any means, I personally do not care for the corvette these days, now back in thr 50′s and 60′s oh yeah, you have my attention.. but not in todays day and age. Well if you tuned into the automotive corner a few weeks ago, I posted a first ever 2 part automotive corner. It covered the return of the 427 And ZR1. Well if you looking for something called “a race car for road use”, here it is! Production is limited so make sure you contact the proper people to get yours as only 25 units per year are being made!!

I would’ve written my own personal write up on it and it’s specs but to be completely honest your boy VizX here is a little under the weather with a migraine that has my vision a bit blurry(thank goodness for spell check today haha). I heard about this new C6RS from Pratt & Miller and did a search on it, and who better to read up from? Car And Driver!

So I wanted to post up the link here for you all to enjoy and read, I do apologize about this week everyone, ill be up on my game for The Mod Shop thursday and ill Give you all I got for the automotive corner next week.

Here is the link on this 3 Page article( i hope you have coffee on standby lol ) Car And Driver:C6RS

Enjoy the article and I’ll See You Thursday!!

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!