Sometimes leaked photos appear in the more obvious of places, and give us ideas about what the future in the auto industry holds. The 750-horsepower Chevy Corvette ZR1 has definitely been long awaited, and what appeared to be the exact prototype was displayed on a recent Car and Driver cover, in all-orange. First impressions we gathered were that this car looks drastically more aggressive than the current Z06: you have a much bigger hood vent, redesigned bumper, giant rear wing, and side skirts. Appearing more powerful and refined right off the bat, what you see is a fast car that can definitely be “for anyone”, in many different ways.
Corvette continues to grow heavily in popularity in the Middle East, which made Dubai a sensible choice for the flashy and furious new car's debut. A location on the globe quite different than our locale here at Mid-Missouri Powerhouse, this is a place where the tallest buildings, wealthiest sheikhs, and oil profits swim together in bountiful bliss. Back here at home, we recognize that the vibe may be a bit more rustic, and we love it that way. There are nonetheless customers that are so excited about this release that they just keep asking us about it, and we were definitely getting the jitters while waiting to post the photos and news on the blog.
The car goes on sale this spring, and GM has said they will make 2-3,000 of them at the location in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The new model comes with GM's 6,2-liter pushrod small-block V-8, and keeps the Corvette's traditional overhead valve makeup. Just when fans of this iconic vehicle thought that its engine couldn't stir together any more power, GM is claiming it will be rated at 755-hp, and 715-lb-ft of torque. A few who have test driven it in Dubai and here in the States have confirmed that the ZR1 possesses the ability to make the Z06 feel sluggish, and at a glance, it appears that could be very true.
Futuristic fans will appreciate how a quick glance at the nose can remind one a bit of a Lamborghini, and mixes that very new breed of charm with an all-American legend. Mark Reuss is the executive VP of Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chain, and he adamantly claims that “I've never driven a Corvette like this before, and nobody else has either, because there's never been one like this before”. There are many purists who may not appreciate how this new Corvette has a bit of a feel like a “Tokyo Drift” contender, and may seem a bit flashy, or even obstructionist. We love our big trucks here at the Powerhouse, but the high-line sportscar genre still excites us, and we are closely watching the arrival of the powerful and thoroughly pumped-up ZR1!
