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2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Preview

Every year there's a car that captures the hearts and attention of

This is the one that the crowds have been waiting for. It's the Return of the King. (Photo: Chevrolet)

attendees at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Over the past couple of years, it's varied from Detroit's muscle revival to international solutions attempting to solve environmental concerns. This year, the star of the show looks to be the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, America's addition to the list of world's fastest supercars.

What better way to start engineering a supercar than by basing it off a super car. The new ZR1 will share the same basic chassis and structure as the Z06, which in itself is a force to be reckoned with in the sports car world. Its hydroformed aluminum frame and magnesium engine cradle are carried over, but there are many major changes made to transform the Z06 into the ultimate supercar you see on these pages.

Carbon fiber is the building material of choice when it comes to exotics, and the ZR1 has its fair share. While some of the car still contains the traditional fiberglass, there's a lot more of the extra-stiff weave. Besides offering stiffness without the premium of weight – the savings on the roof and roof supports alone save 15 pounds – it's also a feast for the eyes. There's a lot of

Carbon fiber galore... and it wasn't cheap for GM. (Photo: Chevrolet)

woven composite on display, gracing its roof and surrounding the car in a thin, downforce-generating lip, plus some that is covered in paint such as the hood and the front fenders. To protect what's subjected to the elements, one of GM's suppliers whipped up a special coating to the tune of $2,000 per gallon to prevent the brilliant weave from yellowing or dulling.

Under the pricey skin the ZR1 makes its power the American way, with a small-block V8 engine. Unlike the original ZR-1 which featured a Lotus-developed V8 with quad cams and four valves per cylinder, the new ZR1 features pushrods to actuate its valves. But the thing about the ZR1 is that its engine isn't as big as the one featured in the Z06. The new LS9 engine measures in at only 6.2 liters versus the LS7's 7.0. The difference and the supercar-crushing power comes from the addition of a big (2.3-liter!) Roots-type supercharger from Eaton that is bolted on with a liquid-to-air charge cooler system to feed cool, fresh air into the engine. Because superchargers are friction-based and drive off the engine, they consume power at full throttle. Eaton's new four-lobe supercharger rotor design is more efficient than its previous three-lobe design; it actually cuts back a significant amount of drag. Instead of sucking back 120 horsepower's worth of energy, the new system only consumes 80 hp. Aside from much stronger internals to deal with the extra power and the 10.5 psi boost of the supercharger, the ZR1's engine also receives dry-sump lubrication. Like the Z06's engine, the LS9 is built in Wixom, Michigan, by hand.

While this is all and good, it's the numbers that you're probably after. So, without further ado, here they are: 620 horsepower and 595 lb-ft of torque. While these figures have yet to be certified, a process that will take place in March, there's no doubt that the 100 hp/L mark that Chevrolet

There's a good reason why the ZR1's engine is on display 24/7. (Photo: Chevrolet)

was gunning for will be met, though it could even be as high as 650 hp. In a time when turbos and direct injection are all the rage, GM's use of a supercharger in the Corvette might seem backwards, but for delivering the most punch instantaneously, the on-demand nature of the supercharger is hard to beat. Initial testing has produced some salivation-worthy figures, including the production of 90-percent peak torque from 2,600 rpm right through 6,000 rpm; 320 lb-ft of torque is available at just over idle (1,000 rpm), and that just under half of all its horsepower can be had as early as 3,000 rpm. Indeed, just about every area on the new 'Vette's rev range is in the “sweet spot”. Chevrolet must be proud of this engine, considering that it's on display through the hood via a transparent lexan cutout. If Ferrari and Lamborghini put their V12s under glass, why shouldn't Chevy?

Before the power gets to the wide, grippy Michelin Pilot Sport2 tires, it passes through a new six-speed gearbox that's been modified for use in the ZR1. Based off the gearbox found in the revised for '08 standard

It should be able to out-brake just about anything. (Photo: Chevrolet)

Corvette, it has its own custom gear ratios and a new twin-plate clutch system to harness the power more effectively. Chevy's engineers have tweaked the clutch to make it friendly for day-to-day driving and have adopted a similar effort level to the Z06. In the ZR1, top speed is achieved in sixth gear, not fifth gear as with all other Corvettes, done to improve highway fuel economy when cruising. The ZR1 is all about performance, after all. So, what's its 0-60 mph time? It hasn't been confirmed, but expect less than 3.5 seconds. GM's top speed claim of 205 mph sounds conservative, given the Z06 can hit 199 mph.

With this sort of power, it's a good thing that they've stepped things up when it comes to stopping. The ZR1 comes with Brembo-sourced brakes, which while noteworthy aren't exactly a big deal as many sports cars feature Brembo brakes. A bigger deal is the fact that these are carbon ceramic units, and an even bigger deal is how giant they are. Measuring 15.5 inches across up front and 15.0 inches in the back, they're big

And with 620 horsepower, it should be able to out-accelerate just about anything too. Uh, anything road-legal and on four wheels. (Photo: Chevrolet)

enough to claim the title of biggest carbon ceramic discs ever fitted to an OEM car. Perhaps most impressively, if you're out to set some bragging rights, the ZR1's brakes are the same components used in Ferrari's ultra-rare Enzo supercar, only bigger and stronger. To differentiate these powerful stoppers from those used by other manufacturers, the calipers have been painted bright blue.

It isn't just the brakes that are common between this Chevrolet and various Ferraris. The ZR1 uses Delphi's Magnetic Selective Ride Control (magnetorheological dampers) that feature metallic filings in a liquid that are subjected to electromagnets, the same as found in the Ferrari 599 GTB. The dampers monitor the road every millisecond, and adjust accordingly, making it the fastest reacting suspension system on the planet. The damping characteristics allow Chevy engineers to set the spring rates for the car in a softer manner, giving it a smoother ride over rough pavement, providing over 1 G's worth of grip for cornering and improved traction on rough surfaces. The new suspension setup works in conjunction with the quicker steering rack for more precise cornering. The

Not much to write home about... (Photo: Chevrolet)

steering system also gains variable assist to make the ZR1 a little less fidgety when cruising and a little more dialed in when driven aggressively. The ultimate 'Vette rides on two-piece alloy wheels that measure 19 inches up front and 20 inches in back. Its rear shoes are also incredibly wide, measuring 335 mm across!

The ZR1's interior, somewhat surprisingly, isn't dramatically different from that of the Z06, and as far as supercar standards go it's actually quite normal. The biggest changes, in the grand scheme of things, are very minor, with features like a boost gauge and special instrumentation keeping the driver in the know, but it doesn't add the drama that some might have been expecting. The ZR1 will be offered with one of two different ways; there is the standard car and then there's an upgrade package that

The automotive version of the American Dream. (Photo: Chevrolet)

includes extended leather trim covering the instrument panel and other areas of the cabin, leather-trimmed sport seats embossed with the ZR1 logo, a navigation system and Bluetooth handsfree connectivity.

The Corvette ZR1 is the fastest car that General Motors has ever made. This is General Motor's Veyron, their Enzo, their Reventon. It may not be the most advanced, but in terms of performance it is without question the greatest. Chevrolet deserves nothing but the utmost respect for delivering the ultimate “dream” Corvette. Unlike Ford's GT or many of the ZR1's rivals, it will not be as limited a production vehicle as you might think. Chevy will build around 2,000 ZR1s per year, and while that might seem limited, it's still quite a significant number. Pricing is another detail that hasn't been set in stone, although it's been speculated to start at around the $100,000 mark, a figure that is three to four times less than some of its European rivals. Summed up in two words, the Corvette ZR1 is an instant classic.

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