Spied: C6 Corvette ZR1

[Alak]

2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Hits the Nürburgring

After months of seeing the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 sitting on a stand at auto shows, we can finally bring you video of the 620-horsepower supercar in action — and you won't be disappointed. Shot on the Nürburgring test track in Germany, the engineers behind the wheel of the most powerful Corvette ever were flogging it hard and we have the lap times to prove it.

According to our shooters on the ground, the Corvette ZR1 was turning in lap times in the low 7:40s, a pace that puts it right up there with the world's fastest supercars. And given the damp conditions and rough, hand-timed numbers, you can expect to see even quicker official lap times when Chevrolet goes public with its Nürburgring data.

Introduced earlier this year at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a limited-production version of the standard Corvette. It features a supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V8 rated at 620 hp and 595 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed transmission sends power to the 335/35R20 tires. Extensive use of carbon fiber gives the ZR1 a unique look, but it still weighs a few hundred pounds more than a standard Corvette Z06.

That said, the folks at Chevrolet aren't worried about the performance potential of their $100,000 halo car. According to ZR1 Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter, the ZR1 will beat the track record for production cars at any road course in the world.

Looks like they still have some work to do at the Nürburgring, because the Nissan GT-R has already run a lap of 7:38. We're guessing the ZR1 will be able to shave off another 4 seconds without much trouble. The only question now is how much quicker than 7:38 can it go? We'll keep you posted.

Source with video footage

I've really been looking forward to seeing this car in action. This video footage has really been sparking debates in Corvette and GT-R forums.

[pyromanaic414]

dope ass car

[kickslover85]

love this car

[Krazye]

very nice looking car. nice to finally see an american car that can handle a track and not just good at going in straight lines.


is it me or does that track not look damp

[Alak]

^ I live in Arizona so I never really experienced any...dampness(?) but my guess is that you can only feel the difference when you're driving or walking on it. RS2000 lives in Australia so he might provide a better answer for you.

[qwerty123456]

I want to see the official lap time.

They need to get rid of that window in the hood though.

[qwerty123456]

I want to see the official lap time.

They need to get rid of that window in the hood though.

[Archive]

that shit is nasty, sounds mean as hell

[Ferrari3nzo]

not a big fan of correvets, but this ones ok

still... GT-R V-Spec >>> ZR1

GT-R V-Spec did Nurminghim or w.e in 7:25!!!!!!!... ZR1 did 7:40, which is even slower than the normal GT-R.. which did i think 7:38

[qwerty123456]

Originally Posted by Ferrari3nzo

not a big fan of correvets, but this ones ok

still... GT-R V-Spec >>> ZR1

GT-R V-Spec did Nurminghim or w.e in 7:25!!!!!!!... ZR1 did 7:40, which is even slower than the normal GT-R.. which did i think 7:38

The GT-R V is gonna be faster than the ZR1, but this ~7:40 lap was done on a damp track, driven by engineer w/ a passenger. On a dry track with a good driver, I'm sure they'll shave at least a few seconds off that time. That 7:25 isn't official either.