Filed under: Coupes, Supercars, Chevrolet
Corvette ZR1 sighted on track at Laguna Seca, but not unveiled
by John Neff on Oct 19th 2007 at 10:49PM 
UPDATE 3: High-res gallery at Winding Road!
UPDATE 2: VIDEO added after the jump!
UDPATE: Awesome pic of the ZR1 (below) found at Corvetteforum.com. Clearly a number of people were taking pics of the car in the paddock, so more images should be inundating the net as we speak.
click above image to view larger pic on Corvetteforum.com
Turns out that the rumors were true and the Corvette ZR1 was in attendance at Laguna Seca Raceway this evening. The Blue Devil, however, was wearing the same Velocity Yellow color as its racing brethren, as well as the familiar black coverings we've seen in so many spy photos that cover the most interesting parts.
The ZR1, however, was not officially unveiled as some reports suggested. Motor Trend reports that the car was trotted out onto the track, did a couple hot laps, and was loaded back on the trailer and left, presumably back to Detroit. It was fairly uneventful and we didn't see anything we haven't seen before, but perhaps Motor Trend can sell its pics to Jalopnik for $1,000 and make some money for its trouble.
Click HERE to view the much sought after pic of the Corvette ZR1 lapping Laguna Seca.
[Source: Motor Trend, Corvetteforum.com]
UPDATE 2: VIDEO added after the jump!
UDPATE: Awesome pic of the ZR1 (below) found at Corvetteforum.com. Clearly a number of people were taking pics of the car in the paddock, so more images should be inundating the net as we speak.
click above image to view larger pic on Corvetteforum.com
Turns out that the rumors were true and the Corvette ZR1 was in attendance at Laguna Seca Raceway this evening. The Blue Devil, however, was wearing the same Velocity Yellow color as its racing brethren, as well as the familiar black coverings we've seen in so many spy photos that cover the most interesting parts.
The ZR1, however, was not officially unveiled as some reports suggested. Motor Trend reports that the car was trotted out onto the track, did a couple hot laps, and was loaded back on the trailer and left, presumably back to Detroit. It was fairly uneventful and we didn't see anything we haven't seen before, but perhaps Motor Trend can sell its pics to Jalopnik for $1,000 and make some money for its trouble.
Click HERE to view the much sought after pic of the Corvette ZR1 lapping Laguna Seca.
[Source: Motor Trend, Corvetteforum.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
PandaBeat 11:45PM (10/19/2007)
So, did the roof fly-off on this one?
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FrankTheCrank 9:04AM (10/20/2007)
I'm so looking forward to the return of the ZR-2, Geo Tracker that is.
Ya hear me GM.....BRING BACK THE ZR-2!!!!
PLEEEEEEEEEEEEZE.
TBlueMax 12:37AM (10/20/2007)
My eyes were pleased. My ears, on the other hand, would have rather listened to a baby scream or a 4 year old child comment to his father on how the car looks like a ripe banana if only for the chance to hear the engine/exhaust note when the covers were pulled off the car and it backed out and drove off. I realize most of the rest of the video was a person videotaping a monitor, but again... I would much prefer someone just make car-like sounds (vroom, screech, etc.) over a lousy soundtrack.
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Carlos 1:04AM (10/20/2007)
So I'm a car enthusist right? That's well istablished, I know that this car has a ton of horsepower and weighs close to 3000lbs yet it still looks like the Z06. I know it's a mule I understand that, but yet the Z06 still looks like the base Corvette. I know they're spending most of their money on go and not show, but come on guys all you can muster are brake vents, a hood scoop, and wider fenders? I'll spend the extra dough and get the rude and crude Viper.
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Nick 1:32AM (10/20/2007)
Big surprise given your avatar... "It looks like a Corvette", wow, clever observation considering it IS a Corvette, haha.
Park a Z06 and a C6 Coupe side by side, and there are some very marked differences between the two. The Z looks -much- meaner and more muscular than the Coupe.
This car is not some entirely new model, it's another version of the C6 Corvette, and thus it won't look much different aside from being beefed up some more.
All of that said, the wheels look fantastic, and I whole-heartedly agree on the video not featuring the start-up and driving off sound during the first minute.
Carlos 10:58AM (10/20/2007)
I mean it looks just like any other Corvette, which is a bad thing considering the amount of money you're paying. The only differences between the Corvette and the Z06 are the wheels, scoops, and it's lowered, wow huge difference there. The ZR1 is going to be the same issue, it'll have a little nip and tuck there, but it's going to look 90% like the Z06. It probably will handle brilliantly and will go like stink, but it looks way too much like a base Corvette for me to plunk down 150k on this. A good example of differentiating are the 911s, yeah it's difficult to tell the difference between a 911 4s and a Carrera, but if you put the S next to the Turbo, GT3, and GT2 you know for sure that there are a lot differentiating them. I'll reiterate again, I'm not bashing the ZR1, it's too early for that, I'm just simply stating that all the hypo vettes look way to much like a cheapovette
hashiryu 11:08AM (10/20/2007)
I agree, there needs to be more differentiation in the looks
fbxcore 2:19PM (10/20/2007)
It really doesn't matter what a car looks like when you're having to eat its dust.
This car is going straight for the Viper's heart and I don't doubt it will outperform it in every aspect.
Carlos 10:56PM (10/20/2007)
You're right it will out perform the SRT10, but will it out perform what's coming...? Hehe if you only knew what I do about what's coming for the Viper a year after the ZR1 debuts
Nick 2:25AM (10/21/2007)
What's coming after the ZR1? I know the answer to that, it's called the C7 Corvette! Until Dodge figures out that just adding more power does not make a better car, and can trim a few hundred pounds of fat off the thing, the Corvette is going to continue to run circles around it. Getting more than 5 miles to the gallon would certainly be a nice bonus as well.
SPG 1:13AM (10/20/2007)
Just like the end of the run Trans Am this is one aweful looking car.
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Sue Esponte 1:17AM (10/20/2007)
Wow, that was a whole lotta hype over nothing.
- Boring Video (could have been a Buick lapping the track)
- Boring Audio (bad St. Elmo's Fire flashback?)
The beginning was the best part by far; and where was the AUDIO of the car pulling out of the truck to head toward the track?
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Esprit bird 2:35AM (10/20/2007)
Hey hey hey, the Trans Am did not look bad! well the 93-97 was pretty bad...
Back on topic. I was not too big of a fan of the fronts style when it first came out on the Vette...but i have grown to like it but with this new model, i would of liked them to make a few more changes.
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HotRodzNKustoms 2:36AM (10/20/2007)
That roof line and rear deck is far different from I thought. I think in person this car will look like a proper supercar.
The roofline is lower and has a more aggressive slope. And the rear deck at least appears to be wider and flatter. This thing is properly quick. I am waiting to see this thing be compaired to the big hitters such as the Porsche GT, Ferrari Enzo, Lambo LP640, and the M-B SLR. From what I see it just might be that fast.
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Nick 2:50AM (10/20/2007)
The roof-line and rear deck look the same as a Z06...The only things that are different are the color of the roof/pillars, and the full-width spoiler on the rear end, which is probably what's tricking your eyes into thinking those things.
HotRodzNKustoms 3:10AM (10/20/2007)
It just hit me! I think I know where this car is going to show up next! I'll bring my camera and if I'm right I'll get pics!
Corvette Forum 3:20AM (10/20/2007)
Suprisingly, the camo on the hood scoop make it really hard to get a good feel for the shape of it.
http://www.corvette-forum.com
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Level 1:11PM (10/20/2007)
Could the big bulge on the hood mean its a blown engine?
As far as the looks ahh Boring!
I agree with everyone for 150K it better look the par and not blen in with lesser vettes..
On second thought I would pass on this ZR1 with 650hp with a price tag of 150K and the looks of a zo6...and just get an 80k zo6 and add a procharger...
http://www.procharger.com/C6_LS7.shtml
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RJ 2:25PM (10/20/2007)
These vettes should blend in with the others. The Zr1 is meant to be a low volume seller when compared to the coupe. Although the idea that the Zr1 will be held back by looking "too much like a coupe" is true, watch coupe sales rise as the coupe looks alot like the Zr1. The Zr1 heightens the "Corvette" name and should bring in more sales.
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Nick 3:05PM (10/20/2007)
Where are people pulling this "$150,000" number from? There's been no pricing announced, just some random speculation.
And man, people really need to stop bitching about the looks. It's a C6 Corvette, it's not going to look like an entirely different car, because it simply isn't, and it would negate the whole point of having the "halo" model if it shared nothing with the lesser versions.
Besides, it's not like the C6 is a bad looking car anyways, so you're not really losing anything. But still for the whiners, here's a comparison of the Coupe and Z06 I made...
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/7637/c6comparopu0.jpg
I think the Z06 looks a lot meaner and stronger. The front splitter, fatter fenders, front "wings", front scoop, more pronounced quarter vents, rear vents, rear spoiler, wheels, brakes, lower ride...There's quite a bit to differentiate the two when you get down to it.
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