VIDEO: Corvette ZR1 gets time on the track at Milford Proving Grounds
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1.
Motive was invited out to the Milford Proving Grounds yesterday to sample GM's latest and greatest Corvette, the ZR1. Thankfully, the online pub was smart enough to mount a camera inside the 638 hp uber-Vette and captured video of Jim Mero, chief engineer and the man that lapped the ZR1 around the Nurburgring in 7:26.4, caning the coupe though the General's test track.
Hit the jump to check it out.
Thanks for the tip Mark.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Thetruck454 11:23AM (7/18/2008)
oh god that sounds good
Reply
Alexander Tang 11:29AM (7/18/2008)
hahah..... [runs over cones] "whups"
Reply
why not the LS2LS7? 11:28AM (7/18/2008)
Two hands on the steering wheel, Mr. Mero.
And why didn't GM put this much effort into plugging the Z06? It's very fast too and yet we never saw videos of people flogging it around the GMPG.
Reply
Alex 11:41AM (7/18/2008)
no, no, he is just trying to show how effortless this monster is to drive ;)
Derek 12:01PM (7/18/2008)
Ha, I kept saying that while I was watching it. If your not going to shift get your hand back on the damn wheel.
motorman 3:23PM (7/18/2008)
because they sold all the ZO-6 they could produce. up till a few months ago and gas prices the stock of ZO-6s was slim at the dealers.
JDub 11:30AM (7/18/2008)
I can't wait to see this car on Top Gear. Wish I could afford one, guess I'll have to settle for my dad's C5 convertible whenever he decides to sell it.
Reply
SilverAero 11:34AM (7/18/2008)
Ha, I love watching that cable floating in front of the camera when taking left turns. Serious cornering.
Reply
Alex 11:39AM (7/18/2008)
i like when he runs over the cones "woops"
that car sounds mean, i love it.
Reply
rouse42 11:42AM (7/18/2008)
opps, that old cone rule doesn't apply to me.
Reply
MarkP 12:04PM (7/18/2008)
There's actually more in-car videos just posted at VetteTube.com where a Michigan news reporter goes for a ride:
http://www.VetteTube.com
Reply
steve clark 1:46PM (7/18/2008)
Thanks for the link. I had more fun watching the scenery through the side and rear windows. You get a real sense of the incredible speed that car gets.
Franz 12:12PM (7/18/2008)
LOL. Great car, but that was funny when he took out those cones.
Reply
wagonphile 1:58PM (7/18/2008)
Damn, with performance like this it's a shame the Vette has such uninspired styling (in any trim). I'd love to rally behind "America's Supercar", but honestly these cars blend into traffic better than Ford's Taurus ever did. Snooze.
Reply
Tire+Tarmac 2:08PM (7/18/2008)
I respectfully disagree, the ZR1 has a lot of presence in person, and same with the regular Corvettes. I guess in more subdued colors (black, silver, gray, etc.) they might blend in.
Styling-wise, the Corvette is evolutionary, much like the 911, rather than revolutionary. That partly explains why they aren't going to create a radical design. IMO, the car looks aggressive enough.
Regardless, the car, albeit quite loud in the vid, sounds AMAZING.
TKOsoccer03 3:13PM (7/18/2008)
Say that is blends in when you're sitting behind a Z06 or a ZR1 at a stoplight. It's awesome.. to pull up behind a car and see tires that big, it's too cool. it doesn't blend in whatsoever. every time i see a Z06 i get a boner because I know it's one of the fastest cars in the world.
brent 4:18PM (7/18/2008)
Obviously a troll-ish comment. Calling the Corvette bland-looking is just like calling the GT-R good-looking. Both statements reveal the communicator's utter lack of sense for aesthetics.
wagonphile 2:24PM (7/18/2008)
Styling is always a matter of opinion. True, the Vette has evolutionary styling, as does the 911. The 911 has always looked pretty much the same (good), at least at first glance. All modern Vettes draw too much from the 1968 model, which is the point in this car's history when the design becomes invisible to me. 1967 is the last year they get my attention-- after that, blah. No denying the Vette's performance, I just wish it were nicer to look at.
garlinski 2:19PM (7/18/2008)
Good GOD! That's awesome!
Reply
wagonphile 4:18PM (7/18/2008)
I concede big tires and stellar performance. I was specifically addressing styling, as in sheetmetal, glass, and arrangement of the other components to create an overall visual impression. Yes, the Vette is awesome in terms of performance, but the shape is pretty boring. Not even when they adopted Viper styling elements a few years ago did it become something striking. I understand GM's need to evolve rather than revolutionize the car's styling, but there are econocars that involved more creativity in their design. And the interior? Ugh.
Couple the snooze styling with the greyhair connotation (the owner age demographic has to be 50+ based on empirical observation) and this is a model that won't win me over even with such excellent performance. Maybe in 30 years I'll be interested.