Filed under: Supercars, Chevrolet, First Drive
Autoblog drives the 2009 Corvette ZR1! (but we can't talk about it yet)
by Sam Abuelsamid on Aug 13th 2008 at 8:29PM 
Click above for high-res gallery of our ride in the Corvette ZR1
Chevrolet officially kicked off series production of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 at its Bowling Green KY assembly plant this week and decided to celebrate by inviting the media out to drive the new "King of the Hill". Since there are still several more waves of writers scheduled to drive the cars over the next week, we can't tell you what we thought of how it drives just yet. We can, however, share some photos of the cars we drove today around the Lutz-ring at General Motors' Milford Proving Ground. Stay tuned next Wednesday, August 20 for our full evaluation. In the meantime, enjoy the gallery and refresh your memory with our intro to the ZR1 from earlier this year.
Related:
- Detroit 2008: The King is back atop the hill - 2009 Corvette ZR1
- Detroit 2008: The Heart of the King, the LS9 is born!
Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Corvette ZR1
Photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
_opt_thumbnail.jpg)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MemphisNET 8:34PM (8/13/2008)
You can't talk about it!?! All we want is a 'yay' or 'nay'!!
Reply
Eric Bandholz 8:44PM (8/13/2008)
Wow, talk about teases.
Reply
eb110americana 8:47PM (8/13/2008)
So did you guys do this? Nah, probably a non-automotive journalist:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2009-corvette-zr1/975051/full/
Save the ZR1s!
Reply
Franz 8:50PM (8/13/2008)
That's so criminal. It's supposed to eat other cars and tarmac for breakfast, not grass. Shame on you... whoever was driving.
Yar 9:11PM (8/13/2008)
That picture is a little misleading. In fact, that ZR1 just ate a green Murcielago.
Sam Abuelsamid 9:14PM (8/13/2008)
I can only say that that was neither Chris Shunk nor myself. Out of respect for the man at wheel I will not identify him.
ZeGerman 8:50PM (8/13/2008)
Who wiped out in the black one? Check out the grass and peculiar absence of front splitter in one of those photos. Must have been those chumps at MT. Nice.
Reply
Wally 8:54PM (8/13/2008)
oh come on!!!
Reply
Torrent 8:55PM (8/13/2008)
I just want to say: I don't know why people bitch about the Interior for the Corvette. Did you pay 72K for a decent interior, or 72K for a 505 horsepower rocket? Same could be said for the ZR-1.
BTW it looks best in black. Can't wait for the full article.
(I was reading Motor Trend, and I read that the Paint they use for the carbon fiber roof to protect it from UV rays is 60,000 dollars a gallon. Yikes!)
Reply
why not the LS2LS7? 8:56PM (8/13/2008)
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2009-corvette-zr1/975017/
Is that a C4 ZR-11?
Reply
StickShift 9:20PM (8/13/2008)
Certainly looks like it. I'll take one of them too.
Sam Abuelsamid 9:22PM (8/13/2008)
Yeah they brought five C4s from the heritage center including one of the active suspension cars and the DR-1
montoym 11:00PM (8/13/2008)
Indeed it is, the CHMSL gives it away for me. I think the wheels are unique too, but I wasn't too into the different wheel styles on the C4.
Aetius 9:15PM (8/13/2008)
There is something so amazing and timeless about the Corvette design.
Reply
MajorGeek 9:25PM (8/13/2008)
Thats ok, we all know its bad ass and fast, we have seen the videos and time trials numerous times. The majority of us cant afford the sticker, most of whats left of us are not going to pay the ridiculous markup from there. IMHO, they should have made more of them, but considering similar production numbers, like the Viper, its a high number.
Reply
Hank Fidel 11:48PM (8/13/2008)
Cock tease!
Reply
YO MAMA 12:09AM (8/14/2008)
You guys have such a cool job. Hate you...
...where do I send my resume?
Reply
Benfolio 1:30AM (8/14/2008)
Great. $100,000 and it's got a Timex LCD display for the HVAC controls.
Reply
DriveCritic 6:09AM (8/14/2008)
Really looking forward to the review -- bring on next Wednesday!
----
This post has been listed on http://www.DriveCritic.com/
Reply
catgirlshyla 6:58AM (8/14/2008)
I'll break the embargo:
Stiggy came by and shooed us off because it was his turn as the representive for Top Gear Magazine, but not before he tried to sucker-punch one of the guys because he looked like an Eagle Scout, and as you know, Stig is afraid of Boy Scouts.
Reply