Some coachbuilt custom supercars are all show. But the owner of a Bertone Mantide is eager to prove that his has got the go to back up his show. Dan Watkins, the British gentleman-racer who bought the first Mantide, is so eager, in fact, that he's pondering personally financing a run at the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1's Nürburgring lap record. And there's every reason to believe his car could reach that goal.

At 7 minutes, 26.4 seconds, the 2009 ZR1 holds the current lap record for a stock, street-legal, series production automobiles (excluding such track-focused machinery as the Viper ACR and Radical SR8). Nissan has its eyes on the ZR1 and is closing in fast, but as delicate and fragile as it may look, the Mantide arguably stands the best chance of besting the supercharged Vette's time – mostly because it's based on the ZR1. Only it's 80kg (176 pounds) lighter and 30% more aerodynamic, thanks to the improvements made to the body by Jason Castriota and his team at Stile Bertone.

To test the theory, Watkins is mulling renting out the 'Ring for three days, hiring an expert Nordschleife driver, and of course, donating the use of his $2 million supercar. All in pursuit of the ultimate bragging rights. If it happens, well, be watching.



[Source: PistonHeads]

Hennessey Performance Engineering makes the point that track-oriented Porsche owners can opt up from a normal 911 to a GT3 RS and Viper owners can choose the ACR edition, so what's out there for ZR1 owners who want a more hardcore machine? To answer that question, HPE has introduced the Z700 for 2010.

The exclusive new model features a number of enhancements that go beyond the requisite power increase, which in this case jumps from 638 to 705 dyno-tuned hp. HPE has also put the ZR1 on a diet, shedding pounds by adding lightweight carbon fiber seats and carbon fiber wheels wrapped in a Michilin Pilot Cup Sport tires. The wheels alone scrub off 60 lbs. of rotating weight. Aero enhancements include Hennessey's Z-Aero carbon fiber front splitter, canards and rear spoiler, all of which add 300 lbs. of downforce. Finally, an alcantara steering wheel and shift knob should feel better in the hand when barnstorming the track.

Hennessey plans to prove that the Z700 is a big improvement over the ZR1 by taking direct aim at the standard car's Nürburgring lap time of 7:26. They'll be flying to Germany with a Z700 later this year to take their best shot, but considering that HPE is perhaps the only only tuning company with its very own on-site track, Lonestar Motorsports Park, we expect good results.

Only 24 examples will be produced, and customers who order a Z700 also get a one-day performance driving instruction course at Lonestar Motorsports Park. Total cost for a base Z700 will start at $207,150, which also includes the cost of a donor ZR1. That's nearly a six-figure increase over the base price of a ZR1, so we'll have to wait until it sets some lap times to see if it's worth it.



[Source: Hennessey Performance Engineering]

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has dominated everything in its $100,000 price range, and quite a few supercars that double or triple its MSRP. With just about everything with four wheels subservient to the ZR1, MotorTrend decided to forgo cars and trucks for something with a bit more boost.

MotorTrend's Aurthor St. Antoine thought a more credible contender against the ZR1 would be an F/A-18 Hornet from the Blue Angel squad. So it was Blue Devil vs. Blue Angel, with one vehicle doling out 638 hp and able to hit 60 in 3.3 seconds, and the other capable of mach 1.8 and packing 32,000 pounds of thrust. It doesn't exactly sound like a fair fight, but the race is pretty simple: the first to the one-mile mark wins.

Hit the jump to find out who comes out victorious in the battle of the bow tie vs. Navy fighter jet. If you're not into all the hoopla surrounding the ZR1 and the Blue Angel F/A-18 and you just want to see the race, skip to about eight minutes in. We're pretty sure this race was just an excuse for St. Antoine to get in the cockpit of an F-18, but we can't say we blame him.

General Motors can clearly use all the money it can get, and for the 2010 model year, you'll have to fork over more of it to get behind the wheel of a ZR1. The 2010 638 hp supercar will cost you $109,530; an increase of $2,910 over last year's model. A larger MSRP isn't a good thing, but according to Corvette Blogger, many dealers were already charging $10,000 over sticker for an '09 model, so this could be the General's way of getting a little bigger piece of the action.

For all that dough, you still get the most powerful production Vette of all-time – and a few new items as well. The 2010 model now comes with standard side curtain airbags, launch control and Performance Traction Management System. PTMS, by the way, gives the driver more control over traction settings when in competition mode.

Also new for 2010 is the ability to choose from a far greater array of colors including Torch Red paint, Competition Gray alloys, and a Cashmere toned interior. Hit the jump to pour over the press release.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

Torque is good. More torque is better. And when you have more than 600 lb-ft of the stuff at your disposal with just a tip of your right toe, life is fantastic. Now, if it would just stop raining, things would be perfect. Such is life with the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

As the old saying goes, "Timing is everything", and as General Motors approached its 100th birthday last September, it introduced the two most powerful production cars it had ever created, the Cadillac CTS-V and the ZR1. Unfortunately, just as GM reached the pinnacle of high performance cars, the world economy imploded. The global financial bubble got pierced from multiple sides and sales of cars at every price and performance level vaporized. Fortunately for us, GM is still hanging in there and Chevrolet let us have a few days of quality time with a ZR1 while the opportunity still exists. We went to Hell and back in the ZR1 and lived to tell the tale after the jump.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc

Want to be a hero? Or, do you at least want to drive a heroic car? May we suggest the 1 of 1 Hero Edition 2009 Corvette ZR1 that General Motors has created specifically for the Kids Wish Network. There may not be any changes to the stock ZR1's drivetrain, but that's fine – it certainly didn't need any.

To separate the Hero Edition from the rest of its ZR1 siblings, GM's team of Corvette designers and engineers equipped this particular 'Vette with a bespoke graphics package with red accents in lieu of the normal blue. Other special bits include "additional carbon fiber components," though we're left wondering what those composite pieces may be.

You can't actually go to your nearest Chevy dealership and order the Hero Edition, as it's a prize for the Corvette Dream Giveaway. Joining the 2009 Hero Edition ZR1 will be a fully restored 1967 Corvette in matching Tuxedo Black with red highlights, equipped with the desirable 427 cubic inch Big Block V8 engine with 390 ground-pounding horsepower.

There's only one 2009 Hero Edition in existence, and if you want it, you'll need to order a $3 ticket... or, ya know, a few hundred tickets. There's no limit on how many times a single individual can enter the drawing, and the more tickets you purchase, the better your chances of winning will be. Shelley Breiner, Exective Director for the Kids Wish Network, expects this lone drawing to fund its Hero of the Month program for at least an entire year. So, order away – it's for a good cause. Thanks for the tip, Keith!



[Source: Corvette Blogger]

According to Fritz Henderson, the recently-appointed CEO of General Motors, the future holds exciting things for Chevrolet's iconic sportscar. This news comes despite the admission late last year that development of the next-gen C7 Corvette platform was put on "indefinite hold, with no official or set timetable."

In a bit of good news for Corvette fans, Henderson asserts that the "Corvette pays its rent," meaning that it's a money-making operation for The General. Obviously, the longer the automaker can rely on the current C6 architecture, the more profitable it will likely be.

There's still no indication of when we'll see a new architecture underpinning the Corvette, but Henderson is quick to point out that the current C6 chassis is still an excellent unit to build off and one that's fully competitive with the best sportscars from around the world. Disagree? You've obviously never gotten behind the wheel of the latest ZR1.

[Source: Autoweek]

Perspective is a curious thing. Some look at the Corvette ZR1 and think it's a bargain compared to the exotic European machinery that it's capable of trouncing. Others look at the six-figure price tag and wonder how a Chevy could possibly cost that much. Then comes along Stile Bertone, the restructured coachbuilder now under the creative direction of former Pininfarina designer Jason Castriota, who has re-skinned the ZR1 as the Mantide. As if its radical styling wasn't divisive enough, news of its price tag and production run have now surfaced. One's big, the other small. Guess which one's which. Take your time, we'll wait.

Give up? The Bertone Mantide will sell for $2 million, but with that kind of sticker price it won't sell many: Castriota says they've already received between three and five (let's call it four) firm orders for the exclusive supercar, and they'll produce a maximum of ten examples. Think the Mantide and its exclusivity is worth a nearly 2,000% mark-up over the $103k "stock" ZR1? Express yourself in the comments below, and check out the updated gallery of high-resolution images below if you need help making up your mind.



[Source: NYTimes Wheels]

We figured it was just a matter of time before a cracked-up Corvette ZR1 found its way onto eBay, and thanks to (we're assuming) a ham-fisted driver hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, a slightly marred example of Chevy's hottest Corvette can be yours for the Buy-It-Now price of $97,500.

According to the listing, the Cyber Gray ZR1 sustained damage to the driver's side rear, and while the bumper cover is torn and the left-side lower control arms are bent, we're more concerned with the cracks in the rear tub (see the arrows in this pic). Assuming the structural damage is repairable and the carnage is limited to the replaceable suspension and body bits, the ZR3 Premium Package-equipped ZR1 – with a clear title (?) and only 1,200 miles on the clock – could be Humpty-Dumptied back together for a reasonable sum. But for us, those cracks in the tub mean only one thing: track toy. Strip out the interior, mount a pair of lightweight buckets, a Stack display and a cage, then proceed to the nearest track -- but not before you try to crash (no pun intended) GM's two-day ZR1 driving school first.



[Source: eBay via CorvetteBlogger]

During the annual C5/C6 Bash at the Corvette's Bowling Green Assembly Plant, numerous changes were outlined for the 2010 'Vette line. In addition to the Grand Sport and its scorching performance, the notable changes include, among other things, launch control as standard on all manual transmission models, Performance Traction Management on the ZR1, being able to order any Corvette in any color, and a cashmere interior package available on the Z06 and ZR1.

The event also featured presentations on the Grand Sport's technical aspects and the launch control, both of which you can view videos of after the jump. The launch control is practically brainless: put your Vette in competitive mode, depress the clutch, put the throttle pedal to the floor and it will hold a predetermined RPM depending on your particular engine. Then when you pop the clutch, it will monitor torque at 100 times per second to provide the best traction. All without voiding your warranty. Follow the jump to see the videos.

[Source: Corvette Blogger]