Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of ZR1 on the 'Ring spy shots

Corvette Chief Engineer (and Autoblog commenter) Tadge Juechter said last week that the new ZR1 "will be able to take the production-car track record at any racetrack" and should lap the famed Nurburgring race track in Germany in "seven minutes, twenty-something seconds." Considering Nissan just posted a new official lap time of 7:29 for the GT-R and that the GT-R V-Spec is reportedly clicking off laps in 7:25, them sounds like fightin' words. Well, the ZR1 is officially being flogged around the Ring as we speak, though no one has yet to report a lap time for this gorgeous red prototype that was spotted by KGP photographers. BridgetoGantry.com reports that yesterday there was a helicopter over the track "chasing something that sounded very V8 and awfully supercharged," so perhaps lap times will soon be forthcoming. We imagine the supercharged LS9 V8's 628 horsepower and the ZR1's 205-mph top speed will not disappoint.


[Source: KGP Photography]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1.

Corvette ZR1 chief engineer Tadge Juechter recently sat down to participate in a live chat on GMNext to answer questions about Chevy's new supercar, with topics ranging from fuel-economy to production numbers.

GM hasn't run its fuel economy test yet, but in a previous release from the General, it expects the ZR1 to be the most fuel-efficient 600-hp vehicle on the market. Juechter did say that the ZR1, "will be somewhat less [fuel-efficient] than a Z06," which is currently rated at 15/24 by the EPA, "and we expect a small gas-guzzler tax [on the ZR1]." Production will be limited to 2,000 units each year for worldwide consumption and pricing will be revealed sometime this month.

Juechter went on to say that ZR1 accessories wouldn't be made available for lesser Corvette models, so buyers won't be able to option up for carbon-ceramic brakes or Michelin tires on their Z06s. When asked if engineers considered all-wheel-drive for the ZR1, he emphasized that making the vehicle as lightweight as possible was a top priority and that an AWD system "would have added too much mass." And on the topic of price gouging by dealers, Juechter said only one thing: "We're strongly encouraging dealers to charge MSRP." Good luck on that.


[Source: InsideLine]

The Nissan GT-R's 7:29 lap record won't stand for long if Chevrolet has anything to say about it. Speaking with InsideLine, Corvette Chief Engineer, Tadge Jeuchter, says that the ZR1, "will be able to take the production-car track record at any racetrack," and that although Chevy doesn't have a production version of the uber-Vette at the Nurburgring yet, they're expecting a lap time of "seven minutes, twenty-something seconds." That sounds like smack-talk to us. But while the ZR1 might have the potential to best the GT-R's 'Ring time, the 550-600 hp elephant in the room is the forthcoming GT-R V-Spec, which is already putting down (roughly-timed) laps around the North Loop in the 7:25 realm. Let the battle begin. We're making popcorn now.



[Source: InsideLine]

Click above for more high resolution shots of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

When the Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1 were introduced in Detroit, they both had nice, round horsepower figures that look good in a press release. Last week, GM restated the output of the ZR1, raising it from 620 ponies to 638, which is an increase of about 3%. Cadillac admits that they didn't want to overstate the final horsepower figure for the CTS-V either, so we're likely to see a similar press release from GM's luxury division in the near future. Given the fact that the 550 hp figure for the top CTS was likely a lowball figure, Inside Line used the same 3% understatement from the ZR1 to peg the CTS-V's real horsepower number at 567.

While Inside Line's 567-hp hypothesis was based on the fact that the CTS-V has the same basic engine as the ZR1, 567 is nothing more than a well-placed dart on the horsepower pinwheel. When we talked with GM's Ron Meegan, he pointed out that there were several differences between the two powerplants, including the length of the rotors in the Eaton Supercharger. While adding 3% to 550 sounds logical, there is likely more to it than that. But as is the case when making a guess, they may actually be right, too. Whether the final output is 550 or 567 hp or somewhere in between really doesn't matter, as anything in the 550 range represents an absolutely ludicrous tally that will surely catapult the CTS-V to the stratosphere of sports sedans. We can't wait to take one for a spin.



[Source: Inside Line]

General Motors, Chevrolet and the Corvette team are clearly proud of the power ratings they just announced for the Corvette ZR1. With its LS9 V8 producing 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque, you would expect the most powerful Corvette ever to be the fastest as well. And you'd be right. On its GMNext website, GM has revealed that its taken the ZR1 all the way up to 205 mph at its test track in Papenburg, Germany. And they had a video camera on board to capture the moment. The sense of speed is incredible, and even we got excited when the ZR1 climbed the banked oval and made other vehicles track testing that day look like stationary objects. Keep your eye on the digital speedometer in the bottom center of the video and watch as the ZR1 is still pulling strongly above 180 mph.

We remember a time when the Ferrari F40 and Lamborghini Diablo were battling for the title of World's Fastest Production Car, and the Diablo narrowly beat out the F40 by claiming a top speed of 204 mph. Now we have a Chevy that can go 205 mph. What a wonderful world.



[Source: GMNext]

When Chevrolet officially announced the new Corvette ZR1 just before the Detroit Auto Show this year, it hadn't yet finished the certification of its new power-plant, the supercharged LS9. At that time, all the engineers would tell us was that the supercharged 6.2L V8 would produce a minimum of 100hp/L or 620 hp. Three months have passed since we got our first official look at the LS9 and the numbers are now in. According to GM, the LS9 has now been SAE Certified at 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of twist. The official EPA fuel economy testing hasn't been finished and for people who buy a ZR1 it probably won't matter anyway. Nonetheless, GM expects the LS9 to be the most fuel efficient 600+hp engine in the world, a dubious distinction if ever there was one. A special team of technicians will be hand-building and testing the LS9 at GM's Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich. Check out the articles below for all the details on the ZR1 and LS9.

Related stories:

• Detroit 2008: The King is back atop the hill - 2009 Corvette ZR1
• Detroit 2008: The Heart of the King, the LS9 is born!

[Source: General Motors]

The "International Engine of the Year Award" is a big deal as far as bragging rights go in this industry. Think of it like the Academy Awards for engines. However, instead of members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voting, you have 62 renowned motoring journalists, from 30 countries, casting ballots for their favorite fossil fuel burner.

Last year's winner (pictured above) was BMW's twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6. This year's list of nominees includes Nissan's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 (found in the Nissan GT-R), Mitsubishi' 2.0-liter twin-turbo I4 (Mitsubishi EVO X), Audi's 5.2-liter V10 (Audi S8), Chevrolet's 6.2-liter supercharged V8 (Corvette ZR1), and BMW's 4.0-liter V8 (BMW M3). Let's sit back and listen to the orchestra for a bit... the winners don't get announced until May 7, at Engine Expo 2008, in Stuttgart, Germany.

We weren't really under the impression that the Corvette ZR1 was lacking anything. It's got the whole package - the power, looks, and even a (relatively) decent price tag. Apparently South African designer Idries Noah saw something much more and came up with his incredible design using the ZR1 as a platform. If you recognize the name, it's because Idries also came up with the unofficial Ferrari F250 Concept that we drooled over back in December. His latest design, dubbed the Fireblade, takes inspiration from the Stingray Corvette, Gillet Vertigo, and Shelby Daytona. Like the ZR1, it features the supercharged LS9 V8 displayed for the world to see under the clear portion of the hood. The result is a very attractive combination, and it's a shame that the car exists only in the digital world. Perhaps, like the Vandenbrink 599 GTO, enough people with excessive amounts of discretionary income will be interested in the design enough to consider a production version.

[Source: SeriousWheels.com via WorldCarFans.com]

Click above to view video

As fanboys of any great car will tell you, at some point in your life you have make a pilgrimage to the birthplace of your favorite car. For Corvette fans, that means a trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky, current home of the Vette assembly plant, as well as the National Corvette Museum. One of the cool things about being in the vicinity of an assembly plant like Bowling Green is that you occasionally spot vehicles that aren't generally available yet. Such was the case for one lucky Vette-lover who goes by the handle Blade3562.

After emerging from the museum, Blade spotted a veritable fleet of fresh C6 Corvettes sitting in a Wendys parking lot across the street from the factory. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were all of the ZR1 variety with the drivers apparently fueling up inside in preparation for the journey north to Michigan. Of the eight cars, one was in the particular shade of blue seen in the initial batch of press shots while the rest were split between yellow and red models. We've already seen a number of yellow prototypes from back when this thing was still wearing camouflage, including one that made a brief appearance at last year's Laguna Seca ALMS weekend. The red ZR1s, however, are new to our eyes and the shade works well with the carbon fiber roof. While we sit here twiddling our thumbs, waiting for Chevrolet to call and invite us out for a drive, you can enjoy the video after the jump that Blade3562 assembled from his photos.



[Source: CorvetteBlogger]

The new CAFE regulations might spell the end for big V8s, but future Corvettes will be packing a similar performance punch with a smaller footprint. Automotive News sat down with the Corvette's vehicle line exec, Tom Wallace, to discuss the future of the iconic coupe and he said that a 700 hp 'Vette is off the table. Instead, Chevy is looking to lighten the Corvette's weight and utilize a smaller V8 in order to keep the same power-to-weight ratio of the current generation models. Although Wallace didn't get into details, that didn't stop AN from speculating that the next Corvette could go on a 300 to 400 pound diet and get motivation from a 4.7-liter V8 (making 150 hp less). However, Wallace's own words are more telling, saying that the next 'Vette could be "more fuel efficient [and] even nimbler than it was before.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]