2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1: Power. Aero. Farewell.

Timothy Clary, Staff Writer

 

What makes a muscle car? You ask anybody, and I assure you that the their answer will be that it is a high horse powered, overweight, and American-made block of metal.

April 12th, 2017, the entire automotive world had just witnessed something so powerful, so fast, so crazy, something so fierce that you could call it demonic. This beast was none other than the 2018 Dodge Challenger demon. This wasn’t your ordinary Detroit built powerhouse, either; no, this was a record breaker so astonishing that it broke necks all around the world. Dodge had not only taken a car made strictly for the drag strip and made it street legal; they also summoned up an engine capable of producing eight hundred and forty horse power and dropped it into the engine bay of this beast. This was no ordinary Hemi engine, either; this is a 6.2 liter, supercharged Hemi capable of pulling all 4,250 pounds of Dodge’s new “King of the Throne” across the quarter mile at a remarkable 9.65 seconds. No other car coming out of the U.S. can compete, right; I mean it would take a beast to take the Demon’s throne.

Fast-forward to November 15, 2017, the Dubai International Motor Show. After months of talk and spy videos, Chevy is ready to show the world what may possibly be the greatest supercar since Chevy’s release of the ZR1 back in 2009. With 117 HP and 111 pound feet of torque more than the last ZR1, Chevy’s new ‘Vette is a “Track King.” The world hasn’t seen a new ZR1 in 10 ten years, and it was worth the wait. The new ZR1 will feature a more Carbon Fiber than the C7 Z06, including a full Carbon-Fiber roof and engine cover, bigger supercharger, two different wing choices, and many more upgrades over the past Z06 and ZR1. While Chevy has yet to release any specs such as 0-60mph times, quarter mile times, and the lap times that the ZR1 achieved on the Nurburghin while it was being tested, Corvette fans and haters can assume that records while be smashed. The last ZR1 produced better lap times than its competition, the Nissan GTR and the Porsche 911 Turbo; the new ZR1 has similar opponents including the Acura NSX and the Porsche Cayman GT4. Much evolution has occurred in the automotive world since the last ZR1 battled it out for his spot on the throne, and the newest ZR1 will have to do much more than just adapt in order to survive; and until the men and women at Chevrolet’s performance department allows for a review of the ZR1; we won’t know if the Zr1 has adapted or if the King has lost his place on top of the food chain.

Sadly, this will be the last new model for the C7 generation of Corvettes, and I have to say, I’m more than proud to have been able to watch the beginning and end of this generation. To me, cars are more than objects; they are living and breathing creatures that are capable of bringing joy to me in ways that I cannot explain. With Chevy releasing the new C8 generation in the spring of 2018, I am both sad and grateful to say this has been one of the best evolutions since the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and I can’t wait to watch and see what Chevy does to the C8 generation. In 50 years, when someone asks me what was one of my favorite cars that I had the chance to witness while growing up, I won’t hesitate to say “How ‘bout them.” Therefore, with much love and respect, I am proudly accepting the new ZR1, and I am happily giving a much-deserved burnout to the C7 generation.