Aug 25, 2008 3:35:32 PM
- JoeRockhead
- Rennteam VIP
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- Loc: Topside , Monaco
- Posts: 8033, Gallery
- Registered on: Sep 17, 2007
ZR-1 Vette article.
Aug 23, 2008
MILFORD, Mich.-There are many measurements of how fast a fast car is.
Increasingly, a popular measure is the lap time on the fabled Nordschleife circuit at Germany's Nurburgring. After all, the 'Ring measures not merely acceleration and top-end speed, but cornering, braking, aerodynamic efficiency, balance - all the factors that go into making a fast over-the-road car.
And by that standard, there is a new king.
The Corvette ZR1 now holds the production car record at seven minutes, 26 seconds, taking three seconds off the former best time, set by the Nissan GT-R.
That means the new Corvette is also faster than the Porsche Carrera GT, faster than the Ferrari Enzo, faster than - well, any car that can legitimately call itself "production."
Sure, this time will be beaten. But for a domestically produced car, rear-wheel drive, and with a pushrod V8 - isn't it about time Corvette started getting some credit for its amazing achievements?
Primary among the ZR1's go-faster qualities is its remarkable engine. A new Eaton supercharger with four-lobe rotors nestles snugly between the banks of the cylinders of the 6.2-L V8, with the intercooler perched on top.
They even put a transparent window in the hood so you can see it.
True, supercharging may not be the most elegant way to get extra power because you lose considerable quantities of the extra urge just driving the air pump.
And Corvette's pushrod engine looks pretty simple, and surprisingly small when out of the car, compared to the multi-cam, multi-valve variable valve-timing engines of all the competition.
Still, you cannot argue with 638 horsepower and 604 lb.-ft. of torque.
Or with that lap time.
One of the challenges of the new engine is keeping all that explosive power inside the cylinders, and not venting itself along with bits of piston and titanium connecting rod into the atmosphere - very environmentally unfriendly, that.
New four-layer cylinder head gaskets are designed to handle a 25 per cent greater clamping load than the Z06's, to help deliver a 10-year daily driver schedule. This is not an exotic race-track-only powerplant.
The power is fed through a new dual-disc clutch into a strengthened six-speed manual transmission, mounted in the rear axle.
All driveline components have been appropriately beefed up.
The ZR1 isn't just about brute force, though.
While the added engine bits, not to mention bigger wheels and tires, add considerable mass to the car, it is partially compensated for by the lighter-weight, mostly aluminum structure and chassis, shared with the Z06, previously the top-of-the-performance-line Corvette.
The hood, front fenders, front splitter and roof bow are carbon fibre, for greater strength with less weight.
The aluminum suspension, again Z06-based, also helps here.
So-called "wet weight," including all fluids and ready to roll, comes in at a stunningly low 1,430 kg, just 67 kg more than the Z06. This also gives the ZR1 a higher power-to-weight ratio than the Porsche 911 GT2, Ferrari 599 or Lamborghini LP640.
Hence, that lap time again.
While visually the car is still clearly a Corvette, most exterior body panels have been redesigned or modified for improved aerodynamic performance.
Braking is taken care of by massive ceramic composite brake rotors, with six-piston front and four-piston rear callipers, specifically designed and manufactured by Italian race-brake manufacturer Brembo, and painted a unique "calico'' blue, which is mimicked in the badging.
The tires are also unique to the ZR1, at least for now: P285/30ZR19 front and P335/25ZR20 rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP run-flats.
GM's MagnaRide suspension, wherein magnetic particles in the shock absorber fluid can be aligned instantly based on road inputs to stiffen or soften their damping force, is standard, and calibrated uniquely for the ZR1.
A variable-ratio (in addition to variable effort) power steering system, with changes to the tooth gap on the rack is also new.
Inside, exclusive ZR1 badging and a new instrument cluster incorporating a supercharger boost gauge are the highlights.
Two levels of trim are available. The base set-up is like the Z06, with purist, lightweight seats and a minimum of mod cons.
A luxury package adds power-adjustable seats, a complete leather-trimmed interior done by the same outfit that does the Maybach limousines, satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and a boatload of other goodies.
Where else would you want to evaluate a car like this but at a track? Okay, sadly, not the Nurburgring (memo to GM: my passport is up-to-date) but the engineering development test track at GM's Milford Proving Grounds.
One lap at a time, no full-bore blasts down the front straight, in deference to the value of these early production cars.
So, gently out on the first lap, engage the amazingly light clutch, engage first, release clutch and apply throttle.
OH MY DEAR GOD.
First, the noise this thing makes as it hits about 3300 r.p.m. and the blower kicks in is stunning. I think I used the "bowels of hell'' metaphor for the McLaren SLR Roadster a few months ago, but this is truly gut-wrenching.
So is the acceleration.
The red line on the ZR1 is 6500 r.p.m., a few hundred revs below the Z06. But the torque is so prodigious you barely need half that to get blistering performance.
This is a tight, technical track, with only a couple of places where you can really open it up. You touch fourth gear only briefly; it is mostly second and third.
They had also coned off some sections to keep our speeds semi-reasonable. I'm not sure because I was rather holding on, but I was well over 140 m.p.h. (in American-spec cars, which is 225 km/h) in several spots.
When it came time to slow down, no worries. Those big Brembos are like running into a huge mattress.
And if these Michelin tires have a cornering limit, I wasn't brave enough to find it because I could barely summon up the courage to even make them squeal a little.
Besides, one overly adventurous journo in the second wave had been unceremoniously sent home when he put four wheels onto the grass. I didn't want to be the second.
All in all, an outstanding package.
But, and Corvette product manager Harlan Charles was quite adamant about this, the ZR1 is not just a track monster. It is intended to be a sophisticated road car, as at home on a long-distance tour as on a weekend at Mosport.
It's true. The ride quality is not an issue. The engine idles without lumpiness or complaint. Okay, you might not want to drive it in a blizzard, but this is a daily driver indeed.
A U.S. EPA highway fuel consumption rating of 20 m.p.g. (11.76 L/100 km) won't win you a Greenie award, but again, compared to anything remotely similar in performance, this thing is a Prius.
Charles also would like to see reviews of the ZR1 once and for all eliminate the "for the price'' qualifier that has adorned just about every Corvette review in history. He believes this car withstands full-frontal comparison with anything out there.
And again, that Nurburgring lap time backs him up.
That said, the Canadian price of the ZR1 is $125,195, about a half, a third or a quarter of the ticket for anything in its league.
Now, that is some 10K more than our U.S. friends pay, but hey, even bridge tolls cost more in U.S. funds now than in Canadian these days.
Corvette is still struggling to gain respect among certain circles of car enthusiasts. One thing is sure, especially with the ZR1, it ain't no Plastic Pig any more.
MILFORD, Mich.-There are many measurements of how fast a fast car is.
Increasingly, a popular measure is the lap time on the fabled Nordschleife circuit at Germany's Nurburgring. After all, the 'Ring measures not merely acceleration and top-end speed, but cornering, braking, aerodynamic efficiency, balance - all the factors that go into making a fast over-the-road car.
And by that standard, there is a new king.
The Corvette ZR1 now holds the production car record at seven minutes, 26 seconds, taking three seconds off the former best time, set by the Nissan GT-R.
That means the new Corvette is also faster than the Porsche Carrera GT, faster than the Ferrari Enzo, faster than - well, any car that can legitimately call itself "production."
Sure, this time will be beaten. But for a domestically produced car, rear-wheel drive, and with a pushrod V8 - isn't it about time Corvette started getting some credit for its amazing achievements?
Primary among the ZR1's go-faster qualities is its remarkable engine. A new Eaton supercharger with four-lobe rotors nestles snugly between the banks of the cylinders of the 6.2-L V8, with the intercooler perched on top.
They even put a transparent window in the hood so you can see it.
True, supercharging may not be the most elegant way to get extra power because you lose considerable quantities of the extra urge just driving the air pump.
And Corvette's pushrod engine looks pretty simple, and surprisingly small when out of the car, compared to the multi-cam, multi-valve variable valve-timing engines of all the competition.
Still, you cannot argue with 638 horsepower and 604 lb.-ft. of torque.
Or with that lap time.
One of the challenges of the new engine is keeping all that explosive power inside the cylinders, and not venting itself along with bits of piston and titanium connecting rod into the atmosphere - very environmentally unfriendly, that.
New four-layer cylinder head gaskets are designed to handle a 25 per cent greater clamping load than the Z06's, to help deliver a 10-year daily driver schedule. This is not an exotic race-track-only powerplant.
The power is fed through a new dual-disc clutch into a strengthened six-speed manual transmission, mounted in the rear axle.
All driveline components have been appropriately beefed up.
The ZR1 isn't just about brute force, though.
While the added engine bits, not to mention bigger wheels and tires, add considerable mass to the car, it is partially compensated for by the lighter-weight, mostly aluminum structure and chassis, shared with the Z06, previously the top-of-the-performance-line Corvette.
The hood, front fenders, front splitter and roof bow are carbon fibre, for greater strength with less weight.
The aluminum suspension, again Z06-based, also helps here.
So-called "wet weight," including all fluids and ready to roll, comes in at a stunningly low 1,430 kg, just 67 kg more than the Z06. This also gives the ZR1 a higher power-to-weight ratio than the Porsche 911 GT2, Ferrari 599 or Lamborghini LP640.
Hence, that lap time again.
While visually the car is still clearly a Corvette, most exterior body panels have been redesigned or modified for improved aerodynamic performance.
Braking is taken care of by massive ceramic composite brake rotors, with six-piston front and four-piston rear callipers, specifically designed and manufactured by Italian race-brake manufacturer Brembo, and painted a unique "calico'' blue, which is mimicked in the badging.
The tires are also unique to the ZR1, at least for now: P285/30ZR19 front and P335/25ZR20 rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 ZP run-flats.
GM's MagnaRide suspension, wherein magnetic particles in the shock absorber fluid can be aligned instantly based on road inputs to stiffen or soften their damping force, is standard, and calibrated uniquely for the ZR1.
A variable-ratio (in addition to variable effort) power steering system, with changes to the tooth gap on the rack is also new.
Inside, exclusive ZR1 badging and a new instrument cluster incorporating a supercharger boost gauge are the highlights.
Two levels of trim are available. The base set-up is like the Z06, with purist, lightweight seats and a minimum of mod cons.
A luxury package adds power-adjustable seats, a complete leather-trimmed interior done by the same outfit that does the Maybach limousines, satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and a boatload of other goodies.
Where else would you want to evaluate a car like this but at a track? Okay, sadly, not the Nurburgring (memo to GM: my passport is up-to-date) but the engineering development test track at GM's Milford Proving Grounds.
One lap at a time, no full-bore blasts down the front straight, in deference to the value of these early production cars.
So, gently out on the first lap, engage the amazingly light clutch, engage first, release clutch and apply throttle.
OH MY DEAR GOD.
First, the noise this thing makes as it hits about 3300 r.p.m. and the blower kicks in is stunning. I think I used the "bowels of hell'' metaphor for the McLaren SLR Roadster a few months ago, but this is truly gut-wrenching.
So is the acceleration.
The red line on the ZR1 is 6500 r.p.m., a few hundred revs below the Z06. But the torque is so prodigious you barely need half that to get blistering performance.
This is a tight, technical track, with only a couple of places where you can really open it up. You touch fourth gear only briefly; it is mostly second and third.
They had also coned off some sections to keep our speeds semi-reasonable. I'm not sure because I was rather holding on, but I was well over 140 m.p.h. (in American-spec cars, which is 225 km/h) in several spots.
When it came time to slow down, no worries. Those big Brembos are like running into a huge mattress.
And if these Michelin tires have a cornering limit, I wasn't brave enough to find it because I could barely summon up the courage to even make them squeal a little.
Besides, one overly adventurous journo in the second wave had been unceremoniously sent home when he put four wheels onto the grass. I didn't want to be the second.
All in all, an outstanding package.
But, and Corvette product manager Harlan Charles was quite adamant about this, the ZR1 is not just a track monster. It is intended to be a sophisticated road car, as at home on a long-distance tour as on a weekend at Mosport.
It's true. The ride quality is not an issue. The engine idles without lumpiness or complaint. Okay, you might not want to drive it in a blizzard, but this is a daily driver indeed.
A U.S. EPA highway fuel consumption rating of 20 m.p.g. (11.76 L/100 km) won't win you a Greenie award, but again, compared to anything remotely similar in performance, this thing is a Prius.
Charles also would like to see reviews of the ZR1 once and for all eliminate the "for the price'' qualifier that has adorned just about every Corvette review in history. He believes this car withstands full-frontal comparison with anything out there.
And again, that Nurburgring lap time backs him up.
That said, the Canadian price of the ZR1 is $125,195, about a half, a third or a quarter of the ticket for anything in its league.
Now, that is some 10K more than our U.S. friends pay, but hey, even bridge tolls cost more in U.S. funds now than in Canadian these days.
Corvette is still struggling to gain respect among certain circles of car enthusiasts. One thing is sure, especially with the ZR1, it ain't no Plastic Pig any more.
