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Written by Rowan Horncastle
It"s been an eight-year wait, but the Corvette ZR1 is back. With a vengeance, it seems, as GM has turned all the dials up to eleven to produce the fastest and most powerful Vette ever. Under the bonnet is a new supercharged 6.2-litre LT5" pushrod V8 engine good for 755bhp and 715 lb ft of torque. Yes, you read that correctly. Seven hundred and fifty-five horsepower.All that extra oomph from the ZR1"s new, dry-sumped pushrod V8 is largely thanks to a 52 per cent larger supercharger, the largest throttle bodies (95mm) ever fitted, as well as an upgraded crankshaft and a dual-injection system (direct injection as well as supplemental port injection) that"ll mean the ZR1 will spit flames like Spyro the Dragon. ZR1 enthusiasts might recall the previous generation C6 ZR1 had a transparent bonnet to expose the engine in all its glory. That"s been shelved for this one, but it doesn"t mean the engine still isn"t on display. If you look closely at the chunky carbon strip down the centreline of the bonnet, you"ll see a dividing line. That"s because the half nearest the windscreen is actually the engine"s carbon fibre intercooler cover, meaning the block is breaching the bodywork and poking its head out in the open to try and say hello. It"s better than that, because when you start the beast up, it"ll visually kick and shudder on its engine mounts outside the bodywork. As you can see, the carbon weave has been given Pagani-like perfection so it matches seamlessly with the two cooling vents ahead of it. How un-American. Talking of cooling, it"s been well documented that the C7 was plagued with issues in this area. So, the ZR1 has a much more efficient intercooler system with more extracting vents. But, to go full-on boots and braces, there"s four new radiators onboard, bringing the total number to 13 three more than a Bugatti Chiron. You have a choice as to how you want all that power to be sent to the 335 section rear wheels via an e-diff; either a seven-speed manual with rev-match, or an eight-speed auto". Why not the incredibly clever 10-cogger from the Camaro ZL1? Well, it doesn"t fit. We"d recommend the manual regardless.Lets talk aero. The ZR1 is available with two wing options; either a standard wing for a top speed in excess of 210mph, or high" wing if you want the rear end to stick to the track like a sauteed Tangfastic. Thankfully, both come with two-piece carbon ceramic brakes, with six-piston aluminium calipers to bring it to a stop.
Date written: 13 Nov 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 9923
It"s been an eight-year wait, but the Corvette ZR1 is back. With a vengeance, it seems, as GM has turned all the dials up to eleven to produce the fastest and most powerful Vette ever. Under the bonnet is a new supercharged 6.2-litre LT5" pushrod V8 engine good for 755bhp and 715 lb ft of torque. Yes, you read that correctly. Seven hundred and fifty-five horsepower.All that extra oomph from the ZR1"s new, dry-sumped pushrod V8 is largely thanks to a 52 per cent larger supercharger, the largest throttle bodies (95mm) ever fitted, as well as an upgraded crankshaft and a dual-injection system (direct injection as well as supplemental port injection) that"ll mean the ZR1 will spit flames like Spyro the Dragon. ZR1 enthusiasts might recall the previous generation C6 ZR1 had a transparent bonnet to expose the engine in all its glory. That"s been shelved for this one, but it doesn"t mean the engine still isn"t on display. If you look closely at the chunky carbon strip down the centreline of the bonnet, you"ll see a dividing line. That"s because the half nearest the windscreen is actually the engine"s carbon fibre intercooler cover, meaning the block is breaching the bodywork and poking its head out in the open to try and say hello. It"s better than that, because when you start the beast up, it"ll visually kick and shudder on its engine mounts outside the bodywork. As you can see, the carbon weave has been given Pagani-like perfection so it matches seamlessly with the two cooling vents ahead of it. How un-American. Talking of cooling, it"s been well documented that the C7 was plagued with issues in this area. So, the ZR1 has a much more efficient intercooler system with more extracting vents. But, to go full-on boots and braces, there"s four new radiators onboard, bringing the total number to 13 three more than a Bugatti Chiron. You have a choice as to how you want all that power to be sent to the 335 section rear wheels via an e-diff; either a seven-speed manual with rev-match, or an eight-speed auto". Why not the incredibly clever 10-cogger from the Camaro ZL1? Well, it doesn"t fit. We"d recommend the manual regardless.Lets talk aero. The ZR1 is available with two wing options; either a standard wing for a top speed in excess of 210mph, or high" wing if you want the rear end to stick to the track like a sauteed Tangfastic. Thankfully, both come with two-piece carbon ceramic brakes, with six-piston aluminium calipers to bring it to a stop.
Date written: 13 Nov 2017
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 9923
