The Corvette ZR1 has some serious speed numbers to back up its fearsome reputation.
Corvettes have always been known as giant killers. Just like their naval namesake, the noble ‘Vette costs sometimes less than half of what more prestigious supercar does but manages to torpedo its delusions of glory by being so much faster at a fraction of the price.
Get it? Just like how naval corvettes can torpedo battleships?
You know what? This metaphor is becoming strained. Let’s just all agree that the Corvette is a giant killer among cars.
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But if the old Corvette was a giant killer, the new 2019 ZR1 is committing giant war crimes.
The ZR1 is the fastest, most powerful Corvette ever built, with a LT5 6.2L supercharged V8 engine producing 755 hp and 715 lb-ft torque. Those are some impressive numbers for any car, but numbers don’t always translate into performance.
We had our first hint that the ZR1 was going to be fast when it beat the Ford GT’s lap time at the Virginia International Raceway earlier this year, becoming the fastest car ever to round that track. But Chevy didn’t release any official speed numbers until very recently.
Thanks to CorvetteBlogger.com, who interviewed Corvette production manager Harlan Charles as 12 Hours of Sebring a few weeks ago, we finally have some hard figures to attach to the ZR1’s performance.
Zero to sixty is accomplished in 2.85 seconds. Zero to 100 mph is done in 6 seconds flat. The quarter mile is gone after 10.6 seconds at 134 mph.
Let’s compare to a few other supercars. McLaren’s 720S can get to sixty in 2.8 seconds and costs $289,000. The Ferrari 812 Superfast can also do it in 2.8 seconds and costs $335,000. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS can do it in 3 seconds and costs $187,500.
The ZR1 starts at $121,000.
Watch out, European supercars. The Corvette ZR1 is coming.