The supercar industry can be interesting at times. Unlike most of the automotive industry, at times there is no distinction being luxury and non-luxury competition. Granted, the non-luxury competitors are typically very luxurious in comparison to other vehicles in the brand’s lineup. This is where the Chevrolet Corvette fits in. It stands out far beyond other models in the General Motors lineup like the Malibu or Spark. But how does it compare to long time super car stars of past and present?
The C7 Corvette ZR1 does quite a bit to demonstrate that it belongs to be up there with the best of them. These rivals include but are not limited to the Porsche 911, Dodge Viper ACR, Mercedes Benz AMG GT, and the Acura NSX. All these vehicles vying for time in the spotlight make the journey for the ZR1 Corvette even more of an uphill battle. Still there are a lot of redeeming qualities that help give the C7 Corvette ZR1 a fighting chance in this cutthroat segment.
Here’s where this Corvette stands among its competitors.
The ZR1 Is A Powerful Ride
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The ZR1 is the most potent and powerful in all of the C7 generation of Corvettes. Even with the C8 generation of Corvettes there is yet to be a jaw-dropping hardcore performance ZR1 trim announced. The C7 ZR1 has its supercharged V8 churns out an impressive 755-hp and 715 lb-ft of torque.
This is a significant upgrade over more common iterations of the C7 like the Stingray which only produces 455-hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The ZR1 does a better job positioning itself as a vehicle that is a true super car. In comparison to the competition, the Acura NSX’s hybrid V6 powertrain produces 600-hp and 493 lb-ft of torque.
They ZR1 trim on the C7 Corvette also means that the engine is not the only upgrade that it gets. There is some very expressive aero that come along with it. When brand new, you had the choice between a standard rear Low Wing and which helps with obtaining a top speed and an adjustable High Wing that helps with better lap times on the track.
This is in comparison to other vehicles in the segment that come with aggressive aero like the Dodge Viper ACR. The Viper does outperform the ZR1 with how seriously it takes on the track. The massive wing on the back of the ACR provides a half ton of downforce to keep you going on the track. The ZR1 can’t quite keep up with that but also some are not a fan of gigantic wings.
To maximize power by saving weight the ZR1 utilizes certain carbon fiber pieces. The clamshell hood is fully carbon fiber and has a cutout in the top to accommodate the extra space that the inter cooler and super charger take up. This is relatively common to do given how beneficial carbon fiber can be. The Porsche 911 can come optioned with braided carbon fiber wheels to save on weight and thus increase power.
Overall Value Of The Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1
The C7 ZR1 does well at giving different options for those who are looking to get different things out of their supercar. This Corvette comes in both coupe and convertible styles – both of which are still extremely powerful. Other than the 911 where you can customize it to your heart’s content, But the Corvette still does well at giving you plenty of options of how you can customize your super car. There are packages that can be optioned for special colors as well. The “Sebring Orange Design Package” gives the C7 ZR1 a striking orange exterior paint as well as bright orange accents throughout the car.
Some rivals do not have as much customization options as the Corvette ZR1 – especially at this price. As noted before, The 911 gives a lot of options but also at a very hefty price. Other competitors like the Nissan GTR don’t give as many options in terms of colors and body styles.
The C7 Corvette ZR1 provides a strong case in price. The MSRP started at just below $122,000 and goes up to about $130,000. Granted this still is not cheap necessarily but in comparison to other luxury rivals, the ZR1 is cheaper by about $40,000 when you have other competitors like the Mercedes Benz AMG GT go for $167,000.
Although there is a temporary hiatus for a brand new ZR1 Corvette, the C7 iteration still stands out in a crowded market. It proposes a good mix of stellar performance with the look s to go with it while still being priced at the low end of the segment. We can only imagine how much more insane (and fun) the C8 ZR1 is when it is eventually unveiled. Thankfully till then the C7 ZR1 holds its ground quite well.