If you thought any previous-generation Corvette ZR1 was highly anticipated, then take a look at your local Corvette forum and read up on the C8. The C8 Chevrolet Corvette, in all of its wonderous hype and glory, ended up being a very good car... but not necessarily special. And when you release a new mid-engined version of America's sports car, it had better look and feel like nothing else.
Unfortunately, the base C8 didn't quite grow on any of the journalists that much. Not to say that the car doesn't drive well; it does, but the X-factor is missing and it's a good thing that they aren't stopping refining the chassis because, presumably, in the coming fall and winter months, the new ZR1 version of the freak-show Corvette is coming to a showroom near you. Could this be the beginning of an outstanding Corvette generation, or just another failed attempt to compete with the Italians?
Well, if Chevy wants the former, then here are a few things they have to do to capture the hearts of its fanbase.
Being A Good Fit For The Road
The previous C7 generation ZR1 was a modern marvel of horsepower, but also the number of pants it soiled. With 750 hp, the ZR1 was hard to handle and it really showed in the canyons. The thing would step out under slight throttle and it was a harsh road car to spend time in.
If Chevy can find a way to make their mid-engine platform more suitable on the road, it would benefit the entire brand. And truthfully, they're already halfway there. The C8's interior is, admittedly, very good looking and very comfortable, which isn't always the case in high-performance vehicles. If they sort out the rest of the daily drivability equation, the ZR1 would thrive.
Engine Music
An engine can be great but sound boring at the same time, and Chevy usually doesn't have any problems in the V8 sound department, so our hopes are high for this one. Three of the four new high performance trims for the C8 are confirmed as having Chevy's new 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8, and if "flat-plane crank" sounds unfamiliar to you, here's a quick music lesson.
The term falt-plain crank refers to the engine crankshaft and how it looks. A traditional cross-plane crank has the main bearing journals and counterweights in a perpendicular layout, while the flat-plane crank has them parallel to each other, changing both the way the engine responds and how it sounds.
Flat-plane cranks are most famous for being in Ferraris, which gives their engines that high pitched, fast-revving scream. Now, Chevy is tapping in on the technology and using it on the new 5.5-liter V8 unit that will find its way into the coming C8 Corvettes.
Hopefully what this means is that the ZR1 (along with the Zo6 and Zora) will have a crisp supercar shriek to complement its wild physique, and considering the relatively small (for Chevy) displacement on the new engine, it should like more revs by nature.
Natural Aspiration
We would love to see a naturally aspirated ZR1 at Chevy's inevitable launch. Now that the Corvette is playing in the supercar sandbox, it is pertinent that we remember the rest of the competitive segment. And if we get into natural aspiration, the list is dwindling.
The last 15 years have seen a huge decrease in great naturally aspirated cars and the only current naturally aspirated supercars on the market are the Lamborghini Huracan, Lamborghini Aventador, Audi R8 V10, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and maybe the Ferrari 812 Superfast if you consider it to be a supercar and not a sports car. So, if the ZR1 continued in its current Stingray version' footsteps, it would be in a small party with some of the greatest and most wonderful driving machines on Earth.
But it is already confirmed that the C8 ZR1 will feature a couple of turbos and electric motors that will enrage the motor all the way up to 900-ish horsepower. And although we say "yea" to 900 horses, we say "nay" to the twin-turbo path. Missed opportunity.
Dominance
America has never had much to offer in the supercar universe let alone competitive ones either. If we subtract the Ford GT that comes around every 10-50 years or so and the discontinued Dodge Viper that now lies in the Auburn Hills, MI graveyard, we get nothing but our little red Corvette, America's lone survivor against the dynasty of Italy and occasionally Germany.
All we want is the Corvette to bring some supercar justice to the rest of the competition and set a new standard for American high-performance cars. It is truly easier said than done, but Chevy has proven to be one of America's most capable and versatile car brands. They can tune a Camaro chassis to be the best in the world, they can make a comfortable Tahoe and sell them by the millions, and they can build some of the best sounding engines ever produced (C7 Z06, take a listen).
Here's to an entertaining competition to come.