It’s been eight years since we were treated to the first glimpses of the mack daddy ZR-1 variant of the Corvette, but the wait is over. According to Autoblog earlier today (Nov 8, 2017) it looks like someone at Car and Driver let the cat out of the bag a little early and dropped the magazine cover for December 2017. Smack dab on the cover is the long-awaited 2018 ZR1 Corvette in all its carbon fiber aero glory. Check out a photo of the ZR1 below as well as an excerpt from the full article published by Corvette Forums.
Underneath the hood of this Corvette is a bespoke variant of the Z06’s engine dubbed the LT5. Strapped onto its intake manifold is a larger Eaton Supercharger that pushes the LT5 to an unofficial 750 HP and 680 lb-ft. Its C6 ZR1 beating brother, the C7 Z06, makes 650 HP and 650 lb-ft with a smaller supercharger strapped to its LT4. Suffice to say, this ZR1 has the right amount of power to lay claim as king of the Corvette lineup.
Thanks to a larger supercharger (and that exposed engine cover) Chevrolet decided to not sell this ZR1 in Europe due to much more stringent crash regulations. And because they’re not selling in Europe, they’ve tuned the exhaust to get as much gasses and sound out as possible. In short, it’s loud like we want it.
Chevrolet reckons this ZR1 will dip below three seconds to 60 MPH and will hit speeds in excess of 210 MPH.
The biggest challenge with the Z06 was the lack of proper cooling. Numerous threads and complaints came into Chevrolet that their heat exchangers just weren’t cutting it. Cooling shouldn’t be a problem in the ZR1. 140 pounds of additional weight comes from four new heat exchangers. Each outboard nostril sports a new radiator and intercooler. The intercoolers are twice the size as in the Z06. Expect Z06 owners to upgrade to these ones.
Then there’s the bonkers aero. Everything has been wind tested and engineered to be completely functional, especially that rear wing. Compared to the Z06, this ZR1 looks absolutely ferocious, and we love it.
Coincidentally, Corvette dropped a teaser video of the ZR1 with an official debut date. The ZR1 will drop December 11, 2017 in Dubai.
