ZR-1 First drive

[thedguy]

Originally Posted by Jalopnik

The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is the best car ever made. It redefines what performance cars are capable of, not by its numbers (the 0-to-60 in 3.3 seconds and a 205 MPH top speed figures are no longer noteworthy north of $100,000), but by how it makes those numbers so accessible. Simply put, the ZR1's most remarkable achievement is how easy and unintimidating the chassis makes exploiting the car's 638 HP. The only problem is I'm not good enough a driver to fully do so.

Halfway through a day's lapping, halfway around the Lutz Ring and full throttle at the top of third gear is bringing me and a red ZR1 into a 180-degree corner way too fast, while the blind crest just before it — taken at maximum power and maximum cornering — has us way off line too. In any other supercar, especially one as hairy as a Viper or as rear-engined as a 911, this would be a serious moment, probably resulting in one of my notorious off-track excursions. But today I can just haul on the brakes all the way through turn-in and up to the apex and then get back on the power — hard. The result: sweaty palms instead of trashed carbon fiber body work.

The first thing you need to do with the ZR1 is throw out any preconceived notions you have about it. Isn't it just a more extreme Z06 with 131 more horsepower or an answer to a question no one asked? No. It's a comprehensively re-engineered vehicle that shares little in feel with either the standard Corvette or the Z06, outperforming both on the track, obviously, but also, surprisingly, on the road. How? A remarkably civilized yet awesomely powerful engine; an easy-to-use gearbox; compliant-yet-capable suspension; and a chassis that simply overachieves at any task you give it.


While based on the standard car's LS3 V8, the ZR1's LS9 makes its power with the aid of a Roots-type supercharger whose intercooler cover is visible through the tacky Lexan hood window. With 638 HP and 604 lb-ft of torque, its speed should come as no surprise, but its character will. Equipped with a dual-mode exhaust, there's little hint of its performance at low speed, the RPMs dipping if you pull away on light throttle. Up to 2,500 RPM (about all you need on the road -- it delivers 320 lb-ft at 1,000 RPM), it feels like something that belongs in a big German luxury car. It's torquey, quiet and, combined with the ZR1's 3,364 lb curb weight, it makes driving effortless.

It's when you begin to climb into higher RPMs at larger throttle openings that the LS9's performance reveals itself in its absurd volume. A second exhaust valve opens, taking the engine note from refined to apocalyptic. The all-consuming sound focuses your attention on nothing but the road in front of you. But it lacks any aural indication of its supercharger. For reasons that escape us, the Corvette engineers went through elaborate steps to eliminate the whine, even doubling the number of teeth on the lobe drive gears to move their sound beyond the human ear's range of perception. Tap into the loud zone and everything in front starts to come at you very fast. 300 HP arrives at just 3,000 RPM before peaking at 6,500, leaving 100 RPM before the redline. The close-ratio gearbox (unique to the ZR1) means shifts come fast, but the wide spread of power and torque means you can leave it in third for pretty much anything above 30 MPH.

Like the engine, that gearbox does little to hint at the ZR1's ultimate performance. A twin-disc clutch leads to easy pedal throw, while a precise gate makes finding gears simple. This isn't a fire-breathing monster, but instead a car anyone could drive competently -- even for long distances (it's comfortable) or at high speeds (its limits are so high that you need to try very hard to find them).

In fact, the only thing detracting from the ZR1's grand touring credentials is the interior. The only options on the $103,300 car are an awful set of chrome wheels and the 3ZR upgraded interior package, which succeeds in moving the interior from cheap and nasty into luxurious bass boat territory with more embroidered ZR1 and Corvette logos than my fragile mind could comprehend. We have a hard time accepting the 'value' excuse; for this kind of money we'd no longer like to feel like a Jeff Foxworthy punchline. An automatic transmission is, thankfully, not an option.


The ZR1's road ability is boosted by the two-mode magnetic damping. Select "Touring" on the center-mounted ride-control knob, and, while it can't hide that the ZR1 wears 335/25-20s on the rear, it rides comfortably enough to make you forget you're driving something capable of lapping the Nurburgring in 7:26.4. The damping adjusts itself near-instantaneously to maintain grip on rough surfaces. You won't feel this happen, but you will notice how unflustered the ZR1 is no matter how crappy Michigan roads may be.

The real magic of the ZR1 isn't that it's capable of any of the above, though. It's that it will make you forget all of its intimidating performance figures and fancy technology the second you take a corner at speed. Despite all the headline numbers, this car isn't about power, it's about handling.

Built on the same aluminum-intensive chassis with fancy magnesium bits as the Z06, the ZR1 uses independent suspension all-round, but here it arrives with bespoke tuning capable of coping with the 1.05 lateral Gs the purpose-made Michelins make possible.

Conventional wisdom states that a front engine, rear-wheel drive car capable of these numbers should be incredibly difficult to drive, with a significant predisposition toward slamming into immovable objects, backward. In fact, before driving the car, Ray and I discussed whether or not the ZR1 was set to become the cheapest way to kill an inexperienced driver quickly, but that's simply not the case. It's so competent a car that it makes the 638 HP feel unremarkable. Two people went off-course the day I was at the track, but both did so because they got intimidated by the sheer speed at which they were traveling. Had they simply looked where they wanted to go, instead of off into the grass, the Corvette ZR1 would have made it around the corner — the same nasty off-camber, downhill one both times — much faster than they were actually traveling.

This is only my second track day since getting the cast off and I'm still not back to full health. And, I hate to admit it, but I'm a little more cautious than I used to be. The Lutz Ring is also an incredibly intimidating track. Jim Mero, the guy with the 'Ring record, described it as the best possible preparation for his attempt as it packs all the German track's challenges into a space not two miles long. That includes the lack of run-off -- guardrails line the track's fastest corner and you need to get within a couple inches of them to be really fast. But two laps into my first session and I'm ringing the car out in second and third gear. No matter the speed or the amount of ill-advised braking, it turns in and holds a line without drama and accelerates out under full throttle without stepping wide. In fact, it rapidly becomes apparent that, without intentionally trying to do so, I'm incapable of making the ZR1 misbehave. Even topping out the suspension over the track's two jumps then slamming hard on the massive ceramic brakes just as the car regains traction fails to make it lose composure. Just like the two guys who went off, I'm unable to reprogram my brain enough to accept the ZR1's ludicrous speed. This is the first car I can say this about in a long, long time — the ZR1 is too fast for me.

That's not to say I can't enjoy it. This isn't a PlayStation game. The ZR1 is a rear-wheel drive car that needs significant driver input in order to make it around a track or down the road quickly. It's that involvement, not just ultimate speed, that is its reward. Even if it provides you with better tools to do so than anyone else, the Corvette ZR1 still challenges you to try and exploit its performance; it's the level of that challenge and the level of involvement required to meet it that makes the ZR1 truly special.

source: http://jalopnik.com/5037293/2009-cor...r1-first-drive

320lbs-ft at 1000rpm! I can't wait to see what the stig does with this thing.

[Redliner]

For reasons that escape us, the Corvette engineers went through elaborate steps to eliminate the whine, even doubling the number of teeth on the lobe drive gears to move their sound beyond the human ear's range of perception.

Suddenly, I am liking it a lot more.

Also, those torque figures are astonishing...

[Ottobon]

Happy to hear Chevy seemed to work out both predictibility and tactility in their current car, which to be honest is quiet astonishing as those are the exact things the old C4 corvettes none to speak of. Also, if i may rant for a moment, Thank god they got rid of the supercharger whine!! I generally get turned off by that. Who knows, maybe hating on supercharger noise is a Michigan thing? To me its just not a pleasant noise, and it doesn't excite me so much as annoy. I need a sound thats intricate and dynamic in order for the car to feel alive, and theirs nothing at all unpredictable about supercharger noise, save if the belt snaps.

PS: I wish the Lutz ring was publicly available , looks so cool!

[Spectre]

Hating supercharger noise is a YOU thing. Superchargers (except for Weiands) sound great!

[BlaRo]

I honestly don't know whether to completely believe this hyperbole or to acknowledge the fact that Jalopnik is infatuated with Corvettes in general - both legitimately and ironically.

Hell, he's the one that drove it. And it's one of my favorite car sites, so I'm cool with it.

Originally Posted by Ottobon

Also, if i may rant for a moment, Thank god they got rid of the supercharger whine!! I generally get turned off by that. Who knows, maybe hating on supercharger noise is a Michigan thing? To me its just not a pleasant noise, and it doesn't excite me so much as annoy. I need a sound thats intricate and dynamic in order for the car to feel alive, and theirs nothing at all unpredictable about supercharger noise, save if the belt snaps.

I'm with you on that, supercharger whine neither sounds intimidating nor exciting. Maybe somebody can post Youtube videos of ridiculously blown cars that sound like the USS Enterprise entering hyperspace (or whatever), but until somebody does I refuse to believe it.

[thedguy]

Originally Posted by Ottobon

Happy to hear Chevy seemed to work out both predictibility and tactility in their current car, which to be honest is quiet astonishing as those are the exact things the old C4 corvettes none to speak of. Also, if i may rant for a moment, Thank god they got rid of the supercharger whine!! I generally get turned off by that. Who knows, maybe hating on supercharger noise is a Michigan thing? To me its just not a pleasant noise, and it doesn't excite me so much as annoy. I need a sound thats intricate and dynamic in order for the car to feel alive, and theirs nothing at all unpredictable about supercharger noise, save if the belt snaps.

PS: I wish the Lutz ring was publicly available , looks so cool!

I've always hated blower whine on production cars. It's cool on extremely fast drag cars where you hear a little of it before the roar of methanol burning in the exhaust overpowers it.

[Ezbok58a]

Did someone say a good car with a good supercharger whine?

Allow me

Make sure your speakers are cranked TOO THE MAX!

+ YouTube Video

[RUU-CHAMA]

I can't get enough of that whining noise and even had that whine coming from my engine compartment for a while, but $500 and a new alternator later......

[fbc]

They got rid of the 'charger whine??

[ahpadt]

The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is the best car ever made.

Uuuhmm... OK.

[Karoug]

I want one!!!

[prizrak]

Originally Posted by Karoug

I want one!!!

I wanted one before it was cool to want one!!!!

[Vambeer]

All of it sounds too good to be true..."Best car ever made"...LOL That sounds like a 3year old wrote the article. Or someone who has driven 2 cars. Not a real journalist or enthousiast. It might actually be very good but such a statement???? MERCY!

[Hiro11]

I'm sure it's a ridiculous car that far exceeds my driving capabilities (and wallet)... but why the hell can't they fix the interior? I've ridden in a new CTS and driven a loaded Malibu and both have much nicer and more modern looking interiors than this $100K halo car with a $10K interior upgrade option. That center stack looks like something out of the Aveo and the seats look like they're out of a Choo-Choo Kustom conversion van. For the love of God, somebody at Chevy get Recaro on the line!

[Brother Michael]

Sort of a pointless article. While it may very well be a truly astonishing piece of car, but this wasn't a fair review. All he did was praise and rant how fantastic it was. Not a word on the downsides. And as much as I am a 'Vette fanboy these days, there still has to be some.

I'm waiting for someone with a bit more perspective to review this. Though must be said there still will be some journalistis who refuse to like this even if it would be the greatest car of all time because "It's fat and american and has failrodszz and LolZSpringz and therefore can't beat anything made in yuuuurp" (Thinking of you Jezza...)

[Redliner]

I know I am gonna get flamed for this, but the supercharger whine reminds me of an electric RC car
I just prefer the noise of a turbo, but I am completely aware that this is very personal and A LOT of people dislike it and prefer the supercharger whine.

[Karoug]

Originally Posted by prizrak

I wanted one before it was cool to want one!!!!

So did i..

[Vector]

I like supercharger whine because it lets other people know (warns them) that there is some serious $h1t going on under the hood.

I understand Chevy's decision to silence it though because it could turn off some people who don't like the noise, but those that do are not likely to miss it that much.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally Posted by Spectre

Superchargers (except for Weiands) sound great!

Damn straight, blower whine is awesome.