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Chevrolet Dealer and Corvette Collector Dave Ressler was in Bowling Green yesterday to accept delivery of the first retail 2009 Corvette ZR1.
Ressler is well known for buying the 6.2 liter supercharged Corvette at January’s Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction for $1 million. The special one of a kind Corvette features a unique VIN and will be the only one painted LeMans Blue.
Contiue to see the video of the first 2009 Corvette ZR1 delivery
Stock ZR1 Lapped Nürburgring in just 7:26.4! For comparison the Nissan GT-R time was 7:29.
The car was driven by GM development engineer Jim Mero.
Jim commented after the lap that conditions were good except for a strong headwind down the main straight and that the lap was solid, but he felt there were a few places he could have gone faster.
Click here to see the video
Corvette ZR1 chief engineer Tadge Juechter was speaking in a recent live chat on GMnext.com. He said that as of late April, Chevrolet has not “run our fuel-economy testing yet.” The 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 returns 15 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
He didn’t have any hard numbers about the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s fuel economy, but the vehicle’s chief engineer predicted recently that “the ZR1 will be the most fuel-efficient 600-hp car you can buy in the world.” Tadge Juechter, Corvette ZR1 chief engineer, noted that the fuel economy of the car “will be somewhat less than a Z06, and we expect a small gas-guzzler tax.”
Continue to read: Corvette ZR1 production will be 2000 units worldwide
“Chevrolet’s goal with the new ZR1 is to show what an American supercar can deliver, at a price that trumps exotics that cost two, three or four times as much – and does so with exceptional driveability,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager.
The ZR1’s basic stats:
* All-new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V-8 targeted at producing at least 100 horsepower per liter, or 620 horsepower (462 kW), and approximately 595 lb.-ft. of torque (823 Nm)
* Six-speed, close-ratio, race-hardened manual transmission
* New, high-capacity dual-disc clutch
* Higher-capacity and specific-diameter axle half-shafts; enhanced torque tube
* Specific suspension tuning provides more than 1g cornering grip
* Twenty-spoke 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels
* Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires – P285/30ZR19 in front and P335/25ZR20 in the rear – developed specifically for the ZR1
* Standard carbon-ceramic, drilled disc brake rotors – 15.5-inch-diameter (394-mm) in the front and 15-inch-diameter (380-mm) in the rear
* Larger brake calipers with substantially increased pad area
* Standard Magnetic Selective Ride Control with track-level suspension
* Wider, carbon-fiber front fenders with ZR1-specific dual vents
* Carbon-fiber hood with a raised, polycarbonate window – offering a view of the intercooler below it
* Carbon-fiber roof panel, roof bow, front fascia splitter and rocker moldings with clear-coated, exposed carbon-fiber weave
* ZR1-specific full-width rear spoiler with raised outboard sections
* Specific gauge cluster with boost gauge (also displayed on the head-up display) and 220-mph (370 km/h) speedometer readout
* Only two options: chrome wheels and a “luxury” package
* Curb weight of approximately 3,350 pounds (1,519 kg)
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Corvette ZR1 photos from Laguna Seca and video from Monterey sports car challenge.
Continue to see the video
