Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Stepping inside the cabin or just peaking over the open Targa convertible top, we find a more premium interior than that offered on the less expensive Corvettes. The cockpit is quite spacious and offers ample room for the driver and the co-passenger. Both seats come wrapped in leather and the company also offers sporty bucket seats as optional extras. 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a performance machine which is meant to be one’s daily driver and therefore offers respectable cargo space. Don’t go as far as to think that the ZR1’s interior is anywhere close to being luxurious but it does come with creature comforts like a touchscreen infotainment system which gets both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as standard. Also on offer is a heads up display and an onboard 4G-LTE powered Wi-Fi hotspot network however the navigation system is only offered as an optional extra.

The entire bodywork has been retweaked to feature sharper and aggressive design accents. The Targa-type convertible body design is also an important safety feature, as one realizes when reviewing the Corvette ZR1’s performance figures. This includes the front grille, the hood and even the all-new design for the alloys. At the rear, we find a massive wing which is not there to enhance the aesthetics of the car but has been scientifically crafted to increase downforce up to 950 pounds at speed. 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 also gets retweaked exhaust system which also contributes to the enhanced performance derived from the ridiculously supercharged V8 motor. Speaking of the motor, the hood has been redesign for the ZR1 and now incorporates a transparent panel which allows the passengers to get a clear look at the giant powerplant.

The total weight of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 stands at 3500 lbs thanks to the intelligent design and incorporation of carbon fiber. With its 755 bhp motor and 950 lbs of downforce at high speed, the 2019 Corvette ZR1 feels planted and responsive which bestows the driver with confidence behind the wheel, especially around tight corners. The car also gets a highly sophisticated stability control system which further enhances ZR1's grip. Other honorable mentions include race track-focused tires and suspension setup which have been exclusively tuned for the ZR1. Even with such a track-focused approach, the ride of the 2019 Corvette ZR1 is surprisingly not too firm.

For the 2019 Corvette ZR1, Chevrolet offers its LT5 powerplant which is a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 motor that has been retweaked to produce 755 BHP of power output and 715 lb-ft of peak torque. The block of this engine is quite similar to the one we find in the current Z06 Corvette but the power bump comes as a courtesy of a 52% larger Eaton supercharger. The top speed of delivered by this beast of an engine is clocked at 210 mph and it is also worth noting that Z06 in comparison manages to clock a respectable 202 mph. The customers also get an option of either opting for the standard 7-speed manual gearbox or the 8-speed automatic transmission. To our disappointment, Chevrolet has opted to stick with a pushrod engine setup, even though most of the other manufacturers have switched to either a single or a dual overhead cam motor. The 0 to 60 time takes around 3 seconds which is 0.3 seconds faster than that offered by the Z06.

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 grips the track very well and the giant brakes are quite powerful. The optional giant carbon-fiber rear wing also assists in braking and reduces the top speed from 210 mph down to around the 202 mph mark. Both, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute of Highway Safety Administration has not crash-tested the 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1.

With prices starting from $123,000, additional cabin features, aggressive design tweaks, flamboyant color options, and performance figures, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 rubs shoulders with the likes of Ferrari 488 and McLaren 720s even though the price difference between the ZR1 and its European counterparts is quite drastic. This alone is enough to be a bragging factor for a ZR1 owner who would take pride in owning a borderline blue-collar muscle car that packs more than enough punch to take on elitist European offerings and would do so in an unpretentious yet extravagant manner.