Corvette ZR1 (Blue Devil) unveiled

[Darth Wong]

Obviously, it wouldn't hold a candle to the latest car in terms of performance, but it's not as if most buyers will be using the performance anyway. If this area is any indication, most people who buy the new top-of-the-line Corvette will be aging men going through mid-life crisis.

AHEM

Hey, I'm pushing 40 myself. When I speak of middle-aged men, it's not me attacking some other age group; it's increasingly me talking about myself.

[J]

Hey, I'm pushing 40 myself. When I speak of middle-aged men, it's not me attacking some other age group; it's increasingly me talking about myself.

Hmmm...so you're planning to buy one then?
Will you be offering joyrides for SD.net members in the Toronto area?

[Stuart]

Hey, I'm pushing 40 myself. When I speak of middle-aged men, it's not me attacking some other age group; it's increasingly me talking about myself.

You do realize you're getting to the age where you'll suddenly wake up some morning and realize us Republicans were right all along don't you?

[Surlethe]

Hey, I'm pushing 40 myself. When I speak of middle-aged men, it's not me attacking some other age group; it's increasingly me talking about myself.

You do realize you're getting to the age where you'll suddenly wake up some morning and realize us Republicans were right all along don't you?

I don't know about anyone else, but I always took that phenomenon as evidence that mental capacity declined with age.

[Darth Wong]

Hey, I'm pushing 40 myself. When I speak of middle-aged men, it's not me attacking some other age group; it's increasingly me talking about myself.

You do realize you're getting to the age where you'll suddenly wake up some morning and realize us Republicans were right all along don't you?

I'm Canadian. Our conservatives would be called "far-left liberals" if they lived down in the US

[Davey]

When I talk about a future car for myself, I always seem to like to lean toward the M1A2 Abrams or the Leopard II. I'm not too interested in speed or performance or 'cool' factor. A strong, rugged, well-built frame and good passenger safety features appeal to me the most for city living, especially with the number of car accidents I've been hearing about.

[/is just kidding]

[MichaelFerrariF1]

Get the Leopard. Diesel engines are more reliable and efficient than turbines.

[Ma Deuce]

The SAE dyno numbers are in.

638 horsepower
604 lb-ft of torque

And in related news, the numbers for the '09 Cadillac CTS-V (which uses a detuned version of the ZR1's engine) are also in:

Power: 556hp
Torque: 551lb-ft
0-60: 3.9 seconds
Quarter mile: 12 seconds @ 118 mph
Top Speed: 175 mph (auto), 191mph (manual).

That, and it lapped the Nurburgring in 7:59.32, apparently the fastest ever lap ever for a production-spec sedan wearing street tires, beating the BMW M5 by 14 seconds. Pretty impressive for a 4,200lb car, even one with that much power.

Initial estimates were definitely a bit conservative, then again, what's 20 hp when you're well over the 600 mark?

Yeah, GM is always conservative with their power estimates. I do however find it curious that the ZR1's Nurburgring lap time has yet to be published, when we already have the CTS-V's time (hell, we had the CTS-V's time before the SAE power figures were published).

[Napoleon the Clown]

I've seen videos of testmules for the ZR1 taking on Laguna Seca in times that are actually pretty good for a lot of race cars. The official time around the Nordeschlife will almost definitely be jaw-dropping. When GM actually gets its act together, it can out-piss almost anyone, thanks to obscene amounts of money.

[MKSheppard]

Don't forget the obligatory Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear putdown of it

[Napoleon the Clown]

He'll go nuts while driving the thing, just like he did with the Z06, and then once it comes time to review the car at the end of the show, Pompous Nationalist will take over and he'll whine about trivial bullshit. Which is basically all he ever does with cars that aren't made by his preferred companies.

[Bounty]

He'll go nuts while driving the thing, just like he did with the Z06, and then once it comes time to review the car at the end of the show, Pompous Nationalist will take over and he'll whine about trivial bullshit. Which is basically all he ever does with cars that aren't made by his preferred companies.

I don't follow. He admitted it was great on a track and a better deal than a £160k Ferrari, but he hated in in normal traffic, which to me seems like a valid complaint. How that nationalism again? It's not his fault Americans can't build cars

[MKSheppard]

I don't follow. He admitted it was great on a track and a better deal than a £160k Ferrari, but he hated in in normal traffic, which to me seems like a valid complaint. How that nationalism again? It's not his fault Americans can't build cars

If you buy a £160k Ferrari, you aren't going to be driving it much in normal traffic. He's just reaching for reasons to hate on American cars.

[MichaelFerrariF1]

Maybe Hammond should drive it. He likes American cars.

[Napoleon the Clown]

He'll go nuts while driving the thing, just like he did with the Z06, and then once it comes time to review the car at the end of the show, Pompous Nationalist will take over and he'll whine about trivial bullshit. Which is basically all he ever does with cars that aren't made by his preferred companies.

I don't follow. He admitted it was great on a track and a better deal than a £160k Ferrari, but he hated in in normal traffic, which to me seems like a valid complaint. How that nationalism again? It's not his fault Americans can't build cars

Yeah, a car being noisy and uncomfortable are reasons for complaint. But the guy has a track record of fellating most European products (with a few exceptions, such as Landrover). If any asshole from the US did the same kind of bullshit, I'd call him a nationalist as well.

Of course, Clarkson neglects to mention that the Z06 has a substantially greater amount of space in its trunk. I don't seem to recall him much speaking on the Ferrari's ability to be a daily driver. And most reviews seem to say that the Z06 is actually quite good on the road, considering the performance it delivers. The Arrogant Nationalist Asshole shctick may be an act meant to attract viewers, but it still annoys the hell out of me. Hammond, on the other hand, comes across as being at least relatively down to earth.

[Stuart]

Yeah, a car being noisy and uncomfortable are reasons for complaint. (snip) And most reviews seem to say that the Z06 is actually quite good on the road, considering the performance it delivers.

The ZO6 is neither noisy nor uncomfortable under normal road conditions. The only real criticism I have of it is that the battery is in the trunk. Also, it drives perfectly well in normal road conditions, if Clarkson can't handle it then that's more a comment on his driving ability than the car. Obviously with 505 horsepower one does't floor the accelerator every time one comes off the lights but that simply means that one has to have an awareness of the capabilities of the car one is driving - and that applies to a Fiat as much as a 'Vette.

[MichaelFerrariF1]

And most reviews seem to say that the Z06 is actually quite good on the road, considering the performance it delivers.

When Tiff reviewed the Z06 for 5th Gear he had nothing but good to say about it. He said the ride was hard but very livable. He even said "The Americans are showing us how its done."

The Arrogant Nationalist Asshole shctick may be an act meant to attract viewers, but it still annoys the hell out of me.

A lot of what he said is annoying, but he occasionally says something good (like my sig).

Hammond, on the other hand, comes across as being at least relatively down to earth.

Well Hammond owns a Charger and a GT390, and I bet he'll be getting a new Challenger since the '09 is manual. When Clarkson was whining about the base Corvette's suspension in wake of its lap time, Hammond kept reminding him how fast it was. And when Clarkson said that the Aero TT, which beat the Veyron's record, would be rubbish, Hammond said to give credit where credit's due. Hammond comes across as liking cars from any nation if they're good.

[Napoleon the Clown]

Like I said, Hammond seems to be a decent person, overall. He doesn't look at it as "X car is from X nation", but as the actual performance of the vehicle. Clarkson, on the other hand, seems more concerned with where the headquarters of the manufacturer are located, rather than what the vehicle actually does. Sure Hammond takes jabs at the US, but that's fine. Many US residents do the same thing, and I'd assume most of it is in jest both ways (barring the true assholes).


Still, I'm a bit excited to see how the ZR1 will end up performing, and to watch as The Stag (isn't that TopGear's race driver?) takes it around that little course of theirs. It should destroy pretty much everything they've tested on that track. Now taking bets on whether or not Clarkson will get off from driving the ZR1.


I'll admit that the Z06 isn't the ideal every day car. It's quite low to the ground, and I once saw one attempt to get through an intersection with a rather deep dip. Your average, run-of-the-mill family sedan could get through it easily, at sane speeds. Even a baseline C6 could get through with little difficulty. The Z06, on the other hand, ended up barely getting through it. It took the guy about five changes of the light (quick-ish light, so about three or so minutes, IIRC) to get through. Damn nice looking car, though. I wouldn't mind driving one some day. And it'll obviously give your kidneys a beating, if you're on poor roads. But all performance cars in that price range will.

[His Divine Shadow]

It's The Stig

[Napoleon the Clown]

Ah. Thanks.


Well, rumors are floating up that the ZR1 did the 'Ring in the low 7:20s. If these are actually true, that's a damn amazing time.

[Resinence]

You really think that the ZR1 can beat the Koenigsegg CCX napoleon? Because thats a pretty ballsy claim (It currently holds the track record for top gears tests iirc). Other cars on the list include the Pagani Zonda and pretty much every wank-car in existance. My bet is that it will be a bit slower and clarkson, being his normal nationalist asshole self will just fail to mention that it costs 1/10th the price and start ranting about how americans could never make a real supercar. And I find it hilarious, because he himself owned a Ford GT40 - an american car, and raved about how awesome it was. Hypocrit.

[Bounty]

And I find it hilarious, because he himself owned a Ford GT40 - an american car, and raved about how awesome it was.

He raved about it until he owned it. It never, ever worked.

[MichaelFerrariF1]

And I find it hilarious, because he himself owned a Ford GT40 - an american car, and raved about how awesome it was.

He raved about it until he owned it. It never, ever worked.

Then how did he drive it through France during their supercar comparison?

[Bounty]

And I find it hilarious, because he himself owned a Ford GT40 - an american car, and raved about how awesome it was.

He raved about it until he owned it. It never, ever worked.

Then how did he drive it through France during their supercar comparison?

Was that his own car?

All I know is that he said he didn't complete a single home/work round trip in the car without something breaking down.

[MichaelFerrariF1]

It's The Stig

Some say he sucks the moisture out of ducks, and he models his crash helmet on Britney Spears' head.