2019 Corvette ZR1 is Absolutely Insane and That’s OK
From its styling to its power to its speed, the Corvette ZR1 is the pinnacle of the C7 range and the height of excess.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to get a second opinion. If you’re unsure about something, getting another set of eyeballs on it may put your mind at ease. If you have even the tiniest shred of a doubt that the Corvette ZR1 is totally nuts in every way, the guys from the Youtube channel EverydayDriver give you a first and second opinion in this video bonus from `their Corvette-focused film “American Original.”
Co-hosts Todd Deeken and Paul Schmucker pretty much deliver the same verdict: The ZR1 is bonkers. As Deeken puts it, the ZR1 is “the biggest, baddest Corvette ever.” It starts with the ZR1’s styling. The available high wing makes it look like a race car roared off of a track and onto public roads. Even the ZR1’s cooling system is crazy. The entire front end is basically an air intake to keep the car from overheating during hardcore performance driving. To ensure that the ZR1 doesn’t suffer from heat soak like the Z06, engineers stuffed it full of radiators – thirteen, to be exact.
Then there’s the ZR1’s engine. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 generates 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers are eye-popping in their own right, but even more stunning when you consider the fact that they’re so far beyond the uber-powerful Z06’s specs.
When Deeken and Schmucker open up the LT5 on long and winding roads free of other drivers, it becomes even clearer just how over-the-top the ZR1 is. Schmucker says, “The throttle response on this car is speed limit, jail. You’re going the speed limit and now you’re in federal prison.” He almost winds up in a much worse place; the ZR1’s back end breaks loose…in fourth gear.
No matter how much the guys push it, the ZR1 seems to be capable of doing more. And willing. Its psychotic appetite for speed is impossible for Deeken to ignore. He says, “There’s a constant devil on your shoulder in this ZR1 going, ‘A little bit faster. It can take more.'”
Those limits are only going to get higher. The mid-engine C8 Corvette is coming and one of these days, it’s going to make the C7 ZR1 seem sane by comparison.
