Could the “Zora” be GM’s Answer to the Ford GT?
Let’s face it, the all-new C7 Z06 is easily the most impressive piece of performance hardware to ever come from GM. If you go nuts with the options list, the differences between the Z06 and the C7.R racer come down to essentially the interior trim—except for the fact that the Z06 has more horsepower than the race car.
With more power and performance than even the last-gen ZR1, where can Corvette go from here? What kind of voodoo will GM have to perform to make a car better than this?
To be completely honest, I’m not sure the General can push the Corvette any farther in its current form. The Z06 is already a supercar killer in its own right, but to make a business case for a new-generation ZR1, etc., horsepower ratings will have to climb into the 700 range. If that becomes the case, the Corvette is playing in a whole new league of supercar royalty. Suddenly this isn’t a car that is “almost as fast as a Ferrari 458.” Instead, it begins to stare machines like the Lamborghini Aventador and Ferrari F12berlinetta in the face.
Take a moment and step back from your Corvette love. Can you honestly imagine a world where GM could merely add some horsepower and a touch more carbon fiber to the Corvette, and call it an F12 competitor? I’m having a really hard time envisioning that, but let’s say GM only took the engine from the Corvette and used it to make a new car. This is where things get interesting.
GM recently trademarked the Zora name for potential use on automobiles. What if GM made a mid-engined supercar based on the Corvette and named it the Zora? Zora Arkus-Duntov is the godfather of the performance Corvette, and he chased several models of mid-engined cars. What name would be better for a mid-engine Corvette?
I know moving the engine from the front to the rear in a Corvette is a sin, but with the Zora name, Chevy wouldn’t need to soil the Corvette or Stingray names with this mid-engine monstrosity. Instead, it could use the Zora badge to create an all-new era of small-block world domination. No longer would the Corvette name represent a really fast car for a cheap price. Rather, it could turn into a true world-renowned performance icon once again.
Let’s show those Italians what we are really made of, and beat them at their own game.
Concept Rendering by Josh Bowles Design
