2019 Corvette ZR1 Drive Review: 755 Horsepower of American Excess
How Does It Drive?
In a word, insane. The ZR1 is the most track-focused, hardcore and aggressive Corvette to ever hit the public road, and it feels it. The semi-slick Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires need to be hot, not warm, hot, before offering any functional amount of adhesion to the pavement.
The adaptive Magneride suspension does an admirable job of attempting to keep those tires’ contact patches in contact with the pavement, as does the aerodynamic package. However, all of this race-ready technology means that the ZR1 has a distinctly race car-like personality.
In the Corvette team’s efforts to make the fastest front-engine sports car possible around a road course, the ZR1 lacks some of the street manners and friendliness you will find in less potent Corvettes. It drives like a downforce car, which means it can be snappy and unforgiving to those who don’t respect its enormous power and performance capabilities.
I have driven some very powerful, and very fast cars over the years, but the ZR1’s hard-edged personality is different. As a track day regular, I love the aggressive, razor sharp personality, but others may find it occasionally overwhelming.
On the flip side, the LT5 engine is perfectly tractable right off idle, and feels perfectly able to conquer the daily drive. Well, until you lay into the accelerator and are doing rolling burnouts all the way up to jail speeds. With the ZR1, you have to set aside a dedicated tire budget, because this thing eviscerates its rear tires with even a gentle prod of the throttle.
In addition to the risk of jail time, the ZR1 features one of the most brutal exhaust notes to ever be emitted from the production car. It’s intoxicating, and had yours truly chasing the red line frequently, whether I had traction or not.
Final Verdict
After almost 1,000 miles behind the wheel, I still never truly felt comfortable or relaxed when driving the ZR1, at least, on the road. It never ceased raising the hairs on the back of my neck, leaving me wide-eyed and alert in the process. This is really a track car that is road legal.
I would posit that buying this car and never taking it on a race track is almost a waste. ZR1 has such an insanely high level of capability that tossing it around a mountain road feels like a tease. It’s certainly a very fun tease, but it’s ultimately a touch unrewarding compared to less potent models that feel like they can be driven harder and wrung out in a more full and satisfying way.
That said, if you tossed me the keys to the ZR1, you would never see me ever again. Though, you would certainly hear me driving out in the distance, thanks to those amazingly loud pipes. Ultimately, you should buy one while you can because something this special won’t last forever, and once it’s gone, it will likely be gone forever. The Corvette is dead, long live the Corvette.
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