Vengeance Racing Gives Fun Facts About 2019 Corvette ZR1

By Cameron Aubernon - August 23, 2018

Despite the raw horsepower lurking under the hood, the 2019 ZR1 is one of the more civilized Corvettes around.

There’s no Corvette like the ZR1. The C7 era ZR1 is an absolute monster, thanks to its 755-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 and top speed of 212 mph. Add in the functional rear wing, aggressive aero, and excellent handling, and you’ve got a car that will hunt Vipers, 911s, and Aventadors all day long.

And that’s before the modifications begin. YouTuber David Patterson (a.k.a., ThatDudeinBlue) got a chance to experience the raw power of the ZR1, but also how civilized the Corvette actually is.

Owned by Georgia-based tuner Vengeance Racing, this orange ZR1 is the second ZR1 Patterson has ever driven, having previously been behind the wheel of a C6-era ZR1, and it’s a car he’s been wanting to drive for quite some time. Patterson learned from the crew at Vengeance that for the first 500 miles on the ZR1’s LT5, the car’s ECU limits the engine’s output to 640 horsepower. After the break-in period, the car “magically, somehow, makes 700” horses.

Despite the ZR1’s reputation as an absolute beast, Patterson notes the Corvette is a refined beast, especially on the inside with tons of carbon fiber trim. The ride quality of the ZR1 “feels like a standard, good ol’ smooth Corvette,” which he means in the best way possible. The eight-speed automatic transmission is also smooth, and knows what the driver wants to do as well as the seven-speed manual does. And of course, the “bonkers” aero is more than enough for most owners to leave the ZR1 as is.

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Patterson was already impressed with the C7 era of the Corvette, but the ZR1 takes that to a whole other level. For him, in comparison the the C6 ZR1, the C7 ZR1 feels more rigid and planted. He may have called this Corvette “America’s Widow Maker” in the title of this video, but it’s a civilized killer that knows where, when, and most of all, who to strike (i.e., not its driver).