When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
What the ZR1 demonstrates is that the C7 is pretty much maxed out. The cornering, braking and acceleration are world class with one big exception, the ZR1 struggles to put its massive power to the ground. This is particularly an issue when exiting a slow speed corner. Baring a massive breakthrough in tire technology (or the use of racing tires) this problem is unlikely to be resolved. For the Corvette to continue to play with the high horsepower competition it needs to go to the all wheel drive and/or mid engine option. Pretty simple actually. C8 anyone?
Flop, really?? The ZR1 beat all the big $$$ cars at VIR for the Car and Driver article, save for the $300,000+ Porsche 911 GT2RS, which if you read up on that car is basically a severely lightened, heavily boosted and very thinly disguised race car. Not to take anything away from the GT2RS, it's a very impressive car that I'd love to have in my garage alongside my new ZO6, but the ZR1 is actually a car you can use on a daily basis and take a long road trip in at any time, check the specs on the GT2RS, I'm not sure anyone but a complete sadist would want to try a long trip in one of those, noisy, very rough riding, no A/C, and the list goes on. The ZR1 is not far off the performance of the GT2RS for less than half the price, and it's a car you can actually drive without having daily access to a road course, and I think that's pretty impressive. If that's a "flop", sign me up for one.
Does no one else see that the zr1 is a zo6 with the lg front bumper and the Callaway blower that they made you cut your hood for? When you think in those terms... 150k is a lot of money for a vette.
Not suprised it struggles at Laguna Seca. Very tight technical track. Seems the zr1 needs some long straights and high speed turns to flex its power and downforce.
Here is me passing a performante at Laguna Seca.
Last edited by theplatinumog; 09-21-2018 at 02:27 AM.
I still don't understand why anyone buys any Corvette for drag racing.
There really seems to be a lack of understanding of physics, and engineering when the mission is to push the limits. The closer you get to the limits, the more specialized the vehicle must become. Ever seen a Formula 1 car's 1/4 mile time? Ever see a lap time from the Nurburgring set by a top fuel dragster?
For a rear wheel drive front mount engine, the ZR1 has a uniqueness the others in its class don't. One crappy magazine comparison? Who cares? An instant classic.
I still don't understand why anyone buys any Corvette for drag racing.
There really seems to be a lack of understanding of physics, and engineering when the mission is to push the limits. The closer you get to the limits, the more specialized the vehicle must become. Ever seen a Formula 1 car's 1/4 mile time? Ever see a lap time from the Nurburgring set by a top fuel dragster?
I still don't understand why anyone buys any Corvette for drag racing.
Whelp, it's kinda part of the dealio IMO. Doesn't really matter what kind of racing as long as win Luckily, we have our Corvettes' that do all of the racing you'd like and do it VERY well. Drag, NHRA, IMSA, Trans-Am, oval, GP, Nordshleife (bucket list)... oh Spa (bucket list), can't ever forget Spa. You get the idea.
You are sort of a goofball, but I must say I love the color of your wheels in that photo. Rock on.
Me? The color of brake dust?
The gt2rs was not built for drag racing either, but it's superior "automatic" transmission allows their launch control to actually work. The transmission is just another example of the Porsche's superior engineering. Obviously, in exchange for their hard work they want lots of money. I hope the zr1 can stay in front of the 911.2 gt3rs when it arrives. Would be sad if a naturally aspirated frog beats it around a track.
As far as the 720s, that's not even their track version. There will be a long tail out soon.
Happy to see the zr1 beat the performante around a track. The svj will be a tough one for GM to crack on a big fast track... That's the new ring champ.
Overall, the zr1 sounds like a zo6 with some aero upgrades, 100 extra horsepower, and some actual cooling.
The gt2rs was not built for drag racing either, but it's superior "automatic" transmission allows their launch control to actually work. The transmission is just another example of the Porsche's superior engineering. Obviously, in exchange for their hard work they want lots of money. I hope the zr1 can stay in front of the 911.2 gt3rs when it arrives. Would be sad if a naturally aspirated frog beats it around a track.
As far as the 720s, that's not even their track version. There will be a long tail out soon.
Happy to see the zr1 beat the performante around a track. The svj will be a tough one for GM to crack on a big fast track... That's the new ring champ.
Overall, the zr1 sounds like a zo6 with some aero upgrades, 100 extra horsepower, and some actual cooling.
You should probably start living in the real world. 991.2 GT3/RS are speed breaks for a C7Z. ZR1 will eat them alive and spit them out lmao.
There are two types of tracks. ones with big straights and ones without. The GS, Z06, and ZR1 fundamentally all turn the same and on technical tracks with no straightaways will be very very tight in terms of lap times. When you get to a track with some larger straights the power allows acceleration that shaves off critical seconds.
Remember the cars outside of power plants are much closer than GM wants you to think. Only the narrow-body Stingray and Z51 are wholly different cars (versus the Z06 and ZR1, obviously they share a power plant with the GS)
Back in the mid-00s, I owned both a C6 Z06 and a Lotus Elise and campaigned both in SCCA autocross events. Both were classified in the top stock class (Super Stock).
Each of those cars routinely swapped wins depending upon the tightness of the course. They traded SCCA SS national championships back and forth over 3-4 years. The Elise only had 190HP, but it was mid-engine and weighed under 2K lbs.
What the ZR1 demonstrates is that the C7 is pretty much maxed out. The cornering, braking and acceleration are world class with one big exception, the ZR1 struggles to put its massive power to the ground. This is particularly an issue when exiting a slow speed corner. Baring a massive breakthrough in tire technology (or the use of racing tires) this problem is unlikely to be resolved. For the Corvette to continue to play with the high horsepower competition it needs to go to the all wheel drive and/or mid engine option. Pretty simple actually. C8 anyone?
That's pretty much what they were saying in the test.
There are two types of tracks. ones with big straights and ones without. The GS, Z06, and ZR1 fundamentally all turn the same and on technical tracks with no straightaways will be very very tight in terms of lap times. When you get to a track with some larger straights the power allows acceleration that shaves off critical seconds.
Remember the cars outside of power plants are much closer than GM wants you to think. Only the narrow-body Stingray and Z51 are wholly different cars (versus the Z06 and ZR1, obviously they share a power plant with the GS)
Except it doesn't. It gets beat in the straights, too. low-tech transmission and too much drag likely at fault.
09-20-2018, 08:49 PM
Flop, really?? The ZR1 beat all the big $$$ cars at VIR for the Car and Driver article, save for the $300,000+ Porsche 911 GT2RS, which if you read up on that car is basically a severely lightened, heavily boosted and very thinly disguised race car. Not to take anything away from the GT2RS, it's a very impressive car that I'd love to have in my garage alongside my new ZO6, but the ZR1 is actually a car you can use on a daily basis and take a long road trip in at any time, check the specs on the GT2RS, I'm not sure anyone but a complete sadist would want to try a long trip in one of those, noisy, very rough riding, no A/C, and the list goes on. The ZR1 is not far off the performance of the GT2RS for less than half the price, and it's a car you can actually drive without having daily access to a road course, and I think that's pretty impressive. If that's a "flop", sign me up for one.
Someday you may figure it out.
Luckily, we have our Corvettes' that do all of the racing you'd like and do it VERY well. Drag, NHRA, IMSA, Trans-Am, oval, GP, Nordshleife (bucket list)... oh Spa (bucket list), can't ever forget Spa. You get the idea.
