Corvette ZR1 – Ready for Christmas

I think it’s fair to say that I’m not the biggest fan of American Cars. Yes, they are on the whole pretty cheap. You do get a lot of real estate for your money, and the engines are big, lazy and everlasting. But they feel cheap, they don’t handle and, with very few exceptions, they’re not very pretty. But I’ve had to re-evaluate my stance with the upcoming Corvette ZR1.

There have always been a smattering of ‘vettes in the UK because they do offer a lot of bang for the buck. And that’s how we’ve always perceived them – cheap speed, preferably in a straight line, and a bit of flash for not much cash. But serious supercars? Not on your life. And to make things worse, the Chevrolet name is now attached to a heap of Korean Daewoos and best know as the pile of crap that the ‘Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car’ get to drive on Top Gear.

Bearing this in mind, it’s no surprise that the Chevrolet name has been dropped from the ZR1. It is just a Corvette. Not a Chevrolet. And it does seem a lot more appealing to have a Corvette ZR1 for sale than to offer the world the Daewoo ZR1, which could have been the alternative!

So impressed are we with the Corvette ZR1 that we actually have one arriving in December. Have we gone mad, I hear you cry. Well, you decide. 200mph+. 620bhp. 595lb ft. of torque and, in all likelihood, a 0-60 not much over 3 seconds. Ah, I hear you say, but it still won’t go round corners. Well, I think it might. Like the ZR0 it has a very rigid hydroformed aluminium chassis with the engine set low and well back, giving a great deal of stability and near-perfect weight distribution. It utilises carbon fibre all over the place and throws in ceramic brakes for good measure. It has a better power-weight ratio than almost anything comparable. And, to top it all, it now holds the Nurburgring production car record. It couldn’t do that if it didn’t go round corners!

For the first time ever I’m really looking forward to a Yank Tank. Roll on December!

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