Hot off the press is the official unveil of the 2019 Corvette ZR1, and it’s a monster pushing the boundary quite far into proper supercar territory. The 2019 ZR1’s 6.2L supercharged LT5 V8, hidden underneath a crazy muscular hood, will soon chew up all the Dodge and Ford muscle roaming American highways this spring.
That’s thanks to 755 hellfire horses, 715 limb-twisting torques, and a top speed of 212 mph. A whopping 600 torques are available from 2,200 RPM to redline, meaning you’ll get to smoke the tires at basically any speed, in almost any gear.
The 2019 Corvette ZR1, revealed in Dubai, takes its top off at over 200 mph
0-60 in 3.0 Seconds
Null to 60 will wipe your cheeks off your skull in 3 seconds flat, and it can all be yours for a cool six-figure salary -around $119,995 for the coupe and $123,995 for the convertible (which “only” has a top speed of “200+”). Old-school muscle lovers can pick up a seven-speed manual and relearn those dogleg lefts, but the hyper-efficient eight-speed auto includes paddle shifters and a manual mode, too.
The ZR1’s improved LT5 supercharged 6.2L V8 puts out over 750 horses and 700 torques
Starting at $119,995, Over Half a Ferrari 488 GTB
Few cars on Earth come in a convertible configuration and afford this level of performance at this price. For reference, Ferrari’s 488 GTB Spider maxes out at 205 mph and costs $272,700. “But luxury and Italian leather!” You may yell in protest. But when you spy the interior of the new ZR1, you’ll quickly realize the gold Bow Tie is firmly putting Italian exotica to shame. Seriously, there are few, if any, legitimate excuses for this discrepancy.
The 2019 zR1’s interior is seriously decked out with suede, carbon fiber, racing seats, LEDs, dials, and paddle shifters
Mid-Engine ‘Vette Could be Even More Powerful
When asked if this is finally the limit of the V8, chief engineer Tadge Juechter says, “Every time we thought were at the max, we weren’t”. Readers who interpret misdirection can infer the unspoken mid-engine ‘Vette is likely pushing the envelope even still. We’ll have to wait and see. But back to the value of the 2019 ZR1 compared to, well… Basically any supercar made in Europe. It’s not looking good for Italy.
The 2019 ZR1 Probably Owns Nurburgring Already
That’s because the ZR1 won’t just be going fast in a straight line. The 2019 Corvette will be planting 950 pounds of downforce at speed with the $2,995 ZTK Performance package and high-wing carbon spoiler, along with other carbon bits and pointy, aerodynamic things.
Paddle shifters come standard, as do big Brembo carbon ceramic brakes with massive 15.5” front and 15.3” rear rotors. 19” front and 20” rear wheels are shoed with Michelin Pilot Super Sports that manage to plant all the G’s this monster will produce.
The 2019 ZR1 will feature massive Brembo brakes with 15″+ rotors for neck-cracking stopping
And produce those G’s it will, thanks to MagneRide suspension, performance traction management, and some rear wheel tech called eLSD, or “electronic Limited Slip Diff”. This lil’ acronym controls power transfer at the rear wheels, depending on what the cars doing – going in a straight line, or cornering. The 2019 ZR1 will (and likely already has) put Europe’s best to shame at the Nurburgring.
The ZR1’s ZTK Performance package offers 950 pounds of downforce and other serious track appointments
Dual-Mode Exhaust
The ZR1 can be obnoxious or mum depending on your mood, too. Dual-mode exhaust offers “quiet” and “race” modes to accommodate your daily commute and nighttime prowl or redlight show-off. Other treatments like carbon fiber here and there, wind tunnel testing, underwings, extra cooling, and other racey bits are shaping up the ZR1 to be a bleeding edge machine, globally.
If there was any question where American muscle is headed, well – expect to see more 2019 Corvettes and U.S.-built cars on tracks and the streets of Dubai (shoving aside those Murcielagos, Astons, and the like) than ever before.
