With an extra 140 hp (as rated by the factory) and 500 lbs less to drag around it shouldn't just beat the GT-R "under the right conditions", it should slaughter it. Anything less is just embarrassing...

I was under the impression the GT-R also drove around on a DAMP/WET lap when it put down it's time of 7:38.

What gives?

It had better beat it for 30k more, with no rear seats and another 140hp. This is a real sports car, not a GT coupe like the GTR. If they don't manage to beat the GTR it'll be quite a let down.

I still hate that plexiglass window on the hood. It looks completely ridiculous.

I was right, it says semi-slick/semi-wet conditions for the GT-R time.

The car also weighd about 250KG more than the ZR-1, so I am assuming if the ZR-1 doesn't beat the GT-R on the official times, this could be some kind of small victory for Nissan and their "fat" car.

Is that what I am seeing, a plexiglass window so you can see the cheap, fake looking plastic engine cover???

Even though I am conditioned to expect cheapness from American car companies, this is almost too much.

That is NOT what I am seeing, right?

The actual time to beat for the Corvette is 7:25, which is the time it took the more comparable GTR V-Spec to do a lap. Its got 70HP more and about 300 pounds off the curb weight.

Poor Jake sorry to say that is in fact what you are seeing. Dont despair though, after a few months they will be dirty scratched stained discolored and on the way to opaqueness.

they start the lap from a standstill or not? tyres what do they use? Adjustments to car they make? independent observers in thos nurburgring lap times?

This nurburgring stuff is getting stupid...

And why people care so much about times? 99,9% cant afford one of this cars, and 99,9% of this cars owners dont fully use the car capabilities except perhaps on track days.

Shut up fanboys/hormone-driven tennagers/obsessed anti-american retards/anti foreign car americans/ etc /etc...shut up morons...

Truly an amazing sports car, and its cheaper than the "Ford Gt".
Why can't Ford make it's GT supercar that special (tuning, competetive horsepower numbers, more exciting news about it); after all, it is an exotic. Ford focuses too much on their Mustangs (GT500, Cobra, Saleen Mustang's, Roush Mustangs).
Anyway, the Corvette's interior still looks kind of bland in my opinion.

Jake:

Is that what I am seeing, a plexiglass window so you can see the cheap, fake looking plastic engine cover???

Even though I am conditioned to expect cheapness from American car companies, this is almost too much.

That is NOT what I am seeing, right?

while i agree the plexiglass window looks kinda stupid, your not seeing an engine cover. your seeing the top mounted intercooler for the supercharger. take your domestic bashing somewhere else

If BMW or Toyota had put that window in their cars' hoods, it would've been called "Revolutionary" and "Amazing Engineering"...

Personally, I don't like it either, though.

I'd hate that silly window on any car, let alone who makes it. I'm generally(stupid X6) pro BMW but anti-Toyota. I love Corvettes, I'm looking to get a C5 soon. But I still hate that window.

If an import company had that window on their hood, I think plenty of people would say the same thing... tacky is tacky, no matter the manufacturer.

Anyone who posts any message to this site is just some blowhard!

NO ONE CARES! I am all for all you people having your own opinions, but I hate sites that let anyone like me post any random thing.

If you read this and RUN this SITE, for the love of Zora Duntov, kill this flame fest. Every page, every artical does not need to be commented on by every warm body with the interweb.

I hate myself for even posting this.

Hey Mr. "SHUT UP!!"

Shake your medicine bottle tomorrow, dude.

No, Really SHUT UP!!:

Not a bad bit of humor, I must admit.

LOL! I think "Mr. Shut up" is one of the Corvette engineers.

Buddy, if it weren't for the fact that people have the right to critisize what they don't like on a car (or anything else for that matter) we'd still be having 1950's technology. Why don't you move to China? I'm pretty sure the "don't-critisize" attitude will make you feel just like home.

And for what it's worth, I personally think that the Corvette is one very very few american cars that can compare to European and Japanese cars.
/Cheers

The Z06 time was 7:42.9 and was an official lap time. I'm am not aware of an official time from the GT-R just manufactures claim and the conditions were damp not wet. Nissan is also low balling the HP of the GTR. As Japanese website have chassis dyno’d the car well over the advertises HP which means that they are making over 500HP at the flywheel. It has also be reported that Nissan is also going to lose money on everyone which great for consumers but misleading once again. MotorTrend will also have a dyno report in there next issue. Personaly I would just wait for the official time from the ring for the GT-R though for some reason Japanese manufacture shy away from that.

I would certainly expect that time to improve by a healthy amount like low 7:30’s to high 7:20’s. The only area the ZR-1 may have problems with a GTR is 0-60 everything else should be a walk in the park. I just can’t get over the fact that the GT-R is a pig of a car at 3900lbs it’s very impressive that it still post great numbers.

The Z06 time was 7:42.9 and was an official lap time. I'm am not aware of an official time from the GT-R just manufactures claim and the conditions were damp not wet. Nissan is also low balling the HP of the GTR. As Japanese website have chassis dyno’d the car well over the advertises HP which means that they are making over 500HP at the flywheel. It has also be reported that Nissan is also going to lose money on everyone which great for consumers but misleading once again. MotorTrend will also have a dyno report in there next issue. Personaly I would just wait for the official time from the ring for the GT-R though for some reason Japanese manufacture shy away from that.

I would certainly expect that time to improve by a healthy amount like low 7:30’s to high 7:20’s. The only area the ZR-1 may have problems with a GTR is 0-60 everything else should be a walk in the park. I just can’t get over the fact that the GT-R is a pig of a car at 3900lbs it’s very impressive that it still posts great numbers.

Umm, so the "better in wet weather" all-wheel drive GTR is only slightly faster than a 2 wheel drive corvette in the same bad weather? I expect in good weather the corvette will drop those times considerably. Anybody that owns or had driven rear wheel drives often enough would agree with me. My daily driver for a long time was a 91 camaro that had a 330hp crate engine. In bad weather I could NEVER use that 330hp unless I was traveling in a straight line and in 3rd gear. Dry up the track and the corvette will shine considerably more than the GTR. Notice my logic, it's irrefutable.

I'm also a Vette fan who dislikes the window... but I expect it's performance will not disappoint. It's easy to change the hood.

I agree with those few voices arguing that the Nurburgring times are pointless... especially because there's no uniformity of measurement.

Complaining is fine... but the knee-jerk fanboyism (or witless automatic nationality hate) definitely gets tiring. Given that there's really no such thing as a nationality specific car anymore (virtually every brand is manufactured all over, Japanese and European cars in the US, US Cars in Canada and Australia, etc...), it's pretty brainless. Automatically hating on an entire range of vehicles with no other information than the brand and presumed country of origin - silly.

The Vette has been the most cost effective world class sportscar for quite a while. The GT-R looks to be the first real competition for that title it's had in years. The performance of the production car will tell (not some ubertuned nordschliefe trailer queen)... and competition is good for BOTH brands.

The 2 cars aren't even in the same class. The corvette is a souped up track car. The GTR has a back seat, a nice interior, all the amenities. If the GTR had all of the extras stripped out (that the ZR1 doesn't have), it would destroy the ZR1.

Anyone else notice the E-brake handle is on the wrong side of the center console?

I still can't get my mind past the Corvette's steering wheel...It just does not belong to a sport car...Ugly, skinny, cheap looking, non indents for the thumb...what more can I say?

That hood has to go. I understand that some exotics use Plexiglas to show off their engine, but what you can see here doesn't justify it. Louvers maybe, but not a plastic window.

Also, it puts out a ton of hp and torque, but I would expect more from a blown bow-tie. I think Chevy is just playing it safe, because this engine is nowhere near maxed. The modders will have a field day, adding hundreds of hp with little mods.

Before the GT-R fanatics post, let me just say this. I really like the GT-R, but Nurburgring is 20km of very twisty track, and a few seconds difference after 20km of very twisty track is not a lot.

Most roads you and I would run these cars on, such as the autobahn and U.S. Interstates modeled after the autobahn, are much less twisty. Highways favor the Vette. If you're in a GT-R on the highway and the ZR1 rolls up on you, you are in trouble. 100+hp more and 600lb less are huge differences on the highway.

If you're racing on a mountain road, or back roads (or downtown, which I don't do) that would favor the GT-R. Personally I would pick a lighter, more tossable car like a Cayman S or something similar for that, but to each their own.

It just depends how and where you drive. Both are extremely fast and I would gladly take either one. Stylistically I slightly prefer the Vette, although I wish it still had the flip-up headlights.

Dave,

While it might be true that cars are manufactured all over the place these days, as you pointed out, they are still generally ENGINEERED in the company's country of origin. The engineering and design is what counts in the end, putting pieces together is easy and can be done anywhere. So being loyal to a brand that is from Europe or Japan or America because you believe they engineer a superior product can make sense even if the car isn't put together in the same country.

The GT-R stock is a good match for the ZR1.

In the recent Road&Track article it STOMPED the Z06 and 911 Turbo by about 5 seconds on the Willowsprings track...5sec is HUGE on a track- we're talking MANY, MANY car lengths. It tied the Z06 0-60mph, but lost through the 0-100 and the 1/4 mile...but still spanked it on the track.

The Nissan engineer also mentioned the engine can handle quite a bit more power. It's only running 11.8psi of boost stock. The older R34 GT-R could handle 700bhp+ on the stock block easy.

What shall i do guys? I mean, before i rejected the "bang for buck" argument the corvette fans always used and blasted the corvette because of its cheapness and the displacement-power ratio (ok ok i know the difference between a pushrod and DOHC, and i know the LS engine owns the competitors when it comes to fuel efficiency but i pretend i dont know because i just have to bash american cars since i suffer from a bad case of america-obsession)...

...now the non-american car (thats all i care for, its a "non-american car") is king of the "bang for buck" and because i am america-obsessed i just have a irresistible urge to proclaim the the "bang for buck" factor is extremely important because a non-american car is now the king of "bang for buck"...i dont know what to do, im confused, should i use the "bang for buck" argument to blast the american car or will it be too much zig-zagging even for an america-obsessed person like me??

Please help me guys :(

Dear "America-Obsessed",

Go for the "bang for buck" argument, all the "america-obsessed" people on TQR should embrasse the "bang for buck" argument because the GTR now exists, remember "America" tops everything it is the God of "America-Obsessed" people, we must always have "America" on our minds even if that means zig-zagging.

If an American car gets the "bang for buck" title back we will reject that argument and imediatly launch our "Cheapness / HP-displacement" missiles and other weapons at the american car.

Matt,
You would be wrong in thinking that the vehicles are generally engineered in the company's country of origin. Honda, which is considered high quality, has a LOT of their vehicles designed and built in the here in the states. A lot of my peers from Ohio State work for Honda and travel to and from Japan. Today's car companies share a ton of information and it's the reason why almost all of the cars produced today are of similar design and quality. I was at the NYIAS a couple weeks ago and as an SAE member, I was surprised at how similar the vehicles looked. The only ones that stood out were the 2 retro GM and Dodge muscle cars, a Mazda wave concept, and the Spyker models. A few others but nothing really stood out. Many of the brands have remodeled to look a like. The trend for this "drop jaw" front end look is rather annoying and it's European based. Maybe America really does want to be European, haha.

Does everyone think this is the first car to have a window on its hood? One example is the car I almost bought as my first car back in H.S., the Alfa Romeo GTV-6 2.5 Maratona.

Umm, the e brake is in the correct location. It should be out of the way as its not used in driving.

As an owner of a sports car without cup holders extras have no place in sports car. Does Ferrari put gimmicky devices in there cars, no. However the Corvette does have cup holders and the on-board telemetry with GPS that can locate the nearest McDonald's anywhere in the world.

As for the steering wheel most of the drivers I know prefer a smooth wheel, these aren't cruisers they're street legal track cars.

The reason the Ring is used is because it's considered to be one of the most grueling road courses in the world. That simulates most anything you might encounter in the real world or any other track. Any weakness in handling will be exposed here and every manufacture universally accepts this.

I will say this though after the predicted mark-ups this is just a publicity stunt for bragging rights. There are better cars at this price range. They may not be faster but it's not going to matter to the drivers. Hell you can build just about any car to outperform this for much less cash. I really don't think these factory boy racers make sense at over $100k. At that price I can pick up a mint used Ferrari and tell the neighbors it's new and they will be far more impressed.

"...with GPS that can locate the nearest McDonald's anywhere in the world."

****** Jeremy Clarkson wannabe alert !!! ******

****** Jeremy Clarkson wannabe alert !!! ******

****** Jeremy Clarkson wannabe alert !!! ******

PS - GPS and onboard telemetry?! Cup Holders?!? Smooth wheel?!?!?! Mercyful God...

"Umm, the e brake is in the correct location. It should be out of the way as its not used in driving."

Not daily driving, no. Anyways, that's one of the things that's always turned me off about Corvettes (at least ones made in the last couple decades) -- why is it so hard to be like every other company and put the stick and the e-brake in the MIDDLE? This whole "push the stick to the left and put a tacky looking cup holder on the right" and "put the e-brake on the far right so it's hard to reach" crap really irks me.

The e brake is the same place in my RX-7 what's the problem? Have you sat in one they're not that big inside.

@RX-7 Gay: That's called flattery dumb ass now come back when you're old enough to drive.

Can't wait to try both the Vette & GTR out!!!

Though... I'm willing to wager, the plexi-glass will fade to a smeared white colour...

Regardless it's still an amazing vehicle, and in the company of some other great performance cars.

Love it!!

According to Edmunds the track was damp, the drivers drunk, there were roadworks and one tire was missing, moreover the track times were rough estimates by a blind spectator.
When GM releases the actual track times for the ZR1, they expect them to be even better. The Nissan GT-R achieved a 7:38 lap time and under the right conditions the ZR1 is expected to beat that.

what a waste of time

^ LMAOF

If the GTR lost 600lbs, made an extra 140hp, and had a $30k price increase... would it be better than the ZR1?

Or on the other hand, if the ZR1 gained 600lbs, lost 140hp, and was $30k cheaper, is it equal to the GTR? (except for the weight, isn't that almost a C6 Z06?)

Either way, why doesn't GM use a turbocharger instead of a supercharger with this car? Low-end torque and lag aren't a problem with a large 6.2l V8, and the amount of power at the same boost is higher with a turbo than a supercharger. The LS9 seems to be a reinforced LS7 with lower cylinder pressure. With a turbo and it's 6600rpm redline, the LS9 could be a bit more capable. I dunno, adiabetic loss just seems like a losing situation to me... especially when compared to turbocharging.

Learn the difference between a turbo and a supercharger first i think.

also where did people get this magic 7:25 time for nuburgring from? the C6 comes in at 7:40.

the GTR V-spec has been caught doing 7:25 around the track and its still got allot of flashy bits. also i'd like to know what tyres the vette is running as i doubt its using runflats like the GTR. change the runflats on the GTR to semi slicks and i would dare say you are gonna see what the GTR is really made of.

sufficive to say i think there are far better cars than the vette with the GTR being one of them.

i think that the vette has been one of the most overrated cars for years. its good in a straight line but other than that its useless.

oh and the vette is definitely cheap looking. mind you so are Ferrari's these days as well.

@ RX-7 who said:

"As for the steering wheel most of the drivers I know prefer a smooth wheel, these aren't cruisers they're street legal track cars."

I suggest you to take a look at the G37, BMW Mseries steering wheel, or the Brabus, AMG, or even the DTM style steering wheel, and tell me if they are without indents to the thumb, palm, and what not, and if they look any thing close to the cheap, skinny steering wheel on this Corvette. Do you think those indents are for "cruisers"...I believe you don't know, you have no freaking idea about what you're talking about, honestly.

Hi all
just a quick observation.. the engine on this thing is massive, fuel economy is a joke for sure but those who can afford one must not care of course, but.. is there anyway that chevy could make a smaller faster car available instead of one with an ever-growing engine?
what will happen to chevy when we have a gas crisis and no-one can drive that type of car?? - have you seen the lots at the dealers these days?? - everyone's trading in their SUV's for CUV, minivans for sedans if they really don't need the space, and from full sized to mid-sized w./ a four banger if possible.. after the 3000 cars they sell to the rich, whose's going to buy this and will it just fade away as even the rich get eco-conscious?
If i could even buy such a car, i'd purchase a lotus instead, it's just so much lighter.

Four words: Transverse mounted Leaf Springs.

Then there is the push rod V8.

Let's not forget everyone's favorite-cheap interior, and some plastic body panels.

But they did boast about having all carbon ceramic brakes!

I suggest everyone read the Nurburging track records to see what this thing might do. Most of the Supercars are between 7:30 and 7:40 (most ~7:32). A few super tuner exotics are under 7:30. McLaren F1 claims to hit 7:11, and Porsche 996 GT2 RS hit 7:15.

Yes, that push rod v8. How about it's cousin, the LS7. Last I checked, the Z06 with the LS7 was the first and only car to date to have 500+ hp and no gas guzzler. So much for the fuel argument. You can thank the push rods and large displacement for that.

As for why GM went with a super and not a turbo. When the idea was originally tossed around, they thought of using a turbo. They didn't want turbo lag, and all the piping involved with a turbo would have taken up more space vs the super adding an inch to the hood and air intake being a straight shot into the super followed by the motor. The super involved is a 6th generation Eaton, using 4 lobe-rotors instead of 3, making it quieter and more efficient. The lose is between 70-80 hp vs 120 hp with the 3 lobe. Also, do to this and inter cooler efficiency, its total efficiency is close to turbos, though still not quite as good. If this super hadn't come out, it would have been turbo or just not happened.

"Four words: Transverse mounted Leaf Springs."

"Then there is the push rod V8."

Tell me why their bad Von Braun...

Transverse mounted leaf springs are bad because the poster knows nothing about suspension and spring design.

The push rod V8 is bad because the poster has bought into the fallacy that tiny high revving boosted engines are inherently more "high tech" than larger displacement engines - and the facts be damned.

wtf are you talking about leaf springs are bad because cars had them back in the 60s and the same thing goes with pushrods. Piston engines are bad because the technology is 100 years old and rotory engines are bad because the technology is 60 years old. I kid though. This car is going to be one sick machine. The gtr is a very fast machine but it has to many drawbacks and other things to make it a sweet machine to me. If I have to take the car to a dealer to get the wheels changed then im not going to running r compound tires. As for the corvette well its a corvette. It will be very fast in a straight line really fast in the bend if its a newer c6 have a acceptable interior and a massive v8 putting more power then god knows what do with. The gtr is just to tame in comparison it doesnt have the flash or the showmanship that any other super car has its just a nissan thats fast and costs alot of money.

@Ellimist:

Haha, you're funny... implying I don't know the difference between a turbocharger and a supercharger.

@Avatar:

GM should be intelligent enough to size a turbocharger properly for the engine. A large engine like the LS7 wouldn't have a problem with lag or spool up time on almost any T4 frame turbo. VE of a supercharger doesn't even come close to a turbocharger, unles the turbo is undersized and disrupting flow. The very concept of the supercharger taking energy away from the engine to create pressure places it at a disadvantage to a turbo, which uses spent exhaust gas pressure to work.

As for the weight argument, it does add a few extra pounds, especially if GM were to use two smaller frame turbos and an intercooler. But if 620hp was the goal and the base 6.2l engine already make like 500hp, it would only take about 6psi to eclipse that number. For any turbo larger than a T2 frame making 6psi, there is no need for an intercooler. This a rather guestimations since the engine is a short stroke and slightly high compression(for an american V8, anyways).

I think the sole reason GM went with a supercharger is because corvettes of the past used them, and they are reluctant to change the corvette formula. It's still a very nice car, but If Dodge decides to boost the Viper, GM may be in trouble. Actually, I think every sports car may be in trouble, since Dodge has a habit of turbocharging rather than supercharging their cars.

I saw the most spectacular accident in my life this weekend when a Z06 trying to take a set of bending roads lost controll and spun into the guardrail and 3 of its rims broke off one of wich flew like 30 ft in the air and then the car slid to a stop. i was in the oncoming trafic direction and slowly rolled by the driver and i lowered my window and with a grin i said man you shouldnt have tried to take a corner fast with that car. he looked like he was doing about 80 in a 45mph speed zone between 143rd and 151st street on harlem avenue this 04/11/08. haha he was like in tears... i kept driving, time is money...

seriously, on paper ZR1 is a whole class ahead of GT-R, it should be on the road as well. (maybe they should let a race-car driver drive it instead of Bob Lutz)

@dennisil:
I'm sure the car had little to do with the accident considering Z06 can embarrass cars like F430 on a track. Blame the driver and maybe even road conditions (dirt and sand on a twiste = instant pwnage).

I dont think it was the cause of the cars suspension by any means but that Z06 takes a racecar drivers credentials to get the best out of it.

"6.2l engine already make like 500hp"
No actually that's the 7.0L LS7. The 6.2L LS3 makes ~430HP in the current base Vette. So that throws your numbers off a hair, although it doesn't totally ruin your point. When he was talking about the piping and whatnot for a turbo/twin turbo, I think he was referring to space as much as anything else. As he said, its a lot easier to get a little hood clearance than to make room elsewhere.

I like turbos as much as the next guy, but I'm sure they weighed their options and went the path of least resistance. They're using a solid supercharger setup, at the very least. Dual 4-lobe rotors of that size is nothing to sneeze at, and if you want more power, it won't be hard to extract it out of the beast.

Down the road, however, I wouldn't be surprised to see to see highend Vettes factory turbocharged.

GM should have just outsourced to Lingenfelter.

For 50k after market, he has a twin turbo C6 427cu in pushing 750, 800 and 1000hp. Also has 630hp from the 378cu in. Add body kits, too!

I sound like a commercial, but just wondering, since most of the work was already done before by the aftermarket.

I still hate American cars though.

It should be noted that the ZR1 is achieving faster times than the Z06 so far, and the only people who've been driving it so far have been engineers. They haven't even gotten Jan to come do the hot lap yet and the car's already beating the hot lap he did in the Z06.

Also the GTR's quoted hp rating is at the wheels. Fact.

I'm not gonna lie that I'm not a fan of domestic cars, but I'm starting to like the ZR1, now granted it's not really in the same class as the GTR it's still gonna be a pretty cool car. Now I will gripe that GM is still using pushrods (WTF?!?!!) but the leaf-springs do make a little sense. Leaf springs aren't that bad but I think a nice set of bilsteins or some other type of coilover would have been much better.

I'm gonna hold my reservations for now though, I wanna see some official times and whatnot before I make any judgments.

We need Sabine Schmidt to take this out on the ring. Surely if she can take a transit van at blistering speeds she can take this.

You are correct Alexvrb. Just look at the under the hood shot above. There is not much room, and no room is wasted. Turbo/s would also add heat to the engine bay. With the added heat, it would need a bigger inter cooler and better engine cooling, meaning more weigh, which means more space, which in turn throws off the front to back weight distribution even more and then in turn effects the handling. The added power of a turbo over a super has it's draw backs. These are some, and there are some more like the fact that turbo/s need oil. They already added 2.5 quarts for the ZR1, it most likely would have needed more, which again starts the whole space weight thing all over again.

Lingenfelter makes some awesome power from the Vettes, but it does it at the expense of engine longevity. GM didn't push it to the max, because they need it to last 100+ thousand miles before the warranty is up. As stated however, it will be fairly easy to get more power out of this. Simply change the pulley.

You simply can't gain anything for nothing, something has to be lost. One of the laws of the universe.

"Lingenfelter makes some awesome power from the Vettes, but it does it at the expense of engine longevity. GM didn't push it to the max, because they need it to last 100+ thousand miles before the warranty is up. As stated however, it will be fairly easy to get more power out of this. Simply change the pulley."

They're not going to push Lingenfelter HP numbers from the factory. Yeah, they have to warranty engines that are dogged hard for many miles.

"You simply can't gain anything for nothing, something has to be lost. One of the laws of the universe."
Blasphemy! :P

Easy way in figuring out how fast they are is to have the Stig from TopGear take it for a spin. Since it's always the same track that professional driver that knows it like the back of his hand.

Check these out:

http://www.topgear.com/content/tgonbbc2/laptimes/thestig/

Without crunching any numbers, I think you get more bang for the bucks with the corvette.

ok. you also have to remember that the gtr is 4wheel drive so it can corner tighter and fastest and the zr1 is rear wheel drive and so if you give it to much gas you are just goin to spin out from all the power. it doesnt matter that much the difference in power , its mostly the driver. its also like i said that the gtr SHOULD be able to corner faster cuz it wont spin out.