The C8 ZR1 is the fastest Corvette in General Motors’ history, and it isn’t close

Like anything else, performance cars are a passion. If you’re like me, the unveiling of a new generation of Corvette is similar to Taylor Swift debuting a new album, or J.K. Rowling releasing a new Harry Potter novel some years ago. The imagination runs wild with the thrill of potential. You hope that this next one will be even better than the last and will hopefully be something you come back to over and over again when you need a genuine smile.

The C8 Corvette represented a paradigm shift in the ideology of GM’s halo car. Gone was the front-engine C7 with its signature clamshell hood, and in its place, a mid-engine domestic exotic that redefined American sports cars. Yet, even with nearly 500 hp from the base model, it wasn’t long before Bowtie enthusiasts wanted more from their new heart-stopping halo car. Happy to oblige, GM brought back the heralded race-ready Z06 badge, and while 670 hp is awesome, it still could not eclipse the incredible 755 hp high water mark left by the C7 ZR1.

So, five years into its production, Chevrolet has brought about the eighth-generation Corvette ZR1, and with it, the most incredible production vehicle General Motors has ever built.

The origin of the mighty ZR1 goes back more than half a century

The ZR1 began as a passion project by the godfather of the Corvette, Zora-Arkus Duntov. This alphanumeric code is rumored to stand for Zora’s Racer-1 – 1, as this top-tier ‘Vette was the ultimate track-focused machine in GM’s lineup. Just 53 of these cars were built between 1970 and 1972, making their rarity even more astonishing than their performance for the time.

Coming as something of a surprise to big block fans, the ZR1 was outfitted with the smaller 5.7-liter  LT-1 V-8. But, where it lacked in size, this particular small block made up for in power and weight. Using a high-revving solid-lifter cam, deep-breathing Holley four-barrel carburetor attached to lighter aluminum heads, and a cast iron block, the mighty LT-1 could put down an impressive (for the time) 370 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. Not being oblivious to the power potential of Chevy’s rat motors, the ZR2 did get a tricked-out 454 cubic-inch LS6 motor that put down a very conservative 425 hp.

The original ZR1 could sprint from 0-60 mph in the low six-second range and trap the quarter mile in the low 14s. It is worth noting that those times were attained with skinny 1970s-era bias-ply tires that were about as tractable as a pair of Air Force Ones would be on a frozen lake. The ZR1’s 180 mph top speed is a bit more telling of the true potential that Zora’s original racer possessed.

The C4 ZR-1 redefined domestic performance

The ZR1 badge laid dormant for roughly the next thirty years before GM decided to resurrect its halo car’s heroic persona. Along with its new hyphenated name, the C4 ZR-1 was built from 1990 until 1995 and featured a spectacular new purpose-built engine. Dubbed the LT5, this 5.7-liter small block shared the same displacement with its siblings, but that was where the comparisons stopped. The first dual-overhead cam motor to ever be fitted beneath the front-hinged hood of a Corvette, the LT5 was designed by Lotus and then hand-built by Mercury Marine’s MerCruiser division.

Storming out of the gate with 375 hp and 370 lb-ft of torque, power increased to 405 hp and 385 lb-ft for the final two model years of the C4 ZR-1. As the first true American supercar, the ZR-1 could hurdle from 0-60 mph in the low four-second range and through the quarter-mile in the low-13 low-13-second range. Top speed matched that of the original ZR1 at 180 mph, but unlike the C3, the C4 version allowed the driver’s heart to remain inside their chest thanks to a much more stable and aerodynamic ride.

The C6 ZR1 was a true 200 mph supercar

Skipping over the fifth generation, the ZR1 reappeared, sans hyphen, from 2009 to 2013. Unlike every other Corvette to roll off GM’s assembly line, the C6 ZR1 was created with the line’s first supercharged V-8 engine. Based on a modified and beefed-up version of the LS3, the ZR1’s (then) new 6.2-liter LS9 V-8 used a Roots-style Eaton blower and air-to-water intercooler to pump out a staggering 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque.

The first modern GM supercar of the 21st century, the C6 ZR1 could run from 0-60 mph in a scant 3.4 seconds, 0-100 mph in just 7 seconds flat, and through the quarter mile in  11.3 seconds at 131 mph. With a drag-limited top speed of 205 mph, the C6 ZR1 became the single fastest Corvette model ever built. A record it held for a decade until its successor came along.

The C7 is the last ultimate front-engine Corvette

The last of the front-engine Corvettes, the seventh generation of GM’s halo car will always hold a special place in the hearts and minds of enthusiasts and collectors. And in true Bowtie style, if you’re going to go out, go out with a bang.

Picking up where the C6 ZR1 left off, the C7 Z also used a supercharged V-8 engine. Based on the third-generation LT1 used in the base C7, the new LT5 (Chevy likes to renew engine codes) became the latest and greatest motor to come inside a production Corvette. Using, among other things, an Eaton TVS R2650 blower that, thanks to 14.0 psi of maximum boost, allowed the LT5 to create 755 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque. That’s more than double the original ZR1, and nearly double that of the mighty C4Z.

With a host of aerodynamic body accouterments, the C7 ZR-1 could sprint from 0-60 mph in a still-traction-limited 3.0 seconds flat. Don’t lose your nerve and 0-100 mph took a mere 6.1 seconds, while the quarter mile flashed by in a mere 10.8 seconds at a blistering 135 mph. The C7 ZR1 also became the new king of top speed, posting a best of 212 mph.

The C8 ZR1 is the king of Corvettes

So, really, that should be enough, right? At some point, someone should exercise some restraint and say that 755 hp is plenty … right? Wrong. The C8 ZR1 takes everything that was insane and makes it feel almost mundane.

Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder says, “There is an insatiable thirst in the sports car world for the ultimate in performance. And the ZR1 is certainly that in the Corvette lineup. It’s at the very top.” And he’s right. The ZR1 is officially the first American hypercar, proving quickly why it is the new king of the most prestigious lineage in Corvette history.

The ZR1 begins with the same motor as the already silly-fast C8 Z06. A dual overhead cam 5.5-liter outfitted with forged pistons attached to a flat-plane crankshaft, which allows quicker and higher engine speeds than traditional overhead valve engines. Historically, flat-plane crank motors have been limited to a maximum of about 4.5 liters of displacement due to the enormous amount of side-to-side vibrations this setup can generate. But, GM (along with Ford and its GT350) has upped the ante to a stout 5.5-liters, making it something of a big block V-8 in the world of flat-plane-crank engines.

Whereas the Z06 makes do with a naturally aspirated version of this high-performance motor called the LT6, GM engineers decided to tack on a pair of turbochargers that pump up to 20 psi of boost into the block to allow the C8 ZR1 to create a stupefying 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque, while redlining at a spine-tingling 8,000 rpm, making the LT7 the ultimate expression of Corvette power.

However, it should be noted that although both the Z06 and ZR1 share the same block casting, the ZR1 does get its own cylinder heads, camshafts, and internal parts that are designed to handle the specific forces the LT7 has to deal with. Those 1.064 ponies are corraled and funneled from this monstrous motor through an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission before being sent to just the rear wheels, which are left with the impossible task of putting all that prodigious power to the tarmac.

The result? Assistant Chief Engineer of Small Block Engines Dustin Gardner says of the ZR1’s power:

Simply put, the C8 Corvette ZR1 is the single quickest and fastest production vehicle, Corvette or otherwise, that General Motors has ever created. Period. End of story.

How fast is it? When outfitted with the optional ZTK Performance Package that adds a high-downforce rear wing, stiffer springs, various aero pieces, and a set of super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, the C8 ZR1 rockets from 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds and through the quarter mile in an organ-shifting 9.6 seconds at 150 mph. Keep your foot on the gas, and the ZR1 will finally run out of gear at 233 mph.

And with that, Chevrolet’s C8 ZR1 brings with it all the emotional evocation of Taylor Swift’s voice, and with all of its unbelievable technology and power, enough magic to make J.K. Rowling proud. The ZR1 was, and will always be, the ultimate expression of everything we love about the Corvette. Thank you, Chevy, thank you.

The post The C8 ZR1 is the fastest Corvette in General Motors’ history, and it isn’t close appeared first on The Manual.