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Car and Driver
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Tested: 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 Is an Undercover Supercar
From the April 1990 issue of Car and Driver. A word of advice to you cynics in the audience: don't even think about brushing off the new ZR-1 as just a Corvette with more horsepower. After two weeks and 2179 miles with a production-line version, we're here to report that the ZR-1 is something else entirely. Its 375 hp does more than propel it to dizzying speeds—that massive allotment of power catapults the ZR-1 to a completely new plane, the rarefied realm where a car becomes more than just a car. To a certain cadre of knowledgeable enthusiasts, the ZR-1's reputation has already assumed mythic proportions. After a slew of rave pre-production reviews, this brutal Corvette has become a spiritual icon, ready to take its place in the car guy's house of worship next to such awe-inspiring legends as the Cobra, the Hemi, and the Countach. During our time with the ZR-1, we professional skeptics turned up ample evidence of its heroic status. Don Johnston | Car and Driver Item: An ad in the Chicago Sun-Times shows a Chicago-area Chevy dealer offering a new ZR-1 for $112,500, which is nearly double its list price. Item: A C/D editor is approached at a local eatery by a trio of college-age youths. "That your Corvette, sir?" one of them asks. "Yes, it is." "But it has square taillights." "Well, yes, it does." "But only ZR-1s At which point the three bolt for an up-close look, leaving behind a unanimous "Wow!" as they charge out the door. Item: On the test track, the car pictured here rips a 176-mph hole through the air as it barrels around the Transportation Research Center of Ohio's 7.5-mile high-speed oval. Among U.S.-specification production cars, only a healthy Ferrari Testarossa would be able to equal that performance. Don Johnston | Car and Driver It's been nearly twenty years since Chevrolet offered a Corvette with anything like this brand of speed (the last of the monster big-block engines was emasculated at the end of the 1971 model run), so it's not surprising that the faithful have been eagerly awaiting the 3000 ZR-1s that Chevrolet will produce this season. As fast as the legendary Corvettes were, the ZR-1 has more top end. And with its 4.6-second 0-to-60-mph time and 12.9-second, 111-mph quarter-mile clocking, it's the quickest-accelerating Corvette we've ever tested. It's also the quickest U.S.-legal production car on the market. Not even the Testarossa can stay with it through the gears. All of this makes the ZR-1 immune to the normal market forces at work on most other automobiles. This is not a car in the conventional sense; it's an object of desire, a toy, a piece of history. At this plateau, the standards of comparison change. Suddenly a lot of things don't matter anymore. It's silly to criticize a Testarossa for its antiquated switch gear or a Countach for its plain upholstery. Likewise, Corvette ZR-1s will be snapped up at premium prices regardless of whether they are exemplary all-around automobiles. But will they be valued for the right reasons? They will by everyone who buys a ZR-1 for the purpose of exercising it. If our two weeks behind the wheel taught us anything, it's that the ZR-1 is as exotic as any Ferrari or Lamborghini. It's just different, with its own special way of delivering its prodigious performance. And as with any exotic, to enjoy it you have to have a taste for the particular way it goes about its business. Don Johnston | Car and Driver If your taste runs to brutish, you'll love the ZR-1. That's no criticism. A ZR-1 in full song is a dead-serious automobile blunt and worthy of respect. Its bellicose engine note will fill your gut with adrenaline, and its raw power will make you think twice before burying your right foot in the carpet. You don't unleash this car casually. It's the ZR-1's engine, called the LT5, that sets it apart from standard-issue Vettes. Sure, the ZR-1's rear fenders are stretched and stuffed with massive 315/35ZR-17 rubber and its tail-end styling is slightly different, but only the cognoscenti will notice. The 375-hp, 32-valve, 5.7-liter V-8 is what puts the demon in this car's soul. The engine's sound alone will make you a believer. Plant your right foot in any gear at any rpm and you hear something wonderful. At 1500 rpm, the LT5 sounds flatulent and full, like a 1950s hot rod with glasspack mufflers. By 2000 rpm, you pick up the distant beat of drums. At 3000 rpm, the drumbeats turn into mulled machine-gun fire. By 4000 rpm, the engine note is loud and hoarse; now the LT5 is deep-breathing in earnest. From 4500 rpm to the 7000-rpm redline, the lusty V-8 emits a headstrong, metallic cry, like a giant circular saw ready to slice through anything in its way. Don Johnston | Car and Driver The sweetly violent soundtrack booming through the cabin is entirely appropriate considering what's happening outside. At full throttle in first or even second gear, the ZR-1 rears up like a startled stallion and lunges ahead. If the road is wet, it will spin its wheels all the way to 80 mph, despite its limited-slip differential. What's even more impressive is how long the thrill of acceleration lasts. Most cars begin to fade at 80 or 90 mph, but the ZR-1 hurtles on as if possessed. Keep the throttle down on a two-lane road and the trees blur into a turbulent tunnel. Bursts of 100 mph or more are possible even on short straightaways. As fast as the ZR-1 is, there is a practical limit to its performance. Even in the relatively uncrowded Midwest, it's hard to find enough clear, straight highway to wind the ZR-1 beyond 140 mph comfortably. Indeed, running a ZR-1 anywhere near its top speed will take cunning and planning. We went to the TRC oval to ensure that we could go nearly three miles a minute in complete safety. Don Johnston | Car and Driver This car's real worth only emerges when you use it hard, because if you don't, you'll forever wonder what all the fuss is about. If you baby the throttle and shift at 2500 rpm, the ZR-1 is as docile as any regular Corvette. Even an expert would have a hard time detecting that this is the wild-animal version. There is little to tip you off inside the cabin. From the driver's seat, the ZR-1 looks nearly identical to its less powerful stablemates. Only the 7000-rpm redline on the tach, the removable engine-power key in the dash (it lets you dial the engine's horsepower back by about a third to cool the ardor of curious parking valets), and the bothersome glare of the "full engine power" light distinguish it from its lesser brethren. Don Johnston | Car and Driver Easy driving also reveals that the ZR-1 comes standard with all the vices and virtues of normal Corvettes. The fiberglass body creaks and groans—our brand-new test car loosened up considerably in the short time we had it—and the big glass hatch flutters annoyingly at high speed. Everyone who drove the car complained about the zoomy, new-for-1990 dash and its hard-to-read instruments. Nor is the interior's fit and finish anywhere near what it ought to be for a car in the 30-grand range, let alone one costing nearly twice that much. Of course, the ZR-1 also delivers all of the good things we've come to expect from Corvettes. Once again we find ourselves singing a chorus of praise for the Vette's race-car-sharp handling. (Experts will detect more understeer than in the standard car, thanks in part to the ZR-1's wider rear tires, which provide more bite at the back.) The massive, ABS-equipped brakes are superb. The cockpit-adjustable shock-absorber system works admirably, and the six-speed manual gearbox—the only transmission offered—is a joy to row. Don Johnston | Car and Driver It's the ZR-1's split personality that distinguishes it from the rest of the world's exotic iron. Compared with, say, a Lambo or a Ferrari, the ZR-1 is almost invisible; you don't encounter inquisitive stares every time you roll up to a stoplight. Passers-by never pigeonhole you when you're trying to make a clean getaway. If what you really want is attention, buy something else. Only a few knowledgeable enthusiasts will ever recognize a ZR-1 for what it is. To us, that's all part of the ZR-1's appeal. This is a thrilling car for driving; who cares if it's a complete bust at posing? The ZR-1 thumbs its nose at the famous-label exotics and delivers the goods in its own distinctive, cut-to-the-chase style. Maybe you like that kind of car, maybe you don't. We know which side of the argument we come down on: the new ZR-1 isn't just another Corvette. It's the Corvette. Counterpoints First things first. The ZR-1 is the best Corvette ever built. It easily outshines the revered L88s, LT-1s, and fuelies of yore. As great as those cars were in their day, none of them comes close to the ZR-1 in performance and handling. (I'd bet that a ZR-1 could even outgun a 427 Cobra on the racetrack.) Best of all, the ZR-1 is more comfortable and everyday-usable than a 176-mph car has a right to be. That said, I doubt that the ZR-1 will win over many Porsche or Ferrari aficionados. Despite its princely price, it still suffers the squeaks and rattles that plague regular Vettes. And it shares the same ergonomic shortcomings—gauges with needles that move down as temperatures move up, a cheap-looking gray dash littered with tacky orange lettering, and a blazing warning light that lasers into your eyes at night should you have the effrontery to leave the valet key in the "full engine power" position. None of this dilutes the joy that the ZR-1 brings to confirmed Vette fans. But the infidels will likely remain unconvinced. —Csaba Csere The Corvette ranked as my favorite car when I was fifteen and TV brought Route 66, wherein a Vette and two studs had their way with America. In the meantime came much experience with many cars. So I've been mortified every time the Vette was voted among our 10Best Cars. It represents a very blunt instrument: big tires and torque, little finesse or quality. Five years ago, our long-term Vette fell apart faster than it had been slapdashed together. It drove and creaked like a rolling hinge. Now the garden-variety Corvette has been surpassed by Nissan's sensational 300ZX Turbo. The fearsome ZR-1 blows off both but fails to improve on the all-around (sub)standards of the regular Vette. Despite its extra engine technology, the ZR-1 can't damp the coarseness common to all Chevy V-8s. The huge tires give good "g" but jerk you laterally over pavement ruts and seams. Nothing major feels as if it were about to fall off, but I still fear finding the pedals awash in nuts and bolts. If my feet are going to fail me, I'd rather it be my fault. —Larry Griffin Corvettes have always been like grain alcohol to me: all punch without much taste. I like sleek, fast two-seaters, but for all the potential promised by the regular Corvette—including the arrival of the fine six-speed transmission in 1989—its squeaks, shakes, and front-heavy feel prevent the car from being either rewarding or appealing. The ZR-1 is different. It's easier to drive than any Corvette I've known. Very easy, in fact, for a machine capable of reaching 176 mph and leaping to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Its 375-horsepower V-8 lies tame at idle and answers your commands more smoothly than the overhead-valve base engine. The ZR-1's suspension, switched to the lightest, Touring setting, is controlled and honest: you feel the road, and the feedback is welcome rather than painful. With some luck, the ZR-1's refinements and chassis development will eventually trickle down to the more accessible base car. Which would certainly give the regular Corvette the taste I'm looking for. —Phil Berg Specifications Specifications 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door targa PRICE Base/As Tested: $32,479/$59,675 Options: ZR-1 package (consists of LT5 5.7-liter DOHC V-8, 11.0 x 17-in rear wheels, P315/35ZR-17 rear tires, ZR-1 bodywork, Z51 suspension with FX3 adjustable shocks, leather sport seats, 6-way power seats, low-tire-pressure warning system, sound system, and heat-absorbing windshield coating), $27,016; automatic climate-control system, $180. ENGINE DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection Displacement: 349 in3, 5727 cm3 Power: 375 hp @ 5800 rpm Torque: 370 lb-ft @ 5600 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink Brakes, F/R: 13.0-in vented disc/12.0-in vented disc Tires: Goodyear Eagle ZR F: P275/40AR-17 R: P315/35ZR-17 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 96.2 in Length: 176.5 in Width: 74.0 in Height: 46.7 in Passenger Volume: 49 ft3 Cargo Volume: 18 ft3 Curb Weight: 3527 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 4.6 sec 100 mph: 10.6 sec 1/4-Mile: 12.9 sec @ 111 mph 130 mph: 18.7 sec 150 mph: 30.0 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 12.4 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 12.3 sec Top Speed: 176 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 162 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 14 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY City/Highway: 16/25 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED Reviewed by Rich Ceppos Director, Buyer's Guide Rich Ceppos has evaluated automobiles and automotive technology during a career that has encompassed 10 years at General Motors, two stints at Car and Driver totaling 20 years, and thousands of miles logged in racing cars. He was in music school when he realized what he really wanted to do in life and, somehow, it's worked out. In between his two C/D postings he served as executive editor of Automobile Magazine; was an executive vice president at Campbell Marketing & Communications; worked in GM's product-development area; and became publisher of Autoweek. He has raced continuously since college, held SCCA and IMSA pro racing licenses, and has competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona. He currently ministers to a 1999 Miata, and he appreciates that none of his younger colleagues have yet uttered "Okay, Boomer" when he tells one of his stories about the crazy old days at C/D.
Edmunds
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Edmunds
The 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 Is a 1,064-HP, $200K Bargain
That incredible power makes the ZR1 brutally quick, of course. For context, in a Z06, we recorded 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 10.6 seconds. For the ZR1, Chevy is claiming 2.3 seconds to 60 mph and 9.6 seconds through the quarter mile, but that's with rollout, a drag-racing relic that reduces the time but doesn't make much sense in the real world. Much more startling and significant is the Corvette ZR1's performance in third and fourth gear, where its 828 lb-ft of torque is felt most keenly. The Circuit of the Americas is a huge, flowing racetrack designed for Formula 1, and this tends to minimize the sensation of speed. Thankfully, the Corvette's built-in data recorder doesn't lie. At the end of the main straightaway, I'm braking from 177 mph. At the end of the start-finish straight, which includes a sharp incline, I'm cresting 155 mph. Last time I drove this circuit, I was at the wheel of a McLaren 720S and the Chevy feels appreciably faster in a straight line. If you're going to enjoy this car as its engineers intended, you're going to need to join the track day community. To extract the best from the ZR1, you need a lot of circuit to match a lot of car.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 May Turn Out to Be Quite Rare
The final Corvette allocation cycle for the 2025 model year is underway, and thanks to intrepid members of the MidEngineCorvettteForum, we appear to know how many 1064-horsepower ZR1s will be built before the line in Bowling Green flips the page to the updated 2026 model year version. Up to this point, just 302 ZR1 orders have been accepted by the factory and entered into the system where they can be tracked by employees and the handful of future owners, according to a seemingly well-placed forum user known as Corvette Ed. With dealers reportedly receiving zero new ZR1 allocations for the final cycle of 2025, it looks like that's where the count will stop for year one. Not only does that make the 233 mph monster's maiden voyage one of the shortest in recent memory for a 'Vette variant, the first 302 are guaranteed to stand out in the long run — as they will be the only ones ever fitted with the original C8 Corvette interior. Starting in 2026, all examples of America's Sports Car, from Stingray to ZR1, will be treated to a slew of interior upgrades that notably includes the removal of the so-called 'wall of buttons' that has been polarizing car circles since 2020. Of that initial run of 302 cars, 185 are slated to be coupes, according to the report, leaving 117 orders for the hard top convertible. The 61% take rate for the coupe and its exclusive split rear window flips the script on what we've seen with the other widebody C8s, which started in 2023 with the Performance Car of the Year-winning Z06. That year, drop-top Z06s outsold coupes 3304 to 3109; the following year, bolstered by the emergence of the hybrid all-wheel-drive E-Ray, the widebody 'verts were victorious again, by a margin of 140 units (6066 to 5926). Unfortunately, the report still leaves us in the dark regarding take rate on the big-winged ZTK track package that debuted on and adorned some 70% of the swansong C7 ZR1s – though, with heavy constraints plaguing carbon fiber parts across the C8 range throughout 2025, the new car isn't likely to approach the ratio of the '19s. The MidEngineCorvetteForum post also goes into the paint choices of the orders, and brings up another outlier in the limited crop of '25 ZR1s: just 22 examples will reportedly wear colors that have since been retired, 16 in Sea Wolf Gray and six in Rapid Blue. Regardless of spec, releasing an inaugural run of 302 ZR1s into a world clamoring for the model's herculean horsepower is likely to be a recipe bound to test Chevrolet's anti-flipping measures. All ZR1 buyers are subject to a 12-month no-sell clause that, if broken, could earn them a large profit — but also land them a 'no high-demand' cars list and void the warranty for the second owner. Even with these risks in place, it should be interesting to watch first owners testing the waters early on; when the first Z06s hit Bring a Trailer, for example, they were commanding as much as $100,000 over sticker, warranty or not. With the ZR1 starting at $174,995 and easily climbing past $200K with options, there's no telling how high collectors might push the market for the first Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
Car and Driver
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Test Numbers Through the Years
The 1064-hp 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is here, and we've got all the instrumented numbers. How do the Corvette ZR1s of the past compare to the new ZR1's 2.2-second time to 60 mph and sub-10-second quarter-mile time? Here are all the straight-line, roadholding, and instrumented-testing results for each ZR1 generation. Welcome to Car and Driver's Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We've been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here). We, and only we, have the full instrumented test numbers for the C8-generation ZR1. As impressive as they are, it occurred to us that comparing them to the ZR1s of the past helps to put the numbers into perspective. So we're taking a look at how much the ZR1's acceleration, roadholding, and braking figures have improved over the fourth-generation (C4) ZR-1, the sixth-generation (C6) ZR1, and the seventh-generation (C7) ZR1. In case you're wondering, the ultra-rare early-'70s C3 ZR-1 eluded us when it came time to strap on the test equipment. C4 ZR-1 Tom Drew | Car and Driver Even by modern standards, the original 375-hp Corvette ZR-1 is still a very quick car. Although it had massive Goodyear Gatorbacks at every corner, tire technology has advanced since the early 1990s. Accelerating to 60 mph took just 4.5 seconds, and 100 mph arrived in 10.4 seconds. The quarter-mile fell in 12.8 seconds at 111 mph. Braking from 70 mph to zero required 170 feet. The C4 ZR-1 managed 0.89 g on a 300-ft skidpad—commendable for the time, of course, but lagging considerably behind modern counterparts. But before the C4 Corvette gave way to the introduction of the C5, Chevy's engineers cooked up an even more powerful ZR-1. The 1993 car bumped the horsepower figure up to 405 and the torque figure up to 385 pound-feet at 5200 rpm. Despite the extra power on paper, the updated C4 ZR-1 took 4.7 seconds to reach 60 mph in our testing, though, at the time, editor John Phillips chalked up the original's time as "mostly testimony to the unpredictable tolerance with which MerCruiser tended to assemble engines." C6 ZR1 Rich Chenet | Car and Driver Corvette historians know that there was no fifth-generation (C5) ZR1. With 638 horsepower available from its supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, C6 ZR1 times to 60 mph dropped to a still-amazing 3.4. The 100-mph sprint took just 7.6 seconds, and the quarter-mile was gone in 11.5 seconds at 128 mph. The other numbers remain impressive today. Stopping from 70 mph took just 142 feet in our 2009 test car, and lateral acceleration jumped up to 1.07 g's on the skidpad. C7 ZR1 Michael Simari | Car and Driver If the C6 ZR-1's test results were eye-opening, the C7 ZR-1's were otherworldly: hitting a mile a minute in 2.9 seconds, 100 mph in 6.0, and the quarter-mile in 10.7 at 135 mph. The stop matched the go. Despite weighing 321 pounds more than the previous generation, the C7 ZR1 stopped seven feet shorter from 70 mph than its predecessor. On the skidpad, wearing the optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZPs, we recorded 1.18 g's, which, spoiler alert, is more than the new ZR1 could manage. It's also more than the 1.16 g's we achieved with the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS and its Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. C8 ZR1 Michael Simari | Car and Driver It's been said that the electric car has won the acceleration war, but the ZR1's 2.2-second time to 60 mph is proof that the gas-burning car can still issue a challenge. The rate of acceleration barely drops off as you approach triple digits, with 100 mph coming in 4.5 seconds. The standing quarter-mile passes in 9.5 seconds at 149 mph. Braking from 70 mph takes a few extra feet compared with the C7 and requires 140 feet, while lateral grip was similarly reduced at 1.13 g's. Comparing acceleration to the original ZR1, it took the 1990 car nearly a minute to reach 150 mph, and the C8 ZR1 just 23.8 seconds to hit 200 mph. And while the C4 had a top speed of 175 mph, the new version barrels its way to a whopping 233 mph. Top speed drops a hair to 225 mph for C8s with the high-downforce aero package. To put the new ZR1's figures into the context of another statistical behemoth, we'll compare it with the 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport. Despite being down two driven wheels, a drag race between the two would see the Corvette sticking neck-and-neck with the Bugatti through 60 mph. As the speeds increase, the Chiron's extra 500 or so horsepower makes itself known, ushering the Bugatti to 100 mph in 4.1 seconds, 150 mph in 8.0 flat, and through the quarter-mile in 9.1 at 161 mph. Still, at a discount of more than $4 million compared with the Bugatti, the Chevrolet is looking awfully appealing. Jack Fitzgerald Associate News Editor Jack Fitzgerald's love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn't afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. Read full bio
The Verge
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Verge
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 first drive: hype meets hyperspeed
Back in March, we brought you an exclusive look into how Chevrolet's engineers tuned and tweaked, sculpted and simulated to turn the eighth-generation Corvette into a 233-mph missile, the 1,064-horsepower ZR1. But while I'm a racing simulator fan through and through, there's nothing like driving a real car on a real track, and this past week it was time to do exactly that. That track, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, is as real as it gets. Host of the Formula One United States Grand Prix since 2012, it's three and a half miles of sinuous asphalt with enough turns to see just how well those engineers sorted the car's handling, plus a long back straight just perfect for letting that big motor really sing. Staying stuck COTA is also the perfect place to test out the ZR1's downforce, something that wasn't so much of a factor leading up to the car's record-breaking 233-mph run. More downforce means more grip, which is always nice, but it usually comes with the penalty of aerodynamic drag. That's one reason why there's actually two different ZR1s. First is the base model, with just the (relatively) petite spoiler on the back of the trunk lid. Then there's what Chevy calls the ZTK trim with the Carbon Fiber Aero Package. This includes the massive rear wing you see here, plus numerous other aerodynamic bits and pieces. In exchange for a lower top speed (you'll need the base car if you want to go 233 mph) you get a whopping 1,200 pounds of downforce. To balance out the wing, an effective scoop up front replaces the frunk found in lesser models of the Corvette. On the ZR1, air is ducted upward through the hood and over the windshield. This helps keep the nose stuck at speed, which in turn helped me accelerate quickly. Terminal velocity Before I really got on the power, I took just a single familiarization lap of the track in a ZTK-equipped ZR1. That was enough to warm up the tires and myself before I really got into it. On the next lap, I hit 175 mph on COTA's back straight, then pulled more than 1.5 Gs of deceleration when I hit the brakes. Those are world-class performance figures. Braking that hard feels like someone's turned the world upside down — or at least spun it 90 degrees. The forces while cornering are nearly as violent. The seemingly endless sequence of right-hand corners toward the end of a lap really test your fitness in the ZR1. Pulling over 1.3 G in the corners means your neck is going to get a real workout. By the way, these are all numbers that I verified using the in-car Performance Data Recorder, which not only captures a high-definition view forward of your on-track antics but overlays numerous points of telemetric data and also embeds all that data for later analysis, just like the pros. Approachable performance The numbers on that telemetry and the feelings I got inside the car confirm that this is a level of performance unlike any Corvette before. Despite that, it's still very much a Corvette in that all its performance is approachable. It only took one lap to get comfortable diving into the corners, routinely pushing past the tires' limits and quickly recovering to make the next turn without too much drama. The advanced traction, stability, and ABS systems on the ZR1 are a big part of that. Far from the fun-killing electronic aids we're used to on the track, these systems worked to make me faster, really only letting themselves be known by the occasional blinking light on the dashboard. Even with the aids on, I could still kick the tail out when coming out of the slower turns before launching down the subsequent straights. There is one big disappointment in the new ZR1, though: It ships first as a 2025 model, which means it comes with Corvette's old interior, including the unfortunate row of buttons that awkwardly bisects the cabin. 2026 Corvettes feature a thoroughly revised and improved layout, including a new triple-screen layout. The ZR1 will get that new interior, but not until the 2026 cars appear later this year. So, if you have the $174,995 to get yourself into a ZR1, I'd suggest waiting until the second model year, hard as that may be.
