Corvette ZR1 sighted at Laguna Seca!!!

They better at least put a new air dam or something, that just looks like any other corvette. I heard they're using the new 6.2 liter with a supercharger, why not use the 427 from the z06? And what's up with the autospies tag on the picture when we can all clearly see that its from Motor Trend? We all know autospies doesn't do any actual spying.

All our photos that get submitted are watermarked and so you can feel better, this was submitted by someone FROM Motor Trend (Thank you,by the way) because they need traffic from us.

My how things change for just a few years ago!

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I was just curious. One more thing though, how about removing the autospies border from the pictures in the photo galleries in favor of a smaller icon or something, it looks bad if you try to set one as a desktop background. Just a thought.

this is going to real nice i cant wait

Nice indeed, but for that price, will this run with the new Nissan GT-R? We're not just talking about straight line sprint. We're talking about keeping up with the 10.6sec GT-R capable of achieving a 0-100KM in 3.5s and laps the ring in less than 7:35 with a 193MPH topspeed.

The C6 ZR-1 will need to accelerate as fast and handles the 1.0+g like the mighty Godzilla GT-R to be competitive.

Stop swinging on the GT-R's nuts. A standard Z06 will keep up with the new GT-R. The ZR1 will wipe the floor with the Nissan GT-R.

"The ZR1 will wipe the floor with the Nissan GT-R"....
I doubt that. Actually, I'll be surprised if the ZR1 can keep up with the GTR. I like corvettes but lets be real, if the standard GTR can beat the SLR imagine what the GTR-EVO will do when it comes out with an extra 80 HP and better suspension.

Great point PintoRacer, everyone has forgotten that the 7:35 were run by the basic GTR and that one alone is enough to blow away the competition. Like you said, when the EVO edition is released it will raise the bar even higher that not even this ZR1 will be able to keep up.

I'm sorry, but you GT-R guys really need to cool it lest you begin to sound like IS-F fanboys. Exaggerations and hypes are seeming to morph to blatant lies.

Reality Check:

Z06 - 3,147lbs/505hp = 6.23lbs/hp
GT-R - 3,792lbs/473hp = 8.01lbs/hp

Z06 - +1.09G road holding (Automobile Nov 2005)
GT-R - +0.99G (manufactures estimates)

And the ZR1?
??ZR1 ?? 3050?lbs/600?hp = 5.08lbs/hp??

Ring Times:

7.42 - Corvette Z06 (Jan Magnussen)
7.?? - Nissan GT-R (Don't know)

That 7.35 time you guys keep quoting was purported by a bystander who witnessed a camo car. What does Nissan have to say on the matter? "Mizuno suggested the GT-R could get anywhere from 7:44 on up, with most laps coming in between 7:55 and 7:58."

It's funny how you guys think I'm completely off on this one. Just shows how biast and ill informed some of the members on this site are..

When was last time you test drive the new Z06? This "lean-dirty machine" will take you to the moon then back in style/power for sure. I just recently brought a Z06 and loving it...the car just take off with no hestitation at all. In some case it handle a little better then my 911. can't wait to see new ZR-1 on the street!

Although the Corvette has always been a "Bang for the Buck" type of car (and I am sure this will be no exception), it could use a lot more refinement and that is where their focus should be, not focused on a horsepower war. That is one of the ways that Chevrolet keeps costs down is by not investing a lot of money on having the Vette's steering, for example, with more feedback or losing the leaf spring front\rear suspension. It seems odd that if this type of suspension is so good than why does their race car not use it? Don't get me wrong, I like the Vette, I just think their development should be focused on the current lineup and besides that a Viper will never have the history of a Chevrolet Corvette and this appears to be it's target with the Z-R1.

The race car doesnt use the leaf spring because it requires much more time to switch spring rates for different race tracks, unlike a standard coilover design. It doesn't mean that a leaf spring design is necessarily bad. It's very cost effecient and proven to be more than adequate for 99% of vette owners.

"Viper will never have the history of a Chevrolet Corvette"

Yea, it's not like the Vipers won Le Mans a hand full of times either...

I doubt the 0-60 times of the new ZR-1 will be much different from the Z06. Both cars are RWD and with that kind of HP, it becomes tricky to put down the power. So, the ZR-1 may or may not be faster than the GT-R. The most interesting acceleration will be from 60 onward where traction is less a factor.

Of course, aerodynamic drag will become a factor at some point, the GT-R having a Cd of 0.27 if I remember correctly.

Only time will tell.

I would say that a few of you on here need to stop believing everything posted on websites.

It was never published that the 7.35 ring time was even with the production GT-R; 480 hp, street tires, etc. This is a twin turbo car. With a simple change in the computer, the boost could easily be increased. If this time is accurate the HP was probably well over 700. This would mean high octane race gas. 480 HP is also not enough to produce a 1/4 mile time of 10.80. This is not the "production" GT-R. Who the **** correlated this time with the 2009 production car?!

If you want to play that kind of game, the new ZR-1 is supercharged. With a very simple change to the pulley size on the SC the HP would easily increase from the estimated 650 (rumored as much as 700) to 750-800.

Check out where the current 500 HP Z06 falls in the ring times.

7:28 - 166.652 km/h - Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/ 1475 kg, Walther Roehrl, (Autobild 07/04)
7:32* - 164.071 km/h – Pagani Zonda F, 650 PS/ 1230 kg, (*mfr.) www.autodrome-cannes.com/index-eng.asp
7:34 - 163.586 km/h - Koenigsegg CCR, 806 PS/1418 kg, Horst von Saurma (sport auto), oct,17-18 05
7:36 - 162.631 km/h - Porsche Carrera GT, 612 PS/ 1475 kg, factory test driver Walther Röhrl (02)
7.39* - 161.575 km/h - Porsche 997 GT3, 415 PS/1395 kg, *mfr. (quote sport auto 05/06)
7:40 - 161.217 km/h – Bugatti 16/4 Veyron, 1001 PS/1980 kg (Wheels magazine Australia, 12/05)
7:40 - 161.217 km/h - Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren, Klaus Ludwig (AutoBild 07/04)
7:40 - 161.217 km/h - Porsche 997 Turbo, 480 PS/ ??? kg, Michelin Cup Sport tyres (Motortrend)
7:42* - 160.519 km/h – Ford GT, 550 PS/ 1521 kg (*as indicated by Octane magazine, 11/05)

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7:42.9 - 160.207 km/h - Corvette Z06, 500 PS/1319 kg, Jan Magnusen, (Sporbilen, jun,26 05)
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7:43 - 160.173 km/h - Porsche 996 GT3 RS, factory test driver Walter Roehrl (MOTOR magazine)
7:43.5 - 160,000 km/h - Lamborghini Murcielago (Autocar magazine 02)

The ZR1 with 150 HP more, less weight, better brakes, and handling will be much quicker. I predict the ZR1 will be around 7.35, but not the 700 lb heavier, 170+ LESS HP production GT-R.

Excellent post, discussion over.