Corvette engineers, who orchestrated the ZR1 to entertain a driver, a passenger, and neighboring counties with the big-block, side-pipe sounds of the 1960s, describe the usual reaction to any indulgence of this car's throttle as "shock and awe."
Yes, that's exactly what we experienced flat-footing an early-production ZR1 around General Motors' Milford Road Course and on public roads surrounding the company's proving ground. The car is noisy-fast and armed with enough decibels and speed to startle and spank the target Aston Martins, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches, as intended. But the real shocker is that a throttled-back ZR1 is well-mannered, highly endearing, comfortable, and composed. This benign beast ventures-at whatever velocity you'd prefer-where no Chevrolet Corvette has gone before.
Like each Corvette leap forward, the new ZR1 is powered by a breakthrough engine. The noise generator living beneath the picture-frame hood pumps out a hearty 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque thanks, in part, to the Eaton supercharger that spins up to 15,000 rpm, singing just the right amount of blower whine as it works. This 6.2-liter small-block pulls like a Peterbilt at low rpm, provides sufficient oomph to visit the dark side of the 200-mph barrier (205 mph, actually), and is smart enough to give the blower a break while cruising to save fuel. Throttling back to 60 mph in sixth gear, we registered 30 mpg on the dash's instantaneous-mileage display. Loafing along in conservation mode, the new mighty mouse makes no more ruckus than the standard Corvette's 430-hp V-8.
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