New Scuderia Killer??????????????

yes that might be true but the vette owners will have enjoyed 100,000 miles or more and the ferrari will probabily have under 5000. so the enjoyment cost per mile im sure goes to the vette.

 

You cannot argue with that VFM!!!

 

No doubt........value per mile is not, nor has it ever been, a design element for Ferrari.

Happy Holidays guys, Cheers!

 

Power
-But Ron Meegan, the assistant chief engineer for the new 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1's supercharged V8 (and formerly a member of the original ZR-1's engine team from 1990-'95), says he expects that once the new car's supercharged 6.2-liter V8 is certified, it will produce "greater than 620 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 595 pound-feet of torque in the 3,600-to-4,000-rpm range

So even GM doesn't have a final power figure yet. Although you can be sure that if Meegan's superiors allowed him to mention any figure to us, they're not worried about making those numbers.


Performance
-Juechter adds, "It's sort of like the Turbo but for less money and with performance — more like the Carrera GT."

And just to up the ZR1's chest-puffing quotient, Juechter notes this car "will be able to take the production-car track record at any racetrack." Ex-squeeze me? And no, the company has not done an officially timed run at the Nürburgring yet.

As for top speed, Juechter says only that the 200-mph speedometer of the standard and Z06 Corvettes has been replaced with a 220-mph unit, because the standard one is "grossly inadequate."


Wheels
The wheels are a new design produced by Speedline, measuring 20-by-12 inches in the rear and 19-by-10 inches up front. They are covered (barely) by Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, specifically formulated for this vehicle. At 335/R2520, the rear tires resemble something you might find in a steamroller; the fronts are a not-much-more-modest 285/R3019.



Suspension
First are the rear shocks. When you're stopped and the clutch pedal is depressed and you pile on some revs, the car assumes you want to launch it hard. It automatically softens the compression damping of the rear shocks, and this allows the rear end to squat and effectively shift more weight to the rear of the car for added traction. At the same time, the rebound damping of the rear shocks goes up to 99 percent of full stiffness. This means that the rear cannot spring back up under power in the up-and-down monkey motion of axle hop.

All this is perhaps the cleverest use of adjustable shocks that we've ever heard of. Also, according to Juechter, the standard magnetic shocks allow the ZR1 chassis team to use softer springs than the Z06 for a more compliant ride. To further mitigate power hop, Chevy has also fitted the ZR1 with axle half-shafts of different diameters (33mm on the right and 40mm on the left).



Brakes
Juechter notes that the monster 15-inch Brembo carbon-ceramic rotors fitted as standard to the ZR1's rear wheels are the brakes originally designed for the front of Ferrari's 650-hp Enzo supercar. In the front of the ZR1, you'll find even larger 15.5-inch carbon-ceramic units.

Juechter says, "The only vehicle I know of that has these brakes as standard equipment is the 1,000-hp Bugatti Veyron." Then he adds with a grin, "Although I think you can get them as a $20,000 option on the Ferrari 599."



Supercharger
Why not turbocharging? "Well," says ZR1 chief engineer Tadge Juechter, "we built a turbo car and it burned. We didn't want to get into turbo lag or any drivability issues. We wanted it to be quicker than hell but still fun to drive."

Meegan tells us that Eaton's Twin Vortices Series (TVS) supercharger uses four-lobe rotors in place of the conventional three-lobe units, making it quieter and more efficient. The parasitic loss to drive the supercharger is around 70 or 80 hp, but it would have been more like 120 hp with the old supercharger (closer to turbo efficiency without the associated turbo lag), Juechter says.

It might seem strange, but the LS9 uses a lower-lift cam than the one used in the LS7, resulting in an idle that Meegan says is 11 percent smoother. Isn't this the baddest, leanest, most extreme, track-scorching, widow-making Vette from hell? Well, apparently, no.


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Big respect to the GM engineers for having the faith to keep the clutch and manual transmission over some playstation style flappy paddles.

 

aren't ferrari's (well fxx and enzo excluded) still available with clutch? it's not the engineers, it's 90% of the buyers that want the paddles.

 

Officially you could order a 599 with a clutch but just try ordering one... impossible... Ferrari put the cabosh on it. Also 360CS and 430S never offered a clutch.

 

i said enjoyment factor not value factor. why knock a vehicle that for a 100k has standard carbon ceramic brakes that ferrari charges 20k for on a 300k vehicle, has alot of standard carbon fiber body panels that ferrari charges 20k or so extra and so on. look dont get me wrong i love ferraris and i wouldnt trade my 360cs or the new 430s that i have coming in for the vette, but you cant argue with the performance, handling and bang for the buck you get with the vette. and the build quality is very good, i think the zo6 is great and the zr1 will be to that what the 430s is to the f430.

 

Your screen name is very fitting.

 

I thought all new Ferraris came with a clutch -- it's the clutch PEDAL that is optional.

 

Agreed, GM hires the best Luddites they can afford!

What bothers me the most about GM is the thoroughly wasted opportunity. At one time they were the largest and most powerful auto manufacturer on the planet and they choose to focus on the least common denominator.......cheap, low tech, follow the leader.......what a horrible embarrassment for GM and the United States. Sure, an occasional Ford GT will emerge in the US before the bean counters euthanize the project and the spirit of the engineers, but the reality is that leading edge, high performance sports cars are dead in the US.....just a damn shame.

 

It will be a rattle box within 6 weeks. In two years the front and rear facia will warp. The paint will fade and peel. All the interior plastic will wear in different degrees. The weather strip will have chunks fall out.

Loose gold chain Tommy Bahama wearing power gut dangling Bozos everywhere have something to get excited about.

 

Another fkcng genius. I wonder how many of you hard ons have actually seen how improved the C6, someone from Florida pontificating about gold chains, I guess the pot is calling the kettle black.

 

Wow.....some people here are doing a lot to reinforce the negative stereotypes about Ferrari enthusiasts. Will a ZR1 be a "Scuderia killer" on the track? Perhaps...we'll have to wait and see. The Z06 is a pretty damn quick car on the track as it is, and if GM has done it's homework this thing should be a rocketship. Will the ZR1 be a "Scuderia killer" in the sense that Ferrari and Porsche guys all dump their cars to go buy the thing? I doubt it. This car is aimed at Corvette enthusiasts and people who want supercar performances without supercar prices and hassles. Ferrari and Porsche make stunning all-around sports cars and while they indeed charge premiums for them, those premiums are justified in the eyes of their armies of loyal owners and fans. Is there any justification for the snobbery and personal attacks on Corvette fans here? Hell no. It reeks of the snobbery and insular mindset that people often (and often unfairly) stereotype Ferrari guys for. Just because Corvettes aren't to YOUR taste doesn't mean that you guys have to trash the people who like them as hillbillies or guidos. Yes, a Ferrari is going to be smoother, better-looking, more refined, classier, and almost certainly more involving.....Ferrari didn't get it's reputation for nothing. However, you'd have to be a fool to think that a drive in the ZR-1 wouldn't be a thrilling experience given the enormous performance that it promises.

Would I buy this thing if I had $100K to spend on a sports car? I'm not sure. It would certainly get a look...that amount of speed at that price is hard to ignore. Of course, various used F-Cars would come into play (used 355, 360 coupe, 550, etc), as would the Audi R8, Dodge Viper, and Porsche GT3. However, there is no reason to think that this car won't succeed in it's mission of providing far-out performance at a price no manufacturer will dare to match. GM is trying to compete on a PERFORMANCE standpoint with the world's best, not selling it off as a luxury-lined competitor to the most sophisticated European cars.

I'll take a moment to defend the Corvette. No, it isn't a Ferrari or Porsche. It never will be, or Chevy would have to abandon a key selling point for the car - value. The Corvette is fine as a midpriced sports car offering lots of style and go, something regular guys can aspire to own. Having a halo model or two just adds to the legacy and satisfies the car's bigger fans. Yes, the interior of the car could be improved without killing the value proposition, but it has been steadily improving over the past few years, and the 2008 model is fairy decent inside. There are still a very cheap bits, but I can think of others at or near that price point (cough*Porsche*cough*Lotus*cough) that are guilty of similar sins. Yeah, it's got leaf springs, but in many other areas the car is actually quite sophisticated from a technological perspective. Just look at the specs for the Z06's LS7 engine, or consider the fact that this ZR1's brakes are sourced from Brembo and share most of their parts with the stoppers on some little car called Enzo. Yeah, the steering feel isn't up to Porsche standards, but neither can Porsche match the Corvette's power performance on road or track at the same price. Lastly, anyone who thinks Corvettes sound bad is tone-deaf IMO....it's not a Ferrari sound but it's hard for any red-blooded American to not get fired up at the sound of a well-tuned large-capacity V8.

The Corvette is what it is, and is a fine sports car for the job it's creators have set it out to be. It's no Ferrari, and that's just fine.

 

I'd say "NO"

 

I'll say again,a bunch of f....... snobs here!
Kudos to GM for making that car ,I am truly convinced ZR1 is a bargain of the Century considering the performance and technology offered in it.

 

anyone else think it looks like a Ricer mobile?

and The Americans still can't design a stupid interior, even though people are paying $100k for it.

 

I am disappointed by the new supervette. I have a Z06 and a 360CS and while the Vette is clearly fast, it's not as much fun to drive. The Vette falls down to me not on power but on handling and passion and I do not see where this will change. The grip in a smooth road is OK but the suspension is unsophisticated and when the road gets rough the handling suffers. Lack of power was not an issue. Finish and materials are different but improving in the Vette and the price differential is enormous
Comparing a Vette to a Ferrari is silly. Price, cost of repair and design philosophy make them different animals. The Ferrari is more technologically sophisicated but far more finicky and much more costly to maintain. Two different cars reflect the approach of two different manufacturers and two different cultures. Appreciate them both.

 

It can not be denied the performance technology on these vetts are cutting edge. Power and braking are always amazing and ability on twisties improve with every model. This often unfortunately translates into better numbers on the track then our beloved F-cars, P-cars, etc. GM misses the boat in two areas:

Woaful interior - the enthusiast wants lots of fine leather, with deviant stitching, mixed with carbon and alcantera. Maybe high quality metal accents and clean instrument dials. Electronic displays like an ipod, not sea-blue 1980s dot matrix. This really could be an easy fix. So it adds another 10K, with the cars they are trying to compete with, that is nothing.

Second is the viseral feel behind the wheel which IMO is most important aspect of a car. This is where ferrari wins over all others hands down. To me this means the exhaust note, immediacy of the cars responsiveness on my command, and outward vision. IMO this feel really orginates from the original (Huh? - originates from original) design of the car. This most has to do with engine position and car weight. Ferrari has always started with a superior designed mid-engine with a nimble light weight, married it to an invigorating exhaust note. Translation - ECSTASY! even when driving .5 seconds slower around the track. I personally distain the long front hood creating poor vision and feel with engine in front of me. This is a core vette (get it, core..vette) design that never can be changed without scraping the car.

just some rook thoughts

 

I read recently that Chevrolet were looking at a Mid Engined Vette for the C6 replacement that would be interesting all the Vette purists would be up in arms.

 

if memory serves me correctly the zo6 weighs less than a 430 and isnt a 599 front engined and weighs some 500 pounds more than a zo6.as far as the interior chevy now offers a upgrade to all leather for around 5k.

 

LIke some have said before, to do a good interior and add some exterior flair to distinguish the car, when done in the thousands does not cost that much and might attract some of the crossover buyers.
If you could have the undeniably awesome performance and sound from this car with a bit more flair and this interior, would it then move you???? Say add $8-12k for each car, or even $15k.

It was said earlier that the car is a track car and interior does not matter. Well if that were strictly the case, why not strip it out, do a nice bare interior like the cs and add some killer seats instead of the lounge models? Put a full cage and set it up to go racing. Viper did that with the comp coupe and they were sold out at a premium price I think.

For the road, you want a nice environment. Its not all sport driving, theres bound to be some traffic, some waiting around, some down time where your surroundings matter.
Anyway, here is my idea, compliments of a friend from NY, of what a $100k+ performance interior should look and feel like....
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Wow, this interior looks fantastic. I know that GM is improving the quality and technology with every new generation of the vette, kudos to them. I think we should give GM and this car a chance before jumping to any conclusions. I'm sad to see the hard lines drawn between the 2 camps, one could only hope that we're all car guys at end of the day regardless. With that said, although I own a F430 among other cars, I look forward to seeing what GM did with the ZR1 and hope to own one some day. And yes, I'll updgrade the interior like the previous post.

Peace - Franky

 

ricer??? there are no ridiculous graphics or 3 foot tall wings... What are you talking about?????