ust rode in a Corvette ZR-1

speeder · 01:55 PM

Man, you run out of road in a hurry in that thing. On the street, if you floor it you are on the brakes right away. It's truly too fast.

Quite the sensory experience. Death seems just a heartbeat away.

pwd72s · 07-01-2011, 11:02 PM

How would it do against a well set up 944?

VaSteve · 07-02-2011, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwd72s

How would it do against a well set up 944?

As the pilot/caretaker of a well set up 944, I will opine and concur with speeder's comments as I recently had a similar experience.

I instructed a reasonably seasoned driver in one of these a couple weeks ago on track. I'm not sure where the torque band ends, because it was wound up the entire time in 3rd gear. On a gentle turn moving at 60(?) (more kink than a sweeper) the driver would fly up to the apex and hit the gas and it shot off like a burnout from a standstill. I have never had that experience before.

Truly an amazing car. The scary thing for me is, I just thought it was a nicely badged Corvette when I got in, I knew nothing about it.

Dottore · 07-02-2011, 04:51 AM

Yes.

I've genuinely feared for my life only about half a dozen times.

One of these was last year as passenger in a ZR-1 driven by a nephew of mine.

Insanely fast.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

If I won the lottery (which is unlikely as I do not buy tickets), the 1st car I would buy is a Corvette ZR-1. Of course, that would be followed closely by a bunch of Porsches...

Linderpat · 07-02-2011, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azasadny

If I won the lottery (which is unlikely as I do not buy tickets), the 1st car I would buy is a Corvette ZR-1. Of course, that would be followed closely by a bunch of Porsches...

Hmm, that sounds strangely like the results at LeMann this year

Drisump · Drisump's Garage

Well, supposedly Jeremy Clarkson set a speed record at Bonneville for a production car in one of these That should tell you something. It's gotten to a point that driving some of these things (450+ hp) without all the electronic nannies, would be suicide. Cheers

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

Man, you run out of road ib a hurry in that thing. On the street, if you floor it you are on the brakes right away. It's truly too fast. .

Last year one of my clients took for a ride in his new 911, I had a similar experience. Light years from my 2.7 with original exhaust.

speeder · 07-02-2011, 09:05 AM

Sorry for the typos. I posted from my blackberry last night right after the ride. He would not let me drive it at night but said that if I come by the studio this week, he'll throw me the keys. Chevy gave it to him for a little while because, as he put it, "they mistakenly think that I'm cool". GM is big on giving free cars to people out here if they think that it will buy them some cheap advertising.

His dd is a 997S and he's a diehard Porsche guy, he's owned every series of 911 since the early '70s. Before that, muscle cars in the '60s. (Baby boomer). He thinks that the ZR-1 is the fastest car he's ever driven, including a Veyron. It's just bananas. If you turn off the traction control, it just goes sideways when you floor it @ 60 mph.

For some reason last night, I saw a lot of muscle cars on the Sunset strip. When he dropped me off, there was a guy in a tubbed '68 Camaro right next to us that sounded like it was burning alcohol. I schit you not. It had a tunnel ram scoop the size of a small doghouse and rear tires about 2 feet wide, tucked-in. He was blipping his throttle behind the ZR-1 at the red light, but then he had to do that just to keep his car running. It was that radical. Neither guy was crazy enough to street race right there, (guaranteed death or prison), but I was thinking that it might be a fair 1/4 mile race if the Camaro was a 10 second car. After that, (or if the road curves), the 'vette would run away and hide.

sammyg2 · 07-02-2011, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drisump

Well, supposedly Jeremy Clarkson set a speed record at Bonneville for a production car in one of these That should tell you something. It's gotten to a point that driving some of these things (450+ hp) without all the electronic nannies, would be suicide. Cheers

LOL 450+, with the emphasis strongly on the PLUS.

Drivetrain Rear Wheel Drive
Curb Weight (lbs) 3333
City (MPG) 14
Hwy (MPG) 20
Horsepower 638@6500
Torque (lb-ft) 604@3800
Wheelbase 105.7
Length (in.) 176.2
Width (in.) 75.9
Height (in.) 48.7

lin7310948 · 07-02-2011, 01:45 PM

yeah, i just turned the starter over on my latest project. 78 930 weighing in at 2400 pounds. 705 chp and 605 ft/lbs torque...mast motorsports ls7 with all forged internals, etc. course it is an early 930 and crude by the zr1 standards!

speeder · 07-02-2011, 02:00 PM

I can't stop thinking about that car. I remember that the previous Corvette supercar had a valet switch or special key that cut HP in half(?) If ever a car needed that, it's the ZR-1. Front engine, RWD, made out of fiberglass and torque that's insane. It accelerates like a 1 liter sport bike.

I suppose that a new GT2 would be similar but I've never been in one. I will get to drive this ZR-1 and also a new Ferrari 599 this weekend, which I've heard is also an angry beast.

Seahawk · 07-02-2011, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

I can't stop thinking about that car...I will get to drive this ZR-1 and also a new Ferrari 599 this weekend, which I've heard is also an angry beast.

Just hang in there...we need a 356 turnover

sammyg2 · 07-02-2011, 02:53 PM

The new vettes are "almost" mid-engine. They sit the engine back far enough that it's center line is behind the front wheels.
that, along with the tranny being in back is how they get such good weight balance.

If they just didn't squeak from the hard plastic interiors ............

VaSteve · 07-02-2011, 03:00 PM

Turn up the exhaust, you won't be able to hear it!

Zeke · 07-02-2011, 03:01 PM

I've done some laps at Willow in an instructor's Z06. Don't know if you really need much more. I'd be happy to ride along in a ZR-1 if I had the chance just to see what ridiculous feels like.

Corvette has always been a huge bang for the buck.

sammyg2 · 07-02-2011, 03:11 PM

At willow I was able to get past most regular vettes, a viper, a cobra kit car, but could never keep up with a decently driven Z-06.

And these things are a Z-06 on steroids. Scary.
That's more power than a Carrera GT and those things are a crash waiting to happen.

Embraer · Embraer's Garage

my ex had a Ferrari 599 GTB. it was stupid fast. she bought it because it was cool looking. she never once drove it, but she'd sit in it in the garage and make car noises. no joke. i was uncomfortable driving it. (mostly because i didnt want to be responsible for crashing her 300K Ferrari)

i can't even imagine what the ZR1 is like.

pwd72s · 07-02-2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

I can't stop thinking about that car. I remember that the previous Corvette supercar had a valet switch or special key that cut HP in half(?) If ever a car needed that, it's the ZR-1. Front engine, RWD, made out of fiberglass and torque that's insane. It accelerates like a 1 liter sport bike.

I suppose that a new GT2 would be similar but I've never been in one. I will get to drive this ZR-1 and also a new Ferrari 599 this weekend, which I've heard is also an angry beast.

I think it was "top gear" that did a flying mile comparison test between the GT2 and the ZR1 'Vette...from a standing start, the GT2 won because of it's all wheel traction off the line. From a rolling start, the 'Vette was faster...but hell, either car is faster than I'd care to drive...

VaSteve · 07-02-2011, 03:48 PM

Quote:

my ex had a Ferrari 599 GTB. it was stupid fast. she bought it because it was cool looking. she never once drove it, but she'd sit in it in the garage and make car noises. no joke. i was uncomfortable driving it. (mostly because i didnt want to be responsible for crashing her 300K Ferrari)

i can't even imagine what the ZR1 is like.

Can you PM me her number? Photos not necessary.