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Chevrolet Unleashes The 1079 Hp Corvette ZR1 Which Is The Most Powerful Model Ever
The eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette has been with us for over four years now. At that time, several versions of the ‘Vette had already appeared, but the ZR1 was not there yet. Until now. It is the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1—the strongest and fastest ever.
The current generation Chevrolet Corvette, introduced in mid-2019, is a special one. It is, namely, the first Corvette ever that does not have its engine in the front but behind the front seats. The ‘Vette is, of course, again available with a big V8. It even comes with two different eight-cylinder engines. The base version Stingray (497 hp) and the hybrid E-Ray (502 (664 hp) both have a 6.2-litre V8, while the Z06, the top version to date, has a flat-plane 5.5 V8 that produces no less than 679 hp. The Z06 must now acknowledge its superiority in this all-powerful Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 also uses the 5.5 flat-plane V8, an eight-cylinder with a flat crankshaft. This gives the car less vibration-free running but also means that you can drive the power source much faster and at higher revs. In the ZR1, this V8 is combined with not one, but two turbos! That is special. Very special, at least for a Corvette. The only form of pressure charging that Chevrolet normally uses in the ‘fat ‘Vettes’ is achieved with a supercharger or a compressor. Between 1987 and 1991, thanks to the intervention of Callaway, there was a version of the fourth-generation Corvette with two turbos for a short time, but that was it.
The ‘Vette ZR1 is more than just a Corvette Z06 with two turbochargers. The cylinder heads have been modified, the entire intake and injection system has been revised, and the transmission—an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic—has been examined, among other things.
What does the ZR1 have to offer? An unhealthy amount of horsepower: 1,079, to be precise. The torque is 1,123 Nm. Those almost 1,100 horses are released at a speed of 7,000 rpm; the maximum torque is released 1,000 rpm earlier. It makes the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 the most powerful and fastest ever. Its top speed is 346 km/h.
The new top version is equipped with 20-inch light alloy wheels at the front; the rear wheels are a size larger. The extra spoiler and wing work of the ZR1 should give the Chevy up to 544 kilos of downforce at top speed. The roof is made of carbon fibre, and of course, the ZR1 is equipped with a powerful braking system to be able to calm down a steam-driven example properly. Also interesting: the rear window above the V8 is split into two parts. An obvious nod to the Stingray C2. That secretly makes the ZR1 more stingray than the current stingray.
