Corvette ZR1 Review and Test Ride - Modifed for More Power

The highest horsepower car for sale in the history of General Motors at a whopping 638 is in itself a beast. Add American Racing headers and a smaller Lingenfelter supercharger pulley and snout and suddenly the Corvette ZR1 is just plain scary. It's not only how hard your neck is snapped back, but how long it takes to get back to vertical. Some call it a butt dyno when guessing horsepower but in this car its a head dyno because its so fierce.

The owner, Ben Treynor, is a familiar name among fans of modified performance cars. His Renntech Mercedes S600 was profiled in the October 2003 issue of Car & Driver magazine. From a Supra Twin Turbo, multiple Vipers including what might be among the first (or first widely known) over 1,000 horsepower in a modern car. A previous owner of an 2006 Corvette Z-06 with LG Headers, he can attest to its disconcerting rear suspension movements and being nearly undrivable due to the excessive sound in the cabin from thin-walled exhaust headers.

His commuter car, which is allowed in carpool lanes, is a 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport. I think the Corvette should be allowed in any lane it wants due to its "awesomeness".

This ZR1 produces approximately 590 rear wheel horsepower after mentioned modifications. Notice the stock airbox with the muffler in the slideshow. The LPE supercharger snout is lower than the stock location so there is a crimp that will be soon fixed for an additional horsepower increase of about 30hp at the rear wheel.

America's Sports Car really isn't. The Corvette ZR1 is actually America's Grand Tourer. The Viper ACR is the pure sports car king now where the ZR1 does everything extremely well. Everything. Refinement, ride quality, sound levels and of course obtainable ultra-performance with low maintenance costs make it a top choice in the world. Especially if the MSRP of approximately $120,000 is included in consideration vs. alternatives. Not convinced? Over 18mpg isn't too bad either. That's a good figure for 400 horsepower cars.

Five stage traction control (TC) with a launch control feature is integrated into the powertrain and suspension. Of the two stages demonstrated, one allows for excessive wheelspin and tail-out antics. When it activates, it bogs a bit, almost as if it knows a big save is needed from whatever put you there. The second stage is so well tuned and quick acting, it's the preferred setting. A brief pop is heard while power is very momentarily reduced with near relentless acceleration is enough, and actually perfect on the street. I never thought Id ever think there was enough power but I wasn't acclimated to its furious rate of acceleration.

The factory launch control allows the rear suspension to squat and the front suspension to rise for weight transfer to enhance rear traction. An added benefit of the magnetic shocks.

The compliant ride with the magnetic (magnetic-rheological) shocks that have tour and sport settings make for a very comfortable ride. Even with the headers the car is very quiet, more so than the Porsche 997 Twin Turbo I reviewed. Another difference is the ridiculously large Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes do not squeal either.

The luggage compartment is nearly cavernous. Some complain about the size of the Corvette in comparison to other sports cars but taking into account its practicality, it's hard to match. Yes, a Corvette is practical for two people.

A common complaint about the car is the styling is too closely related to the common base model and Z-06. On its own it looks great except for the ridiculous window in the hood, which has a view of another cover. It's no Ferrari from that standpoint. However the vents, bulges and carbon fiber roof and other CF pieces are tastefully done and really spice it up nicely. Without the window on the hood, the bulge would be ominous.

Ben's has a few complaints are the seats offer too little lateral support. This has been pointed out for years in Corvettes. Why GM doesn't improve upon them is beyond me. Well maybe not. Cost reduction and more profit. Its not like its one of the mysteries of the universe, it's a corporate mantra. The other is twitchy steering over bumps and uneven road surfaces which is not uncommon with very wide front tires. Wide as in 285/30/19s which is a rear tire width on other very powerful cars.

One of Bens favorite things about the ZR1 is the exhaust note. It really rips and I'll try to get a video because it needs to be included in my Best Exhaust Sounds series.

He did state a wish-list item would be a dual clutch transmission. More aggressive gearing would be hard pressed to change the 0-60mph time because the car is so powerful and would translate to even easier wheelspin. But faster shifting and even more closely spaced ratios are always welcome. Traction management is an issue in 2nd gear as well. That means tire spin at speeds well above 60mph on dry pavement with sticky 335 series tires.

It's outrageous but not exotic. A superb performer and easily upgradeable to be among the quickest cars on the street with handling to match. It can be driven cross country without hesitation with plenty of luggage capacity and get decent mileage. I can't think of any other car that can do that. It can be a daily driver, driven hard and put away wet. And yes, I want one.

Links of interest:
Lingenfelter Performance Engineering - R.I.P. John L.
Newtech Performance Engineering: Not the first time I've encountered a blazing fast car from this shop.
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