Does Anyone Have A Fresh Pair of Pants? Chevy Prices, Specs Super Corvette ZR1
Chevy has dropped the performance specs for the new ZR1 super Corvette. And for the best model line GM currently has, there's no reason to weave the numbers into sonorous prose. So here we go: 638 horsepower from the supercharged 6.2 liter small block V8; top speed is 205 mph, 0-60 in 3.4 seconds, 0-100 in 7 seconds, seats to wet in 1 second. Oh, and because it is June of 2008, we should mention the fuel economy: 14 city/20 highway. Yup, the ZR1 is so badass that not only will it completely smoke anything else with an MSRP under $100,000 (save Godzilla perhaps), but you'll get 20 mpg highway if you keep your foot off the damn pedal. Which may well be impossible. The Corvette is THE most important car in the GM lineup from an image perspective (it's also arguably the best executed car they offer) and they're damn well right to offer super high performance versions every few years, just to cast a halo on the halo car. Finally, we arrive at today's announced price: a hefty $103,000 + a $10,000 options pack (plus dealer rip-off fees). And that means you can either approach the ZR1 as the deal of the century compared to a Ferrari (which costs more and has even higher dealer rip-off fees), or totally overpriced compared to the $72,000 Corvette Z06. As for me, I'd be happy with a lowly base Corvette and its paltry 430 horsepower.
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for $114k, it sounds like a great car compared to other cars with similar specs. For $8K+ taxes, I'll take a year old, new from the dealer, 1000cc sportbike & use the leftovers putting a 40% downpayment on my house. This goes double being married.....My wife thinks my STi is "too fast" and doesn't like to ride in it with me.
Another example of GM wasting their engineering talent on a $100k car while Toyota eats them alive in the $20-30k category. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy driving around in a Corvette just like the next guy, but any High Performance shop can make an existing Vette put up those numbers. And I still argue speed alone is not what sells that car. It's a vanity car - something to be seen in. Everyone from the mid-life-crisis crowd to the retiree with a fat pension has one. Big whoop. Show me a Ferarri and lets talk. On top of that, all the recent Vettes I've been in haven't impressed me that much in terms of fit and finish. It's not like slipping into the luxury and finesse of a Lexus or BMW. Not that it's supposed to be that, but everyone pumps up how great the Corvette is inside & out. I don't see it.
The only problem is the GT-R is an ugly vehicle and I would not buy it. The Vette is much better looking. I'll go out on a limb and say I would rather have the new Lexus IS_F at 400+ HP and the luxury of having a four door with power. The Pontiac G8 GT is not bad either but it's not in the same realm.