Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Coupe 2009
If you are a Corvette enthusiast, you might not even recognize the ZR1 Coupe as a Corvette, in the traditional sense. With a national base sticker price slightly over $100,000, you get standard paint, but have to pay extra for colors like Velocity Yellow, Atomic Orange, Jetstream Blue and Crystal Red. A full width spoiler costs extra. The premium equipment package can run another $10,000 and ZR1 Chrome Aluminum wheels and AM/FM CD with DVD Navigation can run another couple thousand a piece.
While the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is not for the budget-minded, this car signifies the last model year made before General Motors hit the skids. The 2010 Corvette promises to be a concept car that could make the 2009 a collector’s item in the years to come.
There is a 6.2 Liter Supercharged V8 SFI Engine and 6-Speed Manual Transmission included in the base price on the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The supercharger compressor makes it the performance car that Corvettes are known for.
The 6162 cc 6.2 liters, V8 front engine with 103.3mm bore, 92.0mm stroke, 9.1 compression ratio, overhead valve and two valves per cylinder LS9 is what comes standard. The 7008 cc 7.0 liters V8 front engine has 104.8 mm bore, 101.6 mm stroke, 11.0 compression ratio, overhead valve and two valves per cylinder LS7 is also available. This hardly sounds like a fuel efficient vehicle, that is recommended to run premium unleaded with 91 octane or better rating.
Reviews of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 indicate that Chevy wanted to stay on top of the high performance sports car arena with its all new-all powerful new engine, capable of producing 430 horsepower. Consumers rate this Corvette high, although it only bears some resemblance to the classic Corvette Stingrays of previous years in the Corvette line.
The Corvette Z06 was voted among Car and Driver’s 10 best, eight years running and looks more like the traditional Corvettes that made the name famous in high performance sports cars. With a national base price a little over $70,000, this model might be a better deal than the 2009 Corvette ZR1. In fact, according to Popular Mechanics road testing, the Z06 is an American muscle car that is considered a bargain that can “blister the quarter-mile in 12 seconds flat”.
For true Corvette lovers, either model is good, but the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 seems expensive in comparison to the same sized motor in the Corvette Z06 model. For those that want a high performance Corvette, you might be better off to go with the Z06 model, as reviews of the ZR1 don’t reflect the $30,000 difference in price tag overall.
On the other hand, compared to some of the other high performance sports cars on the market, you can hardly go wrong with any Corvette, no matter what model. It will always remain a true American classic that represents everything a sports car should be. The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is for those that have the pocketbooks to support it, but for those that are more budget minded Corvette lovers, the Z06 might be a better overall value than the ZR1.