Everything we know about the C7 Chevy Corvette ZR1

resource from: autoblog   

Chevy set the bar pretty high with the C7 Z06. Okay, tremendously high. The 650-hp monster is the most powerful factory Corvette yet. When it came out, we were blown away, but there was one question: If the Z06, formerly the middle child of the lineup, is this nuts, what comes next? The answer is an even nuttier ZR1. Here is a roundup of everything we know about the 2018 ZR1 so far.

The test car has blue brake calipers like those used on the C6 ZR1. (That one was nicknamed Blue Devil, remember?) There's something fragile wrapped in bubble wrap sitting in the car, which could be the wing that rests on those perches visible on the rear end. A wing on risers gives some differentiation from the Z06's vertical spoiler, and also suggests this one might need more downforce. We also get a better look at what now really looks like a carbon-fiber center hoop, between the roof panel and the hatch. A carbon hood is also a good bet, because why not?

Whatever is under the hood, it needs plenty of cooling, as evidenced by the air inlets for intercoolers at the front corners. This could simply mean a more-powerful supercharged LT4 V8, or possibly a rumored LT5 twin-turbo small-block. Turbos would be a good way to differentiate this new top Corvette from its more sanely powered siblings. Rumors peg ZR1 output around 700 hp, and we bet it would at least outdo the 707-hp rating of SRT's Hellcat engine.

These shots are from farther away, but you knew that. They introduced us to what looks like a cobbled-together mega-Vette with primer doors. The thinking is that those doors could easily be made of carbon fiber, hence the lack of a production-level finish. It's also quite possible that roof hoop is made of the lightweight stuff.

Some wingless uprights can be seen just behind the hatch opening in back. There's probably a huge spoiler waiting somewhere, and we'd wager it's made of carbon fiber. The front and rear camo suggest a mid-cycle refresh at the very least, and possibly a new hood design to clear the engine, let it breathe, and keep it cool.

Someone in the company is thinking about a new ZR1, even if Tadge Juechter claimed there were no plans for one back in 2013. That sounds like something you say when you want to buy your best new product now instead of waiting for a better one later.

The ZR1 may well be the last insane-performance Corvette with a front-engine layout. We also have an alternate conspiracy theory that this could be a Cadillac model, or that Cadillac could get a version of the mid-engine Vette. It's reportedly code-named Emperor and will arrive in 2019. Once a mid-engine Corvette arrives, the whole lineup will transition to mid-engine only over a few years. That's a lot of Corvette neatness to chew on.

resource from: autoblog

Elena