2009 Corvette’s ZR1 -- power and glory
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The most powerful engine General Motors has ever made is the 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 that will be under the hood of the 2009 Corvette ZR1. Its output is officially rated at 638 horsepower. After three, everyone... one, two, three -- woohoo!
That’s a heck of a lot of muscle, but then the Corvette is a heck of a lot of muscle car, said to be equally at home on the street or the track, refined yet tough. It goes on sale this summer, so look for the models with the polycarbonate window in the hood that shows off the supercharger. And should a prospective ZR1 buyer suffer a pang of conscience, GM states that its engineers are confident that this will be the most fuel-efficient 600-plus horsepower car on the market (although the competition probably won’t be that stiff).
Just to give an idea of what that kind of power is capable of, GM took the ZR1 to a high-speed track in Germany where it reached 208 mph, averaging 205 mph after taking into account runs in the opposite direction. Here’s the video. Enjoy.