Chevrolet has officially started teasing the Corvette ZR1, which is exciting news for fans of the series and as well as high-performance American vehicles alike. In its first anticipatory video for the car, the Detroit carmaker reveals that it will be unveiled this summer. Chevy also promises that “no Corvette has ever moved quite like this,” and describes the ZR1 as “unthinkable.” Unfortunately, little more is revealed in the teaser video, though we do get to see a darkened silhouette of the car racing through smoke.
Those shots reveal a prominent wing on the
back of the ZR1, a feature already spotted in spy shots of several prototype
models undergoing testing. The substantial size of the aero element posed a
challenge for Chevy engineers to conceal during testing at the Nurburgring, the
epicenter of global high-performance development. With larger end plates and a
straighter design, the wing appears even more aggressive than the Corvette
Z06’s optional Z07 Performance Package rear spoiler. That one already generates 333 kg of downforce, indicating that the ZR1’s wing will provide
significant downward pressure helping glue the car onto the road.
And that will be important, because the
ZR1 is expected to be quite powerful. Information from a GM parts catalog seems
to have confirmed previous rumors that it will be powered by a 5.5-liter
twin-turbocharged V8. Questions remain about the finer details, but a
purportedly official document leaked early in the C8 Corvette’s lifecycle (and
which has been pretty accurate up until now) suggests that the engine will make
850 hp and 1,119 Nm of torque.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until
this summer to confirm if all these reports and rumors are accurate. However,
if the lineup so far is any indication, the Corvette ZR1 promises to be an
impressive beast.
