Chevrolet unveiled the restored 2009 Corvette ZR1 that was damaged earlier this year when a sinkhole emerged beneath the National Corvette Museum.

On display at the SEMA Show, the ZR1 “Blue Devil” is the first of the eight cars swallowed by the sinkhole to be restored.

The vehicle is of significant importance, as it’s one of two show cars used to introduce the Corvette ZR1 in January 2008. When the incident occurred, the “Blue Devil” was on loan from Chevrolet to the National Corvette Museum.

Three weeks after the sinkhole swallowed eight cars, the ZR1 was pulled out. Despite falling nearly 30 feet (9.1 meters), the car started and drove out of the Skydome under its own power.

The ZR1 remained on display at the museum until September, when it was returned to Chevrolet for restoration. The list of damage included cracked carbon-fiber ground effects and a broken passenger-side rocker panel, damaged passenger front fender, cracks in both doors, cracked windshield, hood window glass and passenger headlamp assembly, bent rear control arms on the driver’s side, and cracked oil lines to the supercharged LS9 engine’s dry-sump oiling system.

After six weeks of work, the restored ZR1 was started for the first time at the General Motors Heritage Center. GM will restore two other cars next year: the 1-millionth Corvette and a 1962 Corvette, while the other five will be left damaged and become part of a future display at the museum.

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