Despite having more horsepower than ever, modern supercars are also getting easier to drive. Thanks to high-tech safety features and advanced systems, supercars are more forgiving and accessible than ever. The new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 may have modern technology, but, according to The Smoking Tire, it’s a scary old-school car that requires you to be on your game and know what you’re doing.
General Motors invited Matt Farah to drive the loudest and most-powerful ‘Vette at Road Atlanta. Understandably, he was impressed with Chevrolet’s latest high-performance offering.
After the issues with the Z06, Chevy wanted to prove that it could build a track-ready Corvette that wouldn’t overheat. While it’s easy to look at the ZR1 and get lost in the copious amounts of carbon fiber, huge rear wing and enormous front splitter, the most impressive thing about the ZR1 is how much the engineers have worked to keep things cool.
The new ZR1 has no less than 13 (!) heat exchangers and the vents in the front fascia are larger than ever to keep things as cool as possible. Chevrolet also tested the supercar at Virginia International Raceway for 24 hours at race speed to see if any issues popped up – and in the process, they accidentally set a new production lap record.
When you don’t have to worry about having the car giving out on you, the only thing left to do is enjoy the heck out of it, which is exactly what Farah does. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 makes 755 HP and 715 lb-ft of torque and is so large that it protrudes out of the engine bay.
The ZR1 might not be the fastest car on the road, but it’s plenty quick enough. “The car goes faster than I can think,” says Farah. However, while the ZR1 does have a lot going for it, it also has some faults; but you can check for yourselves in the video below.