The fastest, most powerful production Corvette ever retakes its supercar crown

DUBAI — The King is returning, stronger than ever.

Chevrolet today introduced the 2019 Corvette ZR1, a supercar that pushes Corvette’s performance legacy with the highest power, greatest track performance and most advanced technology in its production history.

“I’ve never driven a Corvette like this before, and nobody else has either, because there’s never been one like this before,” said Mark Reuss, executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “Its unprecedented performance puts all other global supercars on notice that the ZR1 is back.”

The Corvette ZR1’s exclusive LT5 supercharged engine, which is rated at an SAE-certified 755 horsepower (563 kW) and 715 lb-ft of torque (969 Nm), is establishing a new benchmark in performance. Further, the ZR1 elevates Corvette’s track capability with two wind tunnel-honed aerodynamics packages, including an available High Wing that provides an estimated 950 pounds of downforce.

Most powerful ever

The ZR1’s LT5 6.2L V-8 engine advances Corvette’s supercharging legacy, which began with the 2009 sixth-generation ZR1 and continued with the 2015 seventh-generation Z06. The LT5 delivers the highest output ever for a Chevrolet production vehicle, thanks in part to a new, more-efficient intercooled supercharger system that offers 52 percent more displacement than the Z06’s LT4 supercharger. GM’s first dual-fuel-injection system, which employs primary direct injection and supplemental port injection, helps the LT5 achieve its record output.

Seven-speed manual and eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmissions are available with the LT5. It’s the first time an automatic transmission has been offered in a ZR1.

Fastest ever

The 2019 Corvette ZR1’s aggressive appearance is driven by function, contributing to its distinction as the fastest production Corvette to date.

An all-new front fascia is designed to channel air for propulsion-system and drivetrain cooling, with four new radiators bringing the heat-exchanger total to 13. A special carbon-fiber “halo” hood is open in the middle to clear the LT5 engine’s supercharger/intercooler assembly. Additional features, including aero packages with stanchion-mounted wings, help push the ZR1 harder onto the track for more confident handling and faster lap times. Top speed of the ZR1 is over 210 mph.

“As the highest-performing Corvette ever, the ZR1’s design supports its capability in every way,” said Kirk Bennion, Exterior Design manager. “The new wings, for example, help generate more downforce without adding drag, enhancing road holding and top speed.”

The ZR1 will offer two aero packages: a standard rear Low Wing, which delivers the highest top speed, and an available two-way-adjustable High Wing that offers maximum downforce on the track for the quickest lap times — about 60 percent more downforce than the Z06 with the available Z07 Performance Package. All models also feature a Chevrolet-first, downforce-enhancing front underwing.

The adjustable High Wing is part of the new ZTK Performance Package, which also includes a front splitter with carbon-fiber end caps, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer-only tires, and specific chassis and Magnetic Ride Control tuning for greater cornering grip.

Both of the ZR1’s wings are tied into the chassis, like the Corvette Racing C7.R racecar, for strength and stability.

Sebring Orange Design Package

The Corvette ZR1 introduced today also debuted a dynamic, available Sebring Orange Design Package. Centered on its Sebring Orange Tintcoat exterior color, the package also includes orange brake calipers, orange rocker and splitter accent stripes, orange seat belts, orange interior stitching and unique, bronze aluminum interior trim.

The new design package complements the Corvette ZR1’s tradition of offering maximum performance with refinement and design distinction. The driver-focused, well-appointed cockpit includes standard leather-trimmed seats, with sueded microfiber inserts offered. Heated and vented Napa leather-trimmed seating is also available, as well as a carbon fiber-rimmed steering wheel, competition sport seats, Performance Data Recorder, Bose premium audio system and more.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 goes on sale next spring, poised to take on the world’s best.

It’s good to be the King.

Just last week we told you a Ford GT set a new lap record for production cars around Virginia International Raceway's Grand Course West layout. Now, that record has been broken by the new Corvette ZR1.

Chevrolet announced today it was able to lap a 2019 ZR1 equipped with the optional eight-speed auto and ZTK performance package around VIR in 2:37.25. That's 1.37 seconds quicker than the Ford GT's time, making the ZR1 the fastest production vehicle to ever lap the course.

Aside from a harness bar and five-point harnesses, Chevy says the ZR1 used was totally stock, set up with alignment and aero settings specified in the owner's manual. The $2,995 ZTK package gives the car a whole bunch of aggressive features, including an adjustable carbon fiber wing, a front splitter, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and track-ready magnetic ride control. The lap was set during validation testing earlier in January leading up to the car's production.

The midengine C8 Chevrolet Corvette has just been spotted testing at the track, giving the latest glimpse of GM's planned halo model. The supercar is expected to debut in 2019 and to add to the current Corvette model rather than to replace it directly; it is expected that GM will keep both in production until 2022, when the current C7-generation Corvette will complete its model cycle.

The video strings together three fairly tame starts from a standstill -- the car here is believed to be testing quick pull-aways from a stoplight rather than full-throttle launches -- but it gives a few clues as to what is sitting between the axles. This type of testing is fairly normal midway through the development cycles of running prototypes.

This midengine version of the Corvette, which has been in development for several years, may be using a twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V8 currently making its way through the GM pipeline, but it may also be using a 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine, which is also expected to appear in the lineup. The sound in this video seems more like a naturally aspirated V8 rather than a turbocharged one due to the absence of hisses and whooshes from turbochargers as the engineers give it a lively start. The sound in the video also gives a clue as to the transmission paired with the engine; this one seems to be a dual-clutch unit, which is not terribly surprising given the car being tested and what we already know. In fact, a three-pedal C8 is not expected to be on the menu at all, as GM and Tremec have reportedly been working on an eight-speed DCT.

When it lands in 2019, likely as a 2020 model, the C8 Corvette may end up offering a choice of three powerplants in addition to a battery-electric version or a plug-in hybrid. A 6.2-liter V8 is expected to be the base engine with around 500 hp on tap, while the twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 may end up being the midlevel powerplant with approximately 650 hp.

A range-topping naturally aspirated V8 displacing 5.5 liters and with more than 600 hp on tap may also be a part of the range, but electric, or electrified, powertrains are a bit more of a mystery at the moment, and they're not expected at launch in 2019. It's difficult to picture GM skipping the electrified route completely, as competitors add electric motors to help gasoline units in their supercars, but the extent to which GM will make a version of a C8 electric remains to be seen.

Chevy continues to tease us while testing its newest sports car.

The mid-engined Corvette is coming – eventually. We've seen spy photos of the supercar as early as 2016, but new footage leads us to believe that it could arrive in just a few months. The latest prototypes, captured on camera in Colorado, show the upcoming Corvette testing alongside its current ZR1 sibling.

The video, uncovered by CorvetteBlogger, shows two heavily camouflaged prototypes on public roads in Leadville, Colorado. At 10,152-feet up, it's the perfect proving ground for high-altitude testing. The near-four-minute clip shows the supercars briefly – most of their time spent hidden by the ZR1 – but it provides more evidence of the Corvette's imminent arrival.

Last time we saw footage of the mid-engined Corvette was in June. That clip showed the coupe coming to a complete stop before chirping its tires and sprinting off multiple times. That particular prototype appeared to use a naturally aspirated V8 instead of one of its rumored turbocharged powertrains. It's unclear which powertrains are being used in this particular video.

Reports suggest the mid-engined Corvette will come with three different options. The first will be a 6.2-liter V8 producing around 460 horsepower (343 kilowatts). The second will be a version of the biturbo 4.2-liter V8 from the new Cadillac CT6 V-Sport. In that application, it could produce up to 650 hp (485 kW). The final engine option could be a range-topping biturbo 5.5-liter V8 pumping out up to 850 hp (634 kW).

It's still not clear when the new mid-engined Corvette will show up, but rumors point to a 2019 debut with an on-sale date of 2020. If we're lucky, we could see it this January at the Detroit Auto Show. Buyers that still want a Corvette with a V8 in the front can buy one after the 2018 model year; Chevy will continue production of the current model with a few variations.

Another day, another mid-engine Corvette sighting. Except this isn’t some blocky mule running around a gas station with a tarp on its face, this appears to be the new Corvette C8.R race car.

We got to hear a clip of the thing running at Road America yesterday and it was delightfully puzzling: It didn’t sound like a typical American V8, though many of you thought that it sounded like a flat-plane V8. Not out of the realm of possibility!

Anyway, beneath that camo livery, you can see a silhouette that is most definitely mid-engined. Plus, it has huge vents cut into its side, presumably to channel air into the engine that’s situated behind the driver. All of that, plus the massive wing and diffuser on the back, mean that this is almost certainly the upcoming C8.R.

Which means that the production version won’t look too far off from that.

There’s no official word yet on what will power the new Corvette or its race car counterpart, but I can say this: The mule looks awesome.

General Motors has secured a series of patents for various active aerodynamic parts that could be used by the C8-generation Corvette – although, for obvious reasons (like not giving away the C8’s design) a current Stingray is displayed.

Three new patents recently discovered by Corvette Blogger show that the automaker is working on Active Side Skirts, Active Spoilers, and Downforce Generating Ducts. The detailed patents show exactly how the individual parts will work and provide a hint of just how focused the long-awaited, mid-engine Corvette will be.

First up with have the Active Side Skirts. GM’s patented technology uses sensors which detect the rotating speed of the wheel and the speed of the vehicle relative to the road surface. A controller has then be programmed to send commands to actuators which can extend and retract the side skirts. In their extended position, the active side skirts will help to lower the aerodynamic drag of the car.

Also being developed are various Active Spoilers. The patent images reveal a rear wing which can have its height varied through a gear and motor system. Additionally, a system is able to pivot the body of the spoiler to change the angle of attack and alter how much downforce is generated.

Additionally, the Active Spoilers incorporates sensors that measure the rotating speed of the rear wheels and the velocity of ambient airflow relative to the vehicle. Further sensors gather data about the steering wheel angle and yaw rate to best determine the required height and angle of the spoiler. Included in the patent are depictions of a wing which could extend out of the roof.

Last, but not least, we have the so-called Downforce Generating Ducts. GM’s patent describes ducts containing entry and exit ports which funnel air across various surfaces of the vehicle’s body, impacting downforce levels. The patent depicts these ducts at both the top and bottom of the car.

According to reports, the mid-engine C8 Corvette will premiere at the 2019 North American International Auto Show. A host of variants will be offered, including one with a 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 delivering at least 600 hp and a hybrid twin-turbo V8 with roughly 1000 hp.

Chevrolet's worst-kept secret is the C8-generation mid-engine Corvette. We've heard a lot of rumors about the upcoming sports car with its engine mounted in the middle, but one has persisted: there won't be a manual transmission. That could change with a new patent General Motors has filed.

The patent was published on Sept. 6 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and details an "electric slave cylinder for manually shifted vehicles." In layman's terms, it's a clutch-by-wire system that would replace hydraulic lines. Jalopnik reported last Friday this is exactly that kind of technology that could put a manual transmission in the C8 Corvette.

Typically, a manual transmission features a clutch pedal mounted to the firewall with a clutch master cylinder directly in front of it. A hydraulic line extends from the master cylinder to the clutch slave cylinder to activate the clutch. It's the analog way of doing things, and it's been the norm for decades. GM's patent, however, envisions a sensor mounted on the clutch pedal. The sensor would tell the electronic slave cylinder to move the clutch plate without the need for a hydraulic line to do the act physically.

This kind of solution would forego the need for a hydraulic line to be run to the rear of the car in the C8 Corvette. The electric slave cylinder could also give the computer control of the clutch. This would take away one of the most mundane and bothersome parts of driving a manual-equipped car: clutching in and out when stuck in traffic. The patent list this as a benefit.

Critics might say that a clutch-by-wire system may not have the feel of a hydraulic clutch. That is yet to be seen and it would depend on how well Chevrolet would program it. However, the electric system would allow for consistent clutch pedal feel throughout the life of the clutch, something that doesn't happen with a hydraulic clutch.

Automakers file to patent solutions often, and there's no guarantee we'll see a manual transmission make its way to the C8 Corvette. But a Corvette without a manual is almost like fries without the shake. Is it needed? No, but it's certainly more satisfying.

Critics might say that a clutch-by-wire system may not have the feel of a hydraulic clutch. That is yet to be seen and it would depend on how well Chevrolet would program it. However, the electric system would allow for consistent clutch pedal feel throughout the life of the clutch, something that doesn't happen with a hydraulic clutch.