Review: Chevrolet Corevette ZR1

Pros: Hare-like handling, scary acceleration, Usain Bolt top speed, stop-on-a-dime braking.

Cons: Slippery cornering, boring interior, understated looks.

Most people would say that you get a lot of bang for your buck with the Corvette ZR1. And they're correct. The "bang" you get would be a 6.2-liter, 638-hp, supercharged V8 and the amount of "buck" you would have to spend would be just over $100,000. And that's good considering the ZR1 costs two to three times less than similarly-performing cars. The engine rockets the ZR1 from a standstill to 60-mph in just over 3.5-seconds and will go well past 200-mph. And it sounds great while doing it.

Braking is excellent on the ZR1 from any speed. The large Brembo carbon ceramic brakes do their job in stopping the ZR1 much quicker than other competitors costing much more dough. As the ZR1 comes to a stop from high speeds, there is very little pitch and squat. This is due to the car's very good weight distribution of 52% in the front and 48% in the back.

However, the ZR1 does have some downsides to it. First, it feels like it would make a better car for drag racing and quarter-mile and 0-60 tests versus going around turns. It can be hard to control and requires great throttle modulation. Just a little power is needed to send the ZR1 side ways and into a drift, as if Vin Diesel were driving his ricer in the Fast and the Furious.

Thanks to lightweight materials and huge carbon ceramic brakes, the ZR1 is a champ when stopping.

The interior of the ZR1 is not something you would expect for a high-performance car costing over 100,000 greenbacks. It is plain from everything like the speedometer to the center dashboard. Moreover, it also looks very similar, if not the same, inside as the cheaper ZO6 and Grand Sport. The same goes for the outside. The only few little items distinguishing the ZR1 from its cheaper stablemates is the different wheels, plastic see-through cover over the engine, ZR1 badging and that's about it.

The ZR1 has virtually no body roll.

The ZR1 did pretty well around Sedona. As it slid around the turns, there was absolutely no body roll or lean. The only lean with the Corvette is its weight. At just over 3,300-lbs., the ZR1 is leaner, and definitely meaner, than any George Foreman grill.

The ZR1 is an awesome car. Enough said.

Made in America, by the Americans, for the world.

Despite its somewhat minor flaws, the ZR1 is an extraordinary car. We love it for the way it handles, drives, and stops. The ZR1 is a great and surprising step forward for Chevrolet. After many decades of building the legendary Corvette, Chevrolet has now built a beast that will outrun many cappuccino-sipping drivers in European supercars costing an arm and a leg more. And that's the real American apple pie.

Check out the video below.

-stefc93