2017 Los Angeles: The 755-horsepower 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 zooms into LA

Chevrolet landed the most powerful, road-going Corvette yet for the first time in America at the 2017 Los Angeles International Auto Show.

What’s going on?

The 2017 Los Angeles International Auto Show is what’s going on! And Chevrolet just unveiled history’s most powerful production Corvette ever for the first time on American soil. Meet the all-new, completely bonkers 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Originally unveiled in Dubai earlier in the month, the new ZR1 is based on the current generation C7 Corvette and is essentially a successor to the previous C6 generation’s ZR1 form 2009, a car that already boasted ridiculous performance back then.

Now, just imagine that car, except with 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of twist and wrapped in the C7’s latest body.

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Yup, you read correctly. 

The C7 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 bests the C6 ZR1’s performance by 117 horses and 111 torques. The new ZR1 is propelled by Chevrolet Performance’s latest LT5 motor, the company’s most powerful production engine yet. It is based off of the Z06’s 6.2-liter LT4 V8. But now, it features an all-new supercharger that’s more efficient with airflow. It continues to be intercooled, offering a total 52 percent more air displacement volume than the Z06 LT4’s setup. General Motors also fitted its first duel-injector fuel delivery system, offering both port and direct injection for optimal fuel atomization.

The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 could be equipped with either a seven-speed manual or an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic, making it the first ZR1 to offer such. Chevrolet didn’t reveal official performance figures just yet, except that they were able to crack a top speed of 210 mph. But to put things in perspective, the last-generation Corvette ZR1 took only 3.3 seconds to hit 60 from a standstill with a top sprint of around the 200 mph mark.

So figure since the new ZR1 has a heck of a ton more power, the new car should be considerably faster in getting to the top.

There’s a wind-tunnel-designed bodykit that can provide up to 950 pounds of downforce at speed.

Being a performance benchmark for not just Corvette lineup, but Chevrolet in general, the ZR1 also boasts even more impressive speed numbers all around than the outgoing model. This comes thanks to significant reengineering of the ZR1’s bodykit, designed specifically for boosting grip with the help of downforce at speed. But the improved aerodynamics aren’t just for downforce, but air-cooling efficiency as well.

For example, the front bumper’s design is specifically shaped to channel air into the engine bay for the intercooler and better overall cooling of the whopping 13 heat exchangers in total in the ZR1. You read correctly. There’s a total of 13 different individual types of radiators for keeping various parts of the car cool. There’s also an signature air duct on the hood, giving the ZR1 a very unique look when compared to other Corvettes, while also being functional.

The extra airflow also contributes to the ZR1’s on-track reliability–by keeping things cool, the ZR1 is able to sustain higher speeds and more aggressive driving for greater extended periods of time.

Laying the power to the ground is a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 supper tires (part of the ZTK Performance Package) while the Magnetic Ride Control gains specific tuning bespoke to the ZR1.

And rounding it all off is a new available Sebring Orange Package–a special exterior color and interior trim arrangement tailored just for the ZR1. It comes with, as you guessed, many items colored in Sebring Orange. Ranging from leather-trimmed seats with orange sueded microfiber inserts, to a Napa leather-trimmed steering wheel.

Chevrolet didn’t announce pricing just yet. But when the last Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 ended production after 2013, it last started at $113,595. Expect the new C7 ZR1 to cost around, if not slightly more, than that figure.

– By: Chris Chin


2017 LA – 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Photo Gallery

Chris Chin

Chris Chin is the Editor-In-Chief of egmCarTech and is a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine.

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