When Jay introduces the 2019 Corvette ZR1, he rightfully dubs it as being the greatest high performance bargain of the century. The bargain part depends on your budget, but it is one of the fastest cars in production right now; the price tag moves into the ‘you could have gotten a house for that’ zone though, and it’s not technically an exotic either, nor is it priced as such. It is, however, one fast machine!
This isn’t the first time Jay Leno has slid behind the wheel of one of these cars, he’s taken one close to its limit before. At the General Motors’ Milford Proving Grounds in Michigan, he got one around 204 mph for quite a few miles. That’s not even where the 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 caps out either, at the Virginia International Raceway, the ZR1 set a lap record, while also managing to clock 212 mile per hour as its top speed. Over at his personal garage, Jay welcomed a 2019 Corvette ZR1 and Chevrolet’s Shad Balcher to explain the magic behind the car.
The obvious star of the ZR1 show is the tuned and blown 6.2-liter engine that pumps out 755 horsepower and 715 lbs-ft of torque. In addition to the top speed well into the 200 mile per hour spot, stock, the car is quick — the 2019 ZR1 can spring to 60 miles per hour in 2.85 seconds from a dead stop.
In order to handle the extreme horsepower from the factory, Chevy designed the aerodynamics of the ZR1 to be quite different from your average C7 Corvette so it can provide some serious downforce. The ZTK Performance Package, capable of generating 950 pounds of downforce, which is mainly thanks to the big rear wing. A more subtle option has a smaller rear wing, and is actually the option that reached the official top speed.
Now as far as that bargain thing goes, the ZR1 coupe will run you $119,995 and the convertible variant will run you $123,995. This still puts the ZR1 at about half the price of a ‘starter’ exotic, but it’s definitely the most expensive Corvette you can buy.
Elizabeth is a hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
