New Corvette ZR1 rated at 638 hp

[DainBramaged]

The official dyno numbers are in: The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the forthcoming Chevy Corvette ZR1 cranks out 638 horsepower.

That's about 20 hp more than the estimates from General Motors' power train gurus when they unveiled the new ZR1 and its monster motor last December.

To simplify the math: The LS9 engine in the ZR1 is rated at 103 hp per liter of displacement, or 1.7 hp per cubic inch (6.2 liters is equal to 376 cubic inches, for the old schoolers in the audience.)

All that power will push the Corvette ZR1, which goes on sale this summer, to a top speed of more than 200 mph, GM says. A suggested retail price for the car hasn't been set, but it is expected to be in the neighborhood of $100,000.

What about the grunt? The official number is 604 lb-ft of torque.

The key to that making all the horsepower and torque is a Roots-type supercharger with four-lobe rotors that sits atop the LS9 engine. A liquid-to-air intercooler is integrated into the supercharger's housing.

The supercharger has a volume of 2.3 liters, with a maximum boost pressure of 10.5 psi. Turning that blower required engineers to fit the LS9 with an 11-rib accessory drive belt.

The engine will be hand-built at GM's Performance Build Center in suburban Detroit, the same plant that hand-builds the LS7 V8 used in the Corvette Z06.

Time for some bench measuring, you say? OK:

-- The 6.0-liter V12 in the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is rated at 620 hp and 448 lb-ft.

-- The 6.5-liter V12 in the Lamborghini Murcielago is rated at 580 hp and 650 lb-ft.

-- The turbocharged 3.6-liter flat six-cylinder engine in the Porsche 911 GT2 is rated at 530 hp and 505 lb-ft.

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/FREE/411854900/1065

Zoom zoom. This should put the Peeus owner's underwear in a knot. Oh, and their ONLY making 2000, period. History in the making. With the new CAFE standards going into effect, this is the last of it's breed, and a fitting swan song.

[jimmil]

1. I love the ZR-1s made in the 1990s.

I have built quite a few as a matter of fact. There were several design flaws, the biggest being the cam chain train which was actually dictated by GM, but overall it was the best engine GM ever built. Tolerances were amazing and GM learned tons about making aluminum engines from Mercury at that time. The whole generation of LS engines is beholding to the original LT5 motor. As I mentioned I have build several of the LT5 motors. Although I did get a few into the 700s in horsepower I never got the torque in the 600s. There were several limitations however.

I have not delved into the LS9 or the LS7. A friend of mine has and says it kind of scares him. He says GM could have made a much stronger motor quite easily but figures it had to do with production that corners were cut and things compromised. It may show up if they weren't addressed in the LS9 motor. 10 lbs boost is nothing really so internal stress is not going to be a huge issue. People turning up the screws will be however. That will be the true test of the motor.

The new Vette is very nice too. I've only driven one and never had it on a track. It took much of the C5 and improved on it. The C5 I drove a lot during it's testing at Road Atlanta with Jim Ingles (former chief test engineer for Corvette whom we called Jingles) and the C6 is a quantum step above that which will blow people away. True the interior is cheap compared to Ferrari but it costs a third less and you can get it serviced almost anywhere. This will be the last hoorah so may as well make it the best.

[flvegan]

2. It's going to need Ferrari 599 traction control, or

the avg idiot is just going to cook the tires. I'm thrilled that Chevy is making this car. Having had two Corvettes, myself, I'm a true Vette lover, and had I the money I would own one now.

The pic in the article shows a nice rendition. How they got all that engine AND a Roots-type blower under the hood is incredible in and of itself.

And the Porsche has the engine in the wrong end of the car.

BTW, that horsepower/liter ratio of 103 to 1...matches a McLaren F1 and is only a few shy of an Enzo. Absolute supercar territory with this one.

[Pierre.Suave]

3. I saw a vid of the new ZR1 doing its record setting lap

on the Nurburgring a while ago, I will see if I can find it again and post it.