[ZR1] Professional Driver's impressions, ZR1
02-11-2009, 12:57 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Professional Driver's impressions, ZR1
Bondurant instructor Mike Speck's third article with his impressions on the new ZR-1 Corvette.
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
While the raw performance numbers that a car generates are often the primary means of evaluation of a vehicle’s worth for so many consumers, they often don’t truly tell the story of the intrinsic feel of the machine. Perhaps Chevrolet’s new king of the performance car mountain, the C6 ZR-1 is a reasonable example. Certainly, the performance numbers do speak volumes of the intent of this car to take the fight to the finest road going performance machines made across the globe. But it is the experience of driving the ZR-1 that truly notifies its very fortunate owner that it undoubtedly belongs amongst the supercar elite.
The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, after a multi year partnership with General Motors, now offers in its impressive repertoire of classes, the chance to sit at the controls of a supercharged LS9 powered ZR-1 Corvette. We are proud to offer a program that will allow owners of the ZR-1 to truly understand the limits of this simply phenomenal machine.
Being lucky enough to have taught at the Bondurant School for over a decade I have had the chance to drive a wide range of machinery, and as such I’ve had the chance to drive all my dream cars, both from years past and current offerings. The ZR-1 may be one of the most comprehensive and balanced performance car packages available on the market today, regardless of price. My envy of those that have the wherewithal to own one of these machines, and that can, at a whim, flip on the garage lights to see it parked at home, is as immeasurable as the thrust from the 638 horsepower engine is impressive.
After getting several chances to drive the ZR-1 I want to leave you with a few impressions, and frankly I also hope to entice you to visit our immaculate facility in the Arizona desert to try your hand at one of the most impressive performance cars in the world. Despite having driven a wide range of very high horsepower cars, I must admit that I was somewhat intimidated by the ZR-1 as I did my initial walk around. The wide and muscular front fenders and fascia are very Z06-like, with a scoop placed near the nose and down near the front bumper. As your eyes travel up the hood line of the vehicle though, the visual differences from the Z06 begin, as a prominent hood bulge and polycarbonate clear section make room for and showcase the supercharged LS9 which is the heart of the ZR-1.
Carbon fiber adorns much of the ZR-1s exterior, and while the hood and fenders are painted, the roof, front splitter and side rocker panels are in raw carbon fiber that is smoothly blanketed in clear lacquer. The look is elegant, business like and performance minded in its approach. Like a heavyweight champion in a tuxedo, the ZR-1 has a look that says it can take on all comers – in fashion. The vents that sit behind the front tire wheel wells are larger than what is seen on the Z06 and Z51 models and afford the ZR-1 a still more intimidating stance. The rear fenders have also been widened to accommodate the enormous 335/25 ZR 20 rear tire and wheel package. A purposeful and discreet lip sits atop the rear decklid finishing off a list of subtle but clearly noticeable visual cues that set it apart from the rest of the capable C6 platform line of Corvettes.
The interior of the ZR-1 appears at first to be identical to the rest of the C6 platform, but differences become apparent quite quickly. In place of the alternator electrical current gauge in the upper right hand section of the dash cluster is a prominent boost gauge that allows the driver to keep tabs on exactly how much air is being pushed into the 6.2 liter V8. There is a sense of opulence in the ZR-1 as well, with hand stitched leather surfaces throughout, including leather covered door handles. Carbon fiber pieces are found along the dash and center console and offer a racecar like feel.
The seats, while similar in appearance to the rest of the C6 line, offer adjustable bolsters and lumbar supports, and have grippy suede inserts to help hold the driver in place during spirited driving. Such attention to detail is commendable and necessary in a car that can routinely exceed 1 g of lateral acceleration.
One of the most notable elements of the ZR-1 interior is a dial just forward of the center arm rest area that controls the MSRC. MSRC, or Magnetic Selective Ride Control, allows drivers to select between Touring and Sport modes for the suspension, which effectively softens or stiffens the shock absorbers depending on the conditions and what it is that the driver is intending to do. The system makes changes to the viscosity of the fluid in the dampers by increasing or decreasing the electrical current and the subsequent magnetic effect. Metal particles activated or relaxed in the shock fluid then change the level of compression in the shock. The result is a discernable change in the feel of the suspension with a comfortable level of compliance dialed in while the system is in its Touring mode. Bumps and irregularities in road and track surfaces are handled with remarkable aplomb, but roll and pitch are still managed precisely.
Sport mode not only stiffens the compression rate of the suspension, but also seems to increase the rebound as well, making the 3,300-pound ZR-1 remarkably agile and utilizing the full coefficient of friction potential of the massive tires. The Sport mode begins to make the ZR-1 feel race car like, and is especially impressive on smoothly paved race circuits very much like the one that the Bondurant facility boasts.
To say that the ZR-1 accelerates with authority does not even begin to give a person the faintest idea of how the force-fed LS9 forces ones body back into the seat when the right hand pedal is pressed down. The 604 pound of torque seem to come in brutally as the revs climb and the process of accelerating in the ZR-1 becomes a feast for all the senses. As the supercharger begins to develop boost in earnest, the exhaust baffle opens, releasing an all-American symphony of raw power producing sound which is eventually met with the high pitched by slightly muted whine of the supercharger. All the while, surrounding real-estate blurs in your peripheral vision as the ZR-1 builds velocity – and big velocity at that. A glance down at the gauges confirms what the body feels and hears at triple digit speeds are attained disturbingly quickly, starting with a 0-60 sprint that takes just over 3 seconds.
Acceleration, at least that produced by the motor is only one part of the ZR-1 repertoire however and with the lateral acceleration ability that peaks above 1.0 g, the Corvette in ZR-1 trim also comes equipped to shed speed in startling fashion. 6-piston and 4-piston calipers painted in clamp massive 15.5-inch front carbon ceramic rotors and 15-inch rear rotors respectively. In addition, the brake pedal offers exceptionally precise feel and absolute confidence, making the ZR-1 not only a tremendously fast piece of GM machinery, but a safe one as well. An overall performance package is what the ZR-1 is all about, and from those of us that have been lucky to drive one at speed, we don’t find it surprising at all that the car did so well at tracks like the Nurburgring.
All of these attributes ultimately are simply potentials however, and it is up to the driver – that lucky soul in the cockpit seated comfortably behind the thick Corvette-crest-emblazoned steering wheel – that must be able to realize that potential. At the Bondurant School, that is exactly our area of expertise. We will teach you not only how to extract the most out of GM products that include the audacious ZR-1, but we will also teach you how to do it safely and with a true and substance based level of confidence. Through a variety of drills that stress the importance of concentration, visual technique, car feel and car control we can teach how to be a better driver. Our ZR-1 class is just for those of you that purchase machines like this, and is something that people truly begin to realize after they come through our world class facility and work with our renowned instructional staff.
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
While the raw performance numbers that a car generates are often the primary means of evaluation of a vehicle’s worth for so many consumers, they often don’t truly tell the story of the intrinsic feel of the machine. Perhaps Chevrolet’s new king of the performance car mountain, the C6 ZR-1 is a reasonable example. Certainly, the performance numbers do speak volumes of the intent of this car to take the fight to the finest road going performance machines made across the globe. But it is the experience of driving the ZR-1 that truly notifies its very fortunate owner that it undoubtedly belongs amongst the supercar elite.
The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, after a multi year partnership with General Motors, now offers in its impressive repertoire of classes, the chance to sit at the controls of a supercharged LS9 powered ZR-1 Corvette. We are proud to offer a program that will allow owners of the ZR-1 to truly understand the limits of this simply phenomenal machine.
Being lucky enough to have taught at the Bondurant School for over a decade I have had the chance to drive a wide range of machinery, and as such I’ve had the chance to drive all my dream cars, both from years past and current offerings. The ZR-1 may be one of the most comprehensive and balanced performance car packages available on the market today, regardless of price. My envy of those that have the wherewithal to own one of these machines, and that can, at a whim, flip on the garage lights to see it parked at home, is as immeasurable as the thrust from the 638 horsepower engine is impressive.
After getting several chances to drive the ZR-1 I want to leave you with a few impressions, and frankly I also hope to entice you to visit our immaculate facility in the Arizona desert to try your hand at one of the most impressive performance cars in the world. Despite having driven a wide range of very high horsepower cars, I must admit that I was somewhat intimidated by the ZR-1 as I did my initial walk around. The wide and muscular front fenders and fascia are very Z06-like, with a scoop placed near the nose and down near the front bumper. As your eyes travel up the hood line of the vehicle though, the visual differences from the Z06 begin, as a prominent hood bulge and polycarbonate clear section make room for and showcase the supercharged LS9 which is the heart of the ZR-1.
Carbon fiber adorns much of the ZR-1s exterior, and while the hood and fenders are painted, the roof, front splitter and side rocker panels are in raw carbon fiber that is smoothly blanketed in clear lacquer. The look is elegant, business like and performance minded in its approach. Like a heavyweight champion in a tuxedo, the ZR-1 has a look that says it can take on all comers – in fashion. The vents that sit behind the front tire wheel wells are larger than what is seen on the Z06 and Z51 models and afford the ZR-1 a still more intimidating stance. The rear fenders have also been widened to accommodate the enormous 335/25 ZR 20 rear tire and wheel package. A purposeful and discreet lip sits atop the rear decklid finishing off a list of subtle but clearly noticeable visual cues that set it apart from the rest of the capable C6 platform line of Corvettes.
The interior of the ZR-1 appears at first to be identical to the rest of the C6 platform, but differences become apparent quite quickly. In place of the alternator electrical current gauge in the upper right hand section of the dash cluster is a prominent boost gauge that allows the driver to keep tabs on exactly how much air is being pushed into the 6.2 liter V8. There is a sense of opulence in the ZR-1 as well, with hand stitched leather surfaces throughout, including leather covered door handles. Carbon fiber pieces are found along the dash and center console and offer a racecar like feel.
The seats, while similar in appearance to the rest of the C6 line, offer adjustable bolsters and lumbar supports, and have grippy suede inserts to help hold the driver in place during spirited driving. Such attention to detail is commendable and necessary in a car that can routinely exceed 1 g of lateral acceleration.
One of the most notable elements of the ZR-1 interior is a dial just forward of the center arm rest area that controls the MSRC. MSRC, or Magnetic Selective Ride Control, allows drivers to select between Touring and Sport modes for the suspension, which effectively softens or stiffens the shock absorbers depending on the conditions and what it is that the driver is intending to do. The system makes changes to the viscosity of the fluid in the dampers by increasing or decreasing the electrical current and the subsequent magnetic effect. Metal particles activated or relaxed in the shock fluid then change the level of compression in the shock. The result is a discernable change in the feel of the suspension with a comfortable level of compliance dialed in while the system is in its Touring mode. Bumps and irregularities in road and track surfaces are handled with remarkable aplomb, but roll and pitch are still managed precisely.
Sport mode not only stiffens the compression rate of the suspension, but also seems to increase the rebound as well, making the 3,300-pound ZR-1 remarkably agile and utilizing the full coefficient of friction potential of the massive tires. The Sport mode begins to make the ZR-1 feel race car like, and is especially impressive on smoothly paved race circuits very much like the one that the Bondurant facility boasts.
To say that the ZR-1 accelerates with authority does not even begin to give a person the faintest idea of how the force-fed LS9 forces ones body back into the seat when the right hand pedal is pressed down. The 604 pound of torque seem to come in brutally as the revs climb and the process of accelerating in the ZR-1 becomes a feast for all the senses. As the supercharger begins to develop boost in earnest, the exhaust baffle opens, releasing an all-American symphony of raw power producing sound which is eventually met with the high pitched by slightly muted whine of the supercharger. All the while, surrounding real-estate blurs in your peripheral vision as the ZR-1 builds velocity – and big velocity at that. A glance down at the gauges confirms what the body feels and hears at triple digit speeds are attained disturbingly quickly, starting with a 0-60 sprint that takes just over 3 seconds.
Acceleration, at least that produced by the motor is only one part of the ZR-1 repertoire however and with the lateral acceleration ability that peaks above 1.0 g, the Corvette in ZR-1 trim also comes equipped to shed speed in startling fashion. 6-piston and 4-piston calipers painted in clamp massive 15.5-inch front carbon ceramic rotors and 15-inch rear rotors respectively. In addition, the brake pedal offers exceptionally precise feel and absolute confidence, making the ZR-1 not only a tremendously fast piece of GM machinery, but a safe one as well. An overall performance package is what the ZR-1 is all about, and from those of us that have been lucky to drive one at speed, we don’t find it surprising at all that the car did so well at tracks like the Nurburgring.
All of these attributes ultimately are simply potentials however, and it is up to the driver – that lucky soul in the cockpit seated comfortably behind the thick Corvette-crest-emblazoned steering wheel – that must be able to realize that potential. At the Bondurant School, that is exactly our area of expertise. We will teach you not only how to extract the most out of GM products that include the audacious ZR-1, but we will also teach you how to do it safely and with a true and substance based level of confidence. Through a variety of drills that stress the importance of concentration, visual technique, car feel and car control we can teach how to be a better driver. Our ZR-1 class is just for those of you that purchase machines like this, and is something that people truly begin to realize after they come through our world class facility and work with our renowned instructional staff.
02-11-2009, 07:56 PM
#4
Intermediate
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: Woodridge Illinois
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Great article. I just finished the Bob Bondurant school last month and had the time of my life. I never knew what that car could do until I got it out on the track and let it perform. The acceleration, cornering, braking, etc. were unbelievable. I was able to drive both the Z06 and ZR1 out there. There is a definite difference. Besides the acceleration, the ZR1 handled so much better.
Great school, very knowledgeable, friendly staff and well maintained/clean cars. Even Bob Bondurant would come out to your car to see how you were doing and shoot the sh**.
Had a great time and made some new friends.
Great school, very knowledgeable, friendly staff and well maintained/clean cars. Even Bob Bondurant would come out to your car to see how you were doing and shoot the sh**.
Had a great time and made some new friends.
02-11-2009, 11:03 PM
#6
Racer
Member Since: Jul 2004
Location: Upton Massachusetts
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Thanks for the write up. Great job. But, the schools ZR1 must have different seats than the car I bought. No grippy suede to be found anywhere on my seats. I wish there were. Hard left hand sweepers have me halfway into the passenger seat.
