What you see above is a picture of a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 completely destroyed after a horrible head on crash.

Source: WreckedExotics

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi picks the image that goes on the cover of each breathlessly-awaited edition of the franchise. For the latest version of the game for the PSP, the Corvette ZR1 graces the box. Though he hails from Japan where there's many flavors of off-the-hook cars from the island's indigenous automakers, Yamauchi's got a love affair with American iron. "If you're looking for the optimum specs, layout, and styling in an FR car, it would be the ZR1," Yamauchi told Motor Trend

The second American car to decorate a Gran Turismo box (the first being a Ford GT), the single Corvette image won out over a mock-up that included a Viper and a Mustang. It seems that while Gran Turismo gives gamers access to cars they may never see in the flesh, it does afford its maker the ability to poke around real examples of such awe-inspiring vehicles. For most GT fans, both new versions of the game and the cars that inhabit its digital simulations are the things of feverish dreams. The difference is that when the game finally drops, it will be obtainable.

Source: Motor Trend

Remember the Bertone Mantide? Yes - that insane looking car based on the Corvette ZR1. Well, it seems like owner Dan Watkins wants to take his Mantide to the Nurburgring and pin it up against the 7:26.4 Nurburgring lap time of the Corvette ZR1 itself.

According to Jason Castriota, Bertone’s chief designer, Watkins is really excited to take his new supercar to the Nurburgring.

“It has been a dream of mine from the outset of this project,” Jason told PistonHeads. ”The logistics are not easy, as we’ll need to hire a professional driver - somebody who’s truly a Nurburgring expert like Stefan Roser - and then get the circuit closed for a few days.”

The Bertone Mantide is powered by an LS9 engine making a total of 638-hp, which allows for a 0 to 62 mph time of just 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph.

Source: eGMCarTech

Hennessey Performance Engineering makes the point that track-oriented Porsche owners can opt up from a normal 911 to a GT3 RS and Viper owners can choose the ACR edition, so what's out there for ZR1 owners who want a more hardcore machine? To answer that question, HPE has introduced the Z700 for 2010.

The exclusive new model features a number of enhancements that go beyond the requisite power increase, which in this case jumps from 638 to 705 dyno-tuned hp. HPE has also put the ZR1 on a diet, shedding pounds by adding lightweight carbon fiber seats and carbon fiber wheels wrapped in a Michilin Pilot Cup Sport tires. The wheels alone scrub off 60 lbs. of rotating weight. Aero enhancements include Hennessey's Z-Aero carbon fiber front splitter, canards and rear spoiler, all of which add 300 lbs. of downforce. Finally, an alcantara steering wheel and shift knob should feel better in the hand when barnstorming the track.

Hennessey plans to prove that the Z700 is a big improvement over the ZR1 by taking direct aim at the standard car's Nürburgring lap time of 7:26. They'll be flying to Germany with a Z700 later this year to take their best shot, but considering that HPE is perhaps the only only tuning company with its very own on-site track, Lonestar Motorsports Park, we expect good results.

Only 24 examples will be produced, and customers who order a Z700 also get a one-day performance driving instruction course at Lonestar Motorsports Park. Total cost for a base Z700 will start at $207,150, which also includes the cost of a donor ZR1. That's nearly a six-figure increase over the base price of a ZR1.

Source: AutoBlog

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has dominated everything in its $100,000 price range, and quite a few supercars that double or triple its MSRP. With just about everything with four wheels subservient to the ZR1, MotorTrend decided to forgo cars and trucks for something with a bit more boost.

MotorTrend's Aurthor St. Antoine thought a more credible contender against the ZR1 would be an F/A-18 Hornet from the Blue Angel squad. So it was Blue Devil vs. Blue Angel, with one vehicle doling out 638 hp and able to hit 60 in 3.3 seconds, and the other capable of mach 1.8 and packing 32,000 pounds of thrust. It doesn't exactly sound like a fair fight, but the race is pretty simple: the first to the one-mile mark wins. Video in the jump!



Source: Autoblog

The cost to own America's own 638-horsepower supercar just got more expensive. GM recently released prices of all Corvette models to dealers and the 2010 Corvette will now start at $107,830. Add the required $1,700 gas guzzler tax for the Corvette ZR1 and the new out the door price increases to $109,530, an increase of $2,910 over the 2009's MSRP + gas tax of $106,620.

Although no one likes to see prices increases year to year, we're not at all surprised as dealers routinely sell the Corvette ZR1 for $10,000 or more over the MSRP. The new price adds a little more profit to GM and well-healed buyers probably won't balk at the new pricing. Details in the jump!

GM has not yet released the Options Package pricing yet, but we expect that to remain in the neighborhood of $10,000 for the 3ZR package. In addition to the Chrome ZR1 wheels, the 2010 Corvette ZR1 will feature a new competition gray wheel which we expect pricing to be similar to the 2009 wheel upgrade price of $2,000. So using 2009's pricing as the basis for calculating the price of a loaded 2010 Corvette ZR1, expect to pay $121,530.

The 2010 Corvette ZR1 does feature several new enhancements over the current model. New is the Performance Traction Management technology, Launch Control and standard side air bags. A new cashmere interior will be available later this fall and now the Corvette ZR1 can be ordered in any of the Corvette’s standard colors including Torch Red, Arctic White and Crystal Red Metallic.

Source: Corvette Blogger

For many auto enthusiasts, the golden age of automotive styling was during 1960s, when designers had virtual free reign on their designs and didn't have to worry about aerodynamics, pedestrian crumple zones and other such ‘nuisances’. At the same time, the ‘60s could hardly be called the high point of automotive technology, and the development of engines, brakes, suspension components and transmissions still had a long way to go.

Fast forward to 2009, and legendary GM engineer and pro-touring car builder Mark Stielow appears to have created the perfect marriage of automotive styling and technology - and by this we mean a 1969 Butternut Yellow Chevrolet Camaro with GM's insane LS9 V8 dropped into its engine bay.



For the uninitiated, the LS9 supercharged V8 is the most powerful production engine GM has ever made, with a mind-numbing 638hp (476kW) and 604lb-ft (819Nm) of torque on tap. It currently resides in the mighty Corvette ZR1 supercar and is available as a standalone crate engine for $21,000.

Named 'The Jackass', Stielow’s LS9-powered Camaro also takes the same wheels and super wide sport tires from the ZR1 to help transmit all that power to the road. The only issue that could crop up from this is trying to stop the car at 180mph with the stock Camaro brakes, but luckily these have also been replaced with the same carbon-ceramic units found in the ZR1.

A quick chassis dyno reveals that the car makes around 511hp (381kW) at its rear wheels, transmitted through a Tremec T56 6-speed transmission borrowed from the Dodge Viper. With all that power, we can expect lightning fast acceleration although no performance figures have been released.

As for the price of all those tantalizing mods, Stielow revealed to Edmunds that it’s actually cheaper to buy the Corvette ZR1 – but who could say no to an LS9-powered 1969 Camaro if money was no option?

Source: MotorAuthority.com

You knew it had to happen, eventually. Some enterprising engineer/grease monkey/nut job would take the most absurdly powerful engine General Motors has ever made, the 638-horsepower LS9 from the Corvette ZR1, and slapped it into the best-looking Camaro General Motors has ever made, the 1969.

What we have here, then, is the ultimate Camaro, one that goes by the name Jackass. More in the jump!

The engineer/grease monkey/nut job in this case is General Motors engineer and Pro-Touring car-building legend Mark Stielow. It took Stielow 20 months to create Jackass, and predictably then, Jackass is something more than your average engine-transplant hack job. The fabrication appears first-rate. And lest you think big-motored Camaros are only about ripping though the quarter-mile, consider that Stielow started building first-generation Camaros to compete in Brock Yates' One Lap of America event. And it's early Camaros that have built Stielow's reputation. All have had silly names such as Mule, Thrasher and Red Witch.

So Jackass also gets the wheels, tires and monster carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes from the ZR1. No, those pieces are not technically available to your average car builder. One would need a VIN from a ZR1 to get them out of Service Parts Operation, so get one of those first.

The motor, which Stielow says makes about 511 hp at the rear wheels on a Mustang chassis dyno, sits low in a bolt-on Art Morrison subframe. The transmission is a Tremec T56 transmission from a Viper.

How much does all of this wicked Camaro goodness cost? "Well, I can tell you it's cheaper to just buy a ZR1," says Stielow, who since the disbanding of the High Performance Vehicle Group has taken a job as engineering group manager in the hybrid vehicle division.

Oh, and the color? That would be the always-sassy Daytona Yellow, which was a standard Camaro color option back in 1969.

Source: Edmunds

Back at the Nürburgring, the hot Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 has just ripped four seconds off its claimed 7:26 lap. The new time, with Jan Magnussen at the wheel, is a claimed 7:22.4 for the full 12.93-mile loop. While the number is pretty fast, it is still .3 seconds off the time earned by the Dodge Viper ACR. We take these lap times with a grain of salt, as we've yet to see everyone on the 73-turn course under the same conditions, and with officially certified timing equipment. Again, so you don't have to Google the competition's best-claimed Ring times yourself, here they are: Porsche GT2 - 7:32, Nissan GT-R - 7:29, Corvette ZR1 - 7:22.4 and the Dodge Viper ACR - 7:22.1.

Thanks for the tip, PowerShift408!

Source: AutoBlog

The NISSAN GT-R, winner of the 2009 World Performance Car of the Year, has improved its lap time at the renowned Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany to 7min 26 seconds 70 on April 23.

This new time underlines Nissan engineering team’s commitment to constantly challenge the GT-R’s performance. Previous recorded lap times at the ‘Ring’ were:

- 7 minutes 27 seconds 56 on April 15, 2009
- 7 minutes 29 in April 2008
- 7 minutes 38 in September 2007

“This record demonstrates our commitment to the continuous evolution of the Nissan GT-R,” says Kazutoshi Mizuno, Chief Vehicle Engineer and Chief Vehicle Specialist. “We would like to continue delivering the passion and pride of ownership to our customers by improving its performance every year.”

The Nissan GT-R has won more than a dozen awards globally including Car of the Year from CAR Magazine in the UK, and Car of the Year by both Motor Trend and Autombile Magazine in the US.

The ZR1's current best time is 7:26.4 compared to this new record.

Source: eGMCarTech

The Corvette ZR1 "Hero Edition" was specially built by General Motors to honor the Kids Wish Network's "Hero of the Month", a child that has faced and overcome traumatic and life-changing circumstances with courage and spirit. This special edition ZR1 will be paired with a Black/Red 1967 Corvette 427/390 hp roadster and raffled off at the end of the year in the Win The Vette's Corvette Dream Giveaway.

The Hero Edition serial #1 of 1 is the only Corvette ZR1 produced with red accents, special graphics, and additional carbon fiber components. Under the hood, the now-famous blue cowl covering the Eaton supercharged 638-horsepower LS9 V8 engine has been replaced with a one of a kind red version that can be seen through the hood's polycarbonate window. One-of-a-kind emblems and embroidery confirm its unique place in automotive history. More in the jump!

Corvette Team Members Ray Krawczyk, Harlan Charles and Tadge Juechter have all signed their names under the hood to further authenticate this 1 of 1 special edition Corvette.

Last year's Corvette Dream Giveaway generated enough donations to fund the Hero Program for an entire year. The Kids Wish Network provides a "Hero" gift package to a deserving child at a monthly award ceremony at each participating hospital.

Tickets for the Corvette Dream Giveaway start at just $3. There is no cap on how many tickets will be sold and by purchasing more tickets, the price per ticket decreases while your odds of winning increase. The drawing for the two Corvettes will be held December 23rd and winners will be notified.

Most people never get to own a Corvette;
Few people will ever own a ZR1;
Only one person will ever own the Hero Edition

To enter the "Win The Vettes" raffle and help the heros of the Kids Wish Network, click here to purchase tickets or call 866-WIN-Both to speak with a representative.

Source: Corvette Blogger

Many may find the Bertone Mantide's design controversial, to say the least, but there's no doubt that every rare supercar has its place in the world of automotive collectors. So it comes to no surprise that according to Bertone's chief designer and the man at fault responsible for the Mantide's styling, Jason Castriota, the Italian firm could produce as many as 10 units of the Corvette ZR1-based sportscar.

"The project has an anonymous benefactor, but it is in fact for sale either as a singular example, or with the possibility of building an extremely limited series," Castriota told the NY Times in an e-mail message. "At the moment there is considerable interest around the world as we have been contacted by potential clients in Asia, Europe and America," he added.

Despite its relatively humble underpinnings - humble in the sense that a Corvette ZR1 will set you back a 'mere' $104,920 or about €79,000, the Mantide's price will hover close to a staggering $2,000,000 or around €1,500,000. Like it or not, we have no doubt that there's a handful of people out there who will be more than willing to pay such a high price to own a supercar like the Mantide.

Source: CarScoop

Stile Bertone has finally revealed his Project M car as the one-off Betrone Mantide.

The Bertone Mantide features the underpinnings of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 wrapped in radical Stile Bertone aerospace inspired design.

The LS9 engine gives the Mantide a total 638-hp. However, with a significant drop in weight with carbon fiber body panels, interior trim, seats and even the wheels, the Mantide promises better performance than the ZR1 itself. 0 to 62 mph is said to come in just 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph. Video in the jump!



Source: eGMCarTech

A guy by the name of Ranger off of CorvetteForum had the luxury of taking a ZR1 for a pass at the dragstrip. Details a plenty at the jump, but here's the video for those who have zero attention span.



Source: Corvette Forum

Here is the GT2 C6R as it tested last week as seen on the ALMSF masthead.

As you can see from the photos, the hood window is gone, but the car does bear a resemblance to the ZR1 with a few minor tweaks for the track. There's a revised grille in front, a large spoiler out back and a new diffuers underneath, but other than that it looks fairly close to the stock unit. If the hood window remained you'd see a 6.0-liter LS7 this year, which will be replaced by a 500-hp, 5.5-liter race-tuned LS3 for 2010 when the rules change next year.

Source: Badboyvettes