Only the people inside of General Motors itself know what the 2018 C7 Corvette ZR1, if that will be its name, looks like. But, after spotting the prototypes on multiple occasions, Car and Driver has expertly rendered what the ZR1 could look like when it arrives.
It’s a lot of the same, with no major departures stylistically from the entire C7 Corvette family, but there are some notable differences. Up front, artists imagine larger grille openings, likely to allow more airflow to cool the engine, and there’s a very aggressive front splitter.
The rendering also takes into account the power bulge the ZR1 prototype carries with it by providing a modern take on the C6 Corvette ZR1’s see-through cover complete with hood vents.
At the back, the tail lamps receive a darker treatment, and most notably, there’s a big wing atop the rear deck to keep things grounded.
We’d imagine the rendering isn’t far off, save for other minor details. Hopefully, we won’t be left in the dark much longer regarding what the ZR1 will be capable of, but reports of power figures north of 700 hp and a DOHC V8 haven’t gone away.
Comments
That was not too tough since all they did was color in the Patten drawings that were released last week.
On the color in:
Yeah I agree Scott. And if they don’t, I’ve found that they usually aren’t too accurate. These various magazine renderings usually have so much lipstick on them that when I do see the real thing, I’m disappointed.
What will happen to the resale value of the current corvette ZO6 once the new ZR1 comes out?
Currently they are hovering around mid 60k, how much further will they come down?
They’ll keep coming down, and it will drop in price even further like the C6 Z06 did after the ZR1 came out. A couple of months after its release would be the perfect time to buy a C6 or C7 Z06 for sure. Most of the time, these cars will drop like a rock and bottom out around 20-30,000.
So deciding between a c6 zr1 or a c7 zo6?
I’m surprised to see GMAuthority.com come out with the Car and Driver ZR1 story 3 weeks after the magazine arrived in my mailbox and I left the following commentary on my Corvette blog… http://www.corvettereport.com/car-and-drivers-c7-zr1-bomb-real-deal-or-slick-art/
Have a look-see and let me know what you think. – Scott
One juicy tid-bit that was NOT mentioned in the Car and Driver story was the possibility of the new ZR1 having “Active Aerodynamics” as reported on here… http://www.thedrive.com/tech/8601/will-the-chevy-corvette-zr1-use-active-aerodynamics
This could indeed be the next big thing, as it seems that tires have maxed out and horsepower is to the level that’s right at the edge of computer controls, such that it you are thundering around a track with a Z06 DO NOT turn off the active computer controlled suspension! If you do, the car is uncontrollable!
So what’s next? Computer-controlled active management of airflow over and under the car via controlled forward rake and extension of the front splitter and rear spoilers. Yes, a “system” of variable, controllable spoilers. Hmmm… We’ll see! Then again, Team Corvette might be saving their powder for the C8, which, I have heard, is proving to be more challenging to get right than we all would think. Just plunking the engine in the middle of the car isn’t a guarantee of instant supercar success!
We’re not there yet. Stay tuned!