is the 2019 ZR1 the one corvette to rule them all?

the soon-to-be king of the corvettes was presented at the 2017 LA auto show. however, the 2019 ZR1 — previously featured on designboom here — may not be the protector of the realm with a price-tag of $123,995. chevrolet doesn’t expect to sell more than 3,000 models per year. perhaps it’s a king, perhaps it’s a prince; regardless of its title, the aerodynamic upgrades this time around give the machine nobility on and off the track, (but especially, on).

the vehicle is the fastest corvette to date
all images courtesy of chevrolet

mark reuss, executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain says: ‘I’ve never driven a corvette like this before, and nobody else has either, because there’s never been one like this before. its unprecedented performance puts all other global supercars on notice that the ZR1 is back.‘ as far as the specs are considered, he’s not exaggerating.

the seabring orange design package includes orange seatbelts

a front fascia channels air, cooling the drivetrain, while four new radiators jump the heat-exchanger total to 13. a ‘halo’ hood made from carbon fiber is open in the middle to clear the lt5 engine’s supercharger/intercooler assembly.

the ZR1 continues corvette’s high performance legacy

the ZR1’s lt5 supercharged engine has 755 horsepower (563 kw) and 715 lb-ft of torque (969 nm). however, on the track, these details are wasted if the car isn’t aerodynamic. a true king knows this well, and wouldn’t take the throne without one of the two wind-tunnel-honed aerodynamics packages that chevrolet offers: a low wing that delivers the highest top speed of any corvette to date, and a two-way-adjustable high wing that loads 950 pounds of downforce on the track. all models feature a standard front underwing for a less-kingly, but still impressive downforce-enhancement one would expect from a highborn such as corvette.

there are numerous additional packages

the standard cockpit comes with leather-trimmed seats, but a true ruler may consider the beautiful seabring orange design package, or the carbon fiber-rimmed steering wheel, the competition sport seats, the performance data recorder, magnetic ride control tuning, a bose premium audio system, and more. with all of these additional packages, the 2019 corvette ZR1 certainly has the potential to rule the road. without them, others may not bend the knee. 

the 2019 corvette ZR1 goes on sale spring 2018