Rob Loszewski
Back in May, we posted that GM had recently trademarked “ZR1” and many folks in the automotive media believed that GM would end the C7 Corvette generation with a high performance ZR1 swan song.
Around that time, spy photographers, posted highly camouflaged photos of a Corvette prototype that showed many signs that a mid-engined Corvette was under development. Many were not sure if it would be called the “ZR1” or the “Zora”.
Yesterday, Chris Doane over at AutoBlog posted photos of another camouflaged Corvette prototype caught testing around GM’s Milford, Michigan Proving Grounds, only this time, we can see much more of the car. Given that you can clearly see a car cover stored in the rear hatch area, this is obviously not the much rumored mid-engine Corvette.
Instead, this prototype clearly shows what looks like a slightly larger hood scoop, possibly shaped a little differently which could cover a larger supercharger, larger front-fascia intercooler air intakes, blue painted brake calipers (C6 Corvette ZR1?), and attachments for an adjustable rear wing.
It’s also interesting to note that the doors and crossbow pillar behind the red removable roof panel are not painted. Given the Corvette Development team’s desire to always try and keep the Corvette on a diet, we could be seeing signs that the doors and crossbow pillar will be made from carbon fiber rather than sheet molded composite (SMC) in an effort to compensate for any additional weight added by the larger supercharger and other components.
Given the current C7 Z06 Corvette’s 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, it’s safe to assume the C7 Corvette ZR1 will take a bow with 700+ horsepower and a base MSRP starting around $100,000.
Click on the image below for a much larger view!
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