Central Valley Corvettes of Fresno - July 2018

LIGHTING THE CANDLE
Bolted to that all-American pushrod motor (which prefers to gulp fuel we can’t pump in 91-octane
California) is an optional eight-speed automatic transmission ($1,725). In Track mode, enter the
Performance Traction Management (PTM) program, select Sport 1, press the brake pedal to the
floorboard, whack the throttle similarly, wait for the revs to stabilize (at about 1,400 rpm), then release
the brakes. Doing this will produce a wisp of wheel spin that will be monitored/managed all the way
through first gear. The best launch-control results made 0–60 times of 3.2 to 3.3 seconds and steady
quarter miles of 11.2 to 11.4 seconds at 130 mph—and anybody could do that, repeatedly. The
launch control is that good. On the other hand, turning all the electronic aids off and using the “driver’s
best effort” to manage wheel spin ekes out a couple tenths here and few mph there. Surprisingly, it’s
easy to launch, considering the engine produces 715 lb-ft of Michelin-melting torque. The throttle
response is unexpectedly linear, the tires so talkative that finding the just-right progression between
runaway wheel spin and ultimate acceleration only takes a couple attempts to learn. Make no
mistake, it can get out of hand quickly, but there’s a friendly cooperation inherent to this car that’s
lacking in, say, a 707-hp, 650-lb-ft Hellcat that simply cannot put its power to the ground. The ZR1
is remarkable in this way. Our best efforts resulted in a 0–60 time of 3.0 seconds on the way to a
10.8-second 133.1-mph quarter mile. Probably owing to our 91- not 93-octane fuel, we were slightly
behind GM’s claims of a 2.9-second 0–60 time and 10.6-second/134-mph quarter mile. Our best
results came from the ZR1 with its optional ZTK Track Performance package ($2,995), which
replaces Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP (run-flats) with grippier Pilot Sport Cup 2 ZP tires. The ZTK
package also adds stiffer suspension tuning and greater aerodynamic downforce courtesy a flat
undercarriage, a front splitter with endplates, and the adjustable “high” wing. That aero pack offers
60 percent more downforce than the comparable Z06/Z07 Stage 3 setup. Chevy says it nets 950
pounds at top speed (212 mph). They also say Vmax testing on the autobahn drained all the fuel
tank in 15 minutes. Because of the ZTK’s added downforce/drag, we had anticipated the “low-wing”
car to perform better in a straight line, but instead it came down to initial tire grip. The high-wing car
simply dug in better, maintained grip throughout first gear, and that’s all she wrote.