Was the 2019 Corvette ZR1 the Greatest Corvette Ever Built? A Look at Its History

Back With a Vengeance for the C6
Real-Deal Aerodynamics
Power Trio
Watch! Best Vehicles from Mecum Indianapolis 2022

The ZR1 tag has been around, with and without a hyphen, for decades, and has always been associated with high-performance Corvette options. Our personal favorite would have to be the 2019 Corvette ZR1 with its insane power output, bleeding-edge aerodynamics, and aggressive looks. But the ZR1 tag has some interesting heritage behind it.

The ZR1 first appeared in the 1970 model year when it was a go-fast package for the C3 Corvette. With that you got a 350 LT1 (5.7-liter) mill, heavy-duty four-speed tranny, better brakes, improved cooling, and a handling-tuned suspension. Even cooler was that to get the ZR1 package you had to forego luxury options like power windows, air conditioning, power steering, and even a radio. Fewer than 60 of these were churned out between 1970 and 1972.

was the 2019 corvette zr1 the greatest corvette ever built? a look at its history

After that, the ZR1 package vanished until 1990 and the C4 Corvette. Now with a hyphen, the ZR-1 was the king of the hill in terms of raw performance. Fitted with a 5.7-liter, dual overhead cam V-8 (the first non-pushrod V-8 in Corvette history) the ZR-1 put out 375 hp, which was bumped up to 405 hp in 1993! In the early 90s that was a ton of power, and unlike the C3 Corvette, you didn’t have to give up luxury items to get the performance. It could top 180 mph, thanks in large part to the aerodynamic C4 body style, and it could scoot from 0 to 60 in just 4.5 seconds. Around 7,000 of these were produced between 1990 and 1995. This one is lot F44.1 at the Mecum Harrisburg auction.

Back With a Vengeance for the C6

The ZR1 skipped the C5 but showed up again, sans hyphen, in the C6 Corvette. Now fielding a supercharged 638-hp LS9 (604 lb-ft of torque) engine, it was the first factory Corvette to top 200 mph! It ran the quarter in a tick over 11 seconds and blasted from zero to 60 in just 3.3 seconds. Carbon-fiber body parts, magnetic suspension, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, and huge tires made this the baddest Corvette ever to be released onto the highway, at least for the time being.

That lasted until 2019 and the C7 ZR1, a car we would argue is the baddest Corvette on the road today. The 755-hp blown 6.2-liter LT5, a now-discontinued engine made exclusively for the C7 ZR1, is the most powerful engine ever offered in a Corvette, with more horsepower and a lot more torque than even the upcoming C8 Z06 with its LT6.

The ZR1 featured massive carbon-ceramic brakes and racecar-level aerodynamics. Aero so serious that the optional large rear wing is said to produce 950 pounds of downforce at higher speeds! Backing the LT5 is either an eight-speed automatic or a seven-speed manual.

As mentioned, the supercharged LT5 is a beast of an engine, and though it shares many things, including displacement, with the LT4, its intercooled supercharger system has 52 percent more displacement compared to the Z06’s LT4 blower. Top Speed? Well, that’s more than 210 mph, due in large part to the car’s insane aerodynamics. It’s a shame this engine didn’t find its way into more GM performance cars. We’re pretty confident this will end up being the most powerful pushrod V-8 ever put into a production car by GM.

Four new radiators and a grand total of 13 heat exchangers are engineered into the C7 ZR1, and the carbon fiber “halo” hood gives the supercharger some much-needed headroom. The low wing package yields a higher top-speed, but the taller adjustable wing gives more overall downforce, so choose the one that best floats your boat.

Real-Deal Aerodynamics

Much of the aero, such as the downforce-enhancing front underwing, was derived from the C7.R race car program. The interiors of the C7 ZR1s were stunning as well and included every luxury item Chevrolet could throw at them. Gone were the days when you had to choose between performance or a radio. Now you could have all the cake to chow down on.

We feel the carbon seats and steering wheel are some of the nicest ever from Chevrolet, including those in the C8.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 was about more than good times, it was about fast times. It could leap from 0-60 in just 2.85 seconds and blast down the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds—yeah, a bone-stock 10-second factory sportscar not even designed for drag racing. Want to go a bit faster? You’re in luck, since it can go from 0-100 mph in only 6 seconds and was tested to a top speed of 212 mph. Fair warning: At wide-open-throttle, it’s loud. When running Nurburgring it needed extra exhaust parts to keep under the 100 dB noise rule.

Yeah, we know the new C8 Z06 is on the horizon, but we’re not sure it’s going to replace the 2019 C7 ZR1 on our pedestal. For one, the C7 ZR1 will still be the most powerful Corvette ever, but it’s also the last one to offer a manual transmission, so those of us in the “save the stick” camp award quite a few brownie points for that one. Besides, the engine up front makes it way easier to work on. Forgot to buy a new one in 2019? Well, you’re in luck, since very low-mileage ones are still out there and should only go up in value. In fact, three are being sold at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Mecum show in late July 2022.

Power Trio

It may look white but this 2019 ZR1 Corvette is one of only 125 cars shot in Ceramic Matrix Gray. With just 10 miles on the odometer, it still has that showroom-new smell. The overall color is rare, but the combination of that exterior color and the interior Spice Red leather makes this a one-of-seven car. To us this car is nearly perfect with the 3ZR equipment group and ZTK performance package. It stickered new at just over $142,000, and about the only thing we would want different would be a manual transmission, but we’re old-school like that. If the smooth-shifting joy of an eight-speed automatic is your thing then this ZR1 is the pinnacle of Corvette design. To find out more about lot number F122.1, visit its Mecum Auctions page.

Prefer to go topless? Like your colors a bit more on the bold side? This yellow 2019 ZR1 might be more your style. With only 95 miles on the odometer, this ZR1 is just dying to be driven. Lot S151 is being offered at no reserve. If you want to see more, check out its Mecum Auctions lot number.

We have to say Sebring Orange is one of our favorite colors on these ZR1 Corvettes. This one comes fully loaded with the ZTK track package and, best of all, a seven-speed manual transmission! With 29 miles on the odometer, it’s pretty much a brand-new car! If you’re as enamored of lot S200 as us, but actually have enough money to buy it, then click on over to its Mecum Auctions page.

With three stunning examples of Corvette perfection going up for sale it will be interesting to see which one fetches the highest bid.