DETROIT — He didn't have any hard numbers about the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1's fuel economy, but the vehicle's chief engineer predicted recently that "the ZR1 will be the most fuel-efficient 600-hp car you can buy in the world." Tadge Juechter, Corvette ZR1 chief engineer, noted that the fuel economy of the car "will be somewhat less than a Z06, and we expect a small gas-guzzler tax."
Juechter was speaking in a recent live chat on GMnext.com. He said that as of late April, Chevrolet has not "run our fuel-economy testing yet." The 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 returns 15 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
Juechter said production of the ZR1 will start this summer, "and we can produce approximately 2,000 ZR1s per year for the world."
Bloggers queried Juechter about such concerns as whether the automaker has any plans to take on the World Speed Endurance Record as the 1990 ZR-1 did. "As you probably saw, we announced the top speed as 205 mph," responded Juechter. "The ZR1 has also been extremely durable in our testing, so the car certainly has the potential to take the World Speed Endurance Record. However, we are currently focused on a perfect launch and getting the ZR1 into production. We will talk about record attempts later."
Juechter added, "We expect to announce pricing in May, and all performance numbers will be run with production vehicles over the next two months."
The chief engineer offered more insight into the challenges of getting the ZR1 into production. "Managing underhood and underbody temperatures was the biggest challenge for the engineering team," he said. "Keeping the inlet air cool through the intercooler [a big contributor to power] was especially challenging."
In response to a query about whether the ZR1 will go forward as a C7, as the Z06 did, Juechter said: "It is too early to say anything about C7. When we get to C7, of course we will consider a ZR1 model." He also confirmed that there are no plans at this time to make ZR1-specific options available for the Z06. Those options include such items as carbon-ceramic brakes and Michelin tires.
Juechter also confirmed that engineers had not considered an all-wheel-drive system for the ZR1. "All-wheel drive would have added too much mass," he said. "I believe we are the lightest 600-hp car you can buy. We focus on power-to-weight ratio and maximizing traction in a real-wheel-drive configuration."
Finally, regarding the very real concerns that Chevrolet dealers will engage in what one blogger called "dealer price gouging," Juechter only had a single comment. "We're strongly encouraging dealers to charge MSRP," he said.
What this means to you: More details about the ZR1 to chew on, from somebody who had a front-row seat in the development process. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Juechter was speaking in a recent live chat on GMnext.com. He said that as of late April, Chevrolet has not "run our fuel-economy testing yet." The 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 returns 15 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
Juechter said production of the ZR1 will start this summer, "and we can produce approximately 2,000 ZR1s per year for the world."
Bloggers queried Juechter about such concerns as whether the automaker has any plans to take on the World Speed Endurance Record as the 1990 ZR-1 did. "As you probably saw, we announced the top speed as 205 mph," responded Juechter. "The ZR1 has also been extremely durable in our testing, so the car certainly has the potential to take the World Speed Endurance Record. However, we are currently focused on a perfect launch and getting the ZR1 into production. We will talk about record attempts later."
Juechter added, "We expect to announce pricing in May, and all performance numbers will be run with production vehicles over the next two months."
The chief engineer offered more insight into the challenges of getting the ZR1 into production. "Managing underhood and underbody temperatures was the biggest challenge for the engineering team," he said. "Keeping the inlet air cool through the intercooler [a big contributor to power] was especially challenging."
In response to a query about whether the ZR1 will go forward as a C7, as the Z06 did, Juechter said: "It is too early to say anything about C7. When we get to C7, of course we will consider a ZR1 model." He also confirmed that there are no plans at this time to make ZR1-specific options available for the Z06. Those options include such items as carbon-ceramic brakes and Michelin tires.
Juechter also confirmed that engineers had not considered an all-wheel-drive system for the ZR1. "All-wheel drive would have added too much mass," he said. "I believe we are the lightest 600-hp car you can buy. We focus on power-to-weight ratio and maximizing traction in a real-wheel-drive configuration."
Finally, regarding the very real concerns that Chevrolet dealers will engage in what one blogger called "dealer price gouging," Juechter only had a single comment. "We're strongly encouraging dealers to charge MSRP," he said.
What this means to you: More details about the ZR1 to chew on, from somebody who had a front-row seat in the development process. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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