4 September 2007

Super Corvette Gets a Name?


The future "super Corvette," often referred to as the Blue Devil, Corvette SS, or Z07, has been named the ZR1, according to Todd Lassa's blog on MotorTrend.com.

If this is true (and I say "if" because Motor Trend has had "scoops" before that turned out to be completely wrong), it's a good move for GM in my opinion. For those of us who reached driving age around the time the Corvette ZR-1 made its debut in 1990, the name conjures up images of the ultimate in Corvette performance at the time.

I still think the ultimate Corvette will be called the Corvette SS, but the ZR1 name (not hyphenated) is a better name choice than SS. Yes, apparently there was an SS variant of an old Corvette somewhere in the past, but only the biggest Corvette history buff/die hard will be able to make that connection. There's no such problem with Corvette ZR1.

Motor Trend also stated matter of factly that this specific model will have 650 horsepower. I was actually hoping for a little more, for bragging rights and all, but that's still an awful lot, more than I could imagine needing (or even being able to control safely). Now, 505 horsepower, that's a different story!

Absent public confirmation from GM on this car's name, I guess we won't know for sure until it debuts in concept form at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January. I'll be there in person to cover it!

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