Corvette ZR1 (2008) CAR review

This is exactly the car GM needs to boost its image in Europe. Sadly, in typical GM fashion, they've missed the forest for the trees. Priced in dollars, C6 Vettes of any type are hands down, the best sports car bargains on the planet. Everyone knows they aren't high end exotics, and no one expects them to match the exotics in areas like interior refinement or snob appeal. And they are (in the US anyway) priced accordingly. A Vette is for going out and tearing up the country side with white knuckles and eyes wide open. A Vette is for scaring yourself and any women, children and small farm animals one may encounter along the way, and then parking it in the garage where it will wait faithfully, without oil leaks or any other super-model diva tantrums, until such time as you feel the need to violate more traffic laws, or even pop over to the corner store for a bottle of milk and a news paper. A Corvette is an everyday supercar you can buy and live with, and still have money left over for beer and ammunition, just as God intended. Priced in dollars, and with enough of a supply and support network, this car could have gone a long way in helping change GM's image abroad. I wish GM would keep the marketers and bean counters away from the cars.

Porsche gets away with the 911 at one price and the 911 turbo at a big premium because the basic 911 is so good that no significant weaknesses are exposed in the hyper version. By starting with a base car which is "acceptable for the price" (30% less than a 911) you wind up with a hyper car that has huge flaws as a practical daily transport. The 911 turbo, F599 and GT-R can be driven everyday, the ZR-1 is a party piece. The more Chevy pushes the envelope the more ragged the edge becomes. Niche filling to pull in extra cash for an already developed platform is fine. If GM really wants to compete with Porsche, Ferrari, etc then it's time Corvette becomes it's own brand, with more than one model. Pitch the base car against the Cayman, a derivative against the 911 and a further derivative against the supercars. Come on GM, let Chevrolet's halo car grow up.