Corvette has always made a big splash with their Z-Series sports cars. Badass Vettes such as the ZO6, ZR1, and ZL1 would receive more power and torque, handling capabilities, and all-around upgrades for better track performance than any other vehicle General Motors was pushing on the market at the time (expectation 14 and 15 Camaro Z28).
Chatter started around 2007 about a new version of the ZR1, a ZR1 that would be so performance-packed it would give it a supercar status that would have its name mentioned in the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini.
This first 2009 ZR1 was auctioned off for a Million bucks to Dave Ressler. He is also the owner of the oldest known Corvette in existence, #003.
2009 ZR1 Motor and Transmission
A 6.2-liter LS9 aluminum V8 with a Twin Vortices Series supercharger and a top-loaded intercooler powers the ZR1. Hand-built in Wixom, Mi., this powerhouse motor puts out 638 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 604-lb.ft. of torque at 3800 RPMs.
Sure, nowadays there are some stout performers that make more horsepower and torque, but not 13 years ago.
Controlling all this power is easy with a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox and a high-capacity, high-performance clutch that makes anyone sitting in the driver's seat feel like they are driving a professionally-built race car.
Performance Stats
This General Motors engine and transmission combination is responsible for the staggering numbers that it puts down while going in a straight line.
This ZR1 gets from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds while reaching 100 mph in a matter of 7 seconds. The Corvette has no problem covering the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds at 131 mph. With a top speed of 200 mph, without a doubt, this was the most capable, powerful Corvette put into production.
Frame and Suspension
The ZR1 comes standard with an aluminum frame structure that weighs in at a mere 138 pounds. The frame was the exact frame used on the C6.R race car, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 5.2 pounds per horsepower.
The aluminum frame rides on a Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension. The Magnetic Ride Control was the most sophisticated suspension of its kind. This ride-control system gives the driver two different driving modes to select—Sport ride-control, ideal for the racetrack, and Touring mode, which is ideal for everyday driving. These modes can be easily switched back and forth in the cockpit by the driver with a push of a button. This may not seem like much of a wow factor today, but back in 2009, this convenience was just starting to become a top technology on American vehicles.
Tires
With all that power and such a capable suspension, you have to have some way of keeping the tires and wheels sticking to the ground, and in this department, GM spares no expense. When testing the Corvette at the Virginia International Raceway, the stock Michelin tires were eventually replaced with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. With this change, the ZR1 was able to shred a considerable amount of time off of each lap. And that’s when the decision was made, the Michelins that performed the best would come on the best Corvette ever produced.
Braking
You can't have a vehicle with all that power and ability without having an effective way of stopping it. So massive Brembo Carbon Ceramic 15-inch front and 15.5-inch rear vented cross-drilled rotors were added. These rotors can withstand heat of 1000 degrees Celsius before warping. The brake system includes six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear. When this system all works together, it creates the stopping power you would need for a 200 mph supercar.
The Looks Of A Supercar
With a wider stance than the average Vette, the ZR1 is designed to take corners better and get around the track faster. Sporting 19x10-inch wheels in the front and 20x12-inch wheels in the back, the look of the ZR1 says nothing but supercar.
All buyers would have had the option to choose the color of the wheels, which include a bright silver coated finish, a deep black coated finish, or a chrome finish. All three colors look great, depending on the look you are trying to achieve.
There are nine color options for the exterior finish, all of which are in an exotic tint, helping give the ZR1 the supercar look that Corvette is ultimately after. The spoiler on the back is both functional and proportional-looking, and the see-through carbon fiber hood really makes a supercar statement.
Interior Options For The ZR1
When it comes to the interior, the ZR1 came with an abundance of options and colors. The buyer was able to request almost everything from the steering wheel to the door panels be wrapped in rich leather. They would also have the option of different model-specific badges to be placed on the inside of the vehicle.
Power-adjustable heated leather seats with microfiber inserts could be purchased for a better day-to-day driving experience. Corvette also offered a package called the 3ZR. This package included a nine-speaker Bose system, Bluetooth wireless technology, a head-up display, and a SiriusXM satellite radio, making sure that ultimate convenience and comfort could be achieved.
Price Tag And Gas Mileage
With supercar looks, power, and track times to match, this ZR1 puts otherworldly supercars to shame when you compare price tags to performance. When brand new, the MSRP price tag was $112,000.00, which was much cheaper than a higher-powered Farria, Lambo, or Porsche at the time. The ZR1 also rated very high in gas mileage for a 2009 sports car. With an EPA-estimated 14 city/20 highway mpg, the Corvette did better than most vehicles with that size engine.
The best thing about the ZR1 is for the first time ever, Americans who were in the market for a supercar could finally buy an American-built supercar, minus the outrageous cost of maintenance, luxury tax, and everything else that comes along with owning an overseas supercar.
The good idea was pushed forward when Chevrolet signed on to be the official sponsor of the IROC Racing Series. This move gave Chevrolet permission to use the name IROC on their Camaros, which in turn spawn the birth of the road course king, "IROC-Z Camaro".
The IROC-Z Start
Starting in 1985, the new IROC-Z became available to the public and would go on to be produced as a Camaro performance option until 1990. The turn of the decade brought up the end of the licensing agreement with the IROC Racing Series. Chevrolet had other plans for the future of the Camaro and decided not to renew the sponsorship with the race series and dropped the IROC-Z from production. For those years that the IROC-Z was in production, they became such a staple in the Camaro lineup, Chevrolet would drop the Z-28 from production for the years of '88, '89, and '90. The IROC-Z would become your primary choice if you wanted a performance-based Camaro.
When Chevrolet halted production for the IROC-Z because of their licensing agreement end with the IROC Racing Series, they also had to drop the IROC-Z nameplate. After a few years on hiatus, the Z28 performance package was brought back for 1991.
The IROC-Z: A Better Camaro
What mostly stood out about the IROC-Z is its 5.7-liter (350-cu.-in.) Tune-Port Injection (TPI) engine which was bigger than its sister motor, the 5.0.
The 350 TPI came with a four-speed 700R4 automatic transmission and a special suspension package better known as the 1LE package that included:
4 wheel disk brakes
3.42 positraction rear-end
An aluminum driveshaft
Large 12" front rotors
Aluminum calipers
Engine oil cooler
Gas tank baffles
Larger anti-roll bars
Specially valved Delco-Bilstein shocks
Larger diameter sway bars
Steering/frame brace known as the "wonder bar" and
More aggressive springs that lowed the Camaro by .05 inches.
The special Camaro would also get 16-inch rims, an upgrade from the smaller 15-inch rims, more aggressive side-skirts for the body kit, large IROC-Z decals on the doors, and special trim. Although throughout the years the IROC-Z was released from the factory with a few different trim options and setups like t-tops, controvertible, and even a 5-speed transmission, the most common trim options are mentioned above.
Important? It should be noted that although the 5.7-liter IROC-Z Camaros are the most common and sought-after Camaros of all the IROCs, if you're looking to buy an '85, you can find them with the bigger 5.7-liter engines, but they will not be original. In '85, they only came available with the smaller 5.0-liter engine.
Unfortunately for the IROC-Z, it was produced in a time when power was not a priority, and the horsepower and torque numbers it boasted in the mid-to-late '80s sucked in comparison to today's sports cars. But the reason why the IROC-Z is a collector car and will stay a collector car is not because of its power outputs, but because of its connection to the IROC Racing Series and its road course capabilities.
Shopping for an IROC-Z Camaro
If you're searching for an IROC-Z, you must be careful for there are a lot of impostors out there. A lot of the exterior IROC-Z options such as the vented hood, front spoiler, and ground effects options were available for order on regular Camaros, Z28s, and can be bought as aftermarket pieces. So check the VIN numbers and do some research via. some reputable sources before you go laying down big money.
If you already own one, I would suggest saving it and passing it on to someone in your family, because in time they will be just as valuable as a Camaro from the Muscle Car era.
To say the least, the split bumper Camaros are great-looking muscle cars that are sought-after by many car enthusiasts. But there has always been a lot of confusion about which Camaros came with the split bumper option.
Camaros with the RS trim package RPO Z22 option are the Camaros that were originally meant to come off the assembly line with the split bumper feature. There are a lot of split bumper replicas out there because of the high demand for the unique look the Z22 option produces.
Since there are more original full bumper Camaros, there is a huge market for kits that can transfer a Z28 or an SS trim package into a split bumper look. If you're okay with a replica, then there's no problem, but if you want an original split bumper Camaro for investment purposes, then you need to know what you're looking for or you are sure to get duped.
If you are looking for a Camaro with a legit Z22 option trim package, you will probably be making a smart move by doing some investigating on these Camaros before purchasing one. Taking someone's word for it is a fool's game. In fact, there are ways you can find out if the Camaro you are looking at is a real RS trim package or if it is a Z28 or an SS trim package with aftermarket Z22 parts.
Could it be a Z28 or an SS with a Legit Split Bumper Z22 Package?
Yes! It's important to know that just because a '70-'73 Camaro is a Z28 or an SS doesn't mean that it couldn't have been specially ordered from the factory with the Z22 option. You see that all the time, even in today's Camaros, Z28s ordered with RS stripes, ground effects, leather delete, etc.
Don't get fooled. If you're looking to purchase a true split bumper Camaro, ask the owner if they have a build sheet. If they do, then the build sheet should specify if the Camaro was optioned with the Z22 package. If it wasn't, then the bumper most likely is aftermarket.
If they don't have a build sheet, then specific features of the car should tell you what you are looking at. A true Z22 package should have most of these options: body-colored inserts on the door handles, bright chrome window and body trim, sill and hood panel moldings, hidden wipers (RPO C24) option, and bright accented parking lights, tail lights, and backup lights.
There is one other way to find out the true identity of the car. Takedown the VIN# and call Chevrolet or use the Internet for the information you need. It may take a while, but it could be very well worth it.
It also should be noted that an RS package is not worth more than a Z28 or an SS package. But if a Z28 or an SS came original with a full bumper and it was converted to a split bumper, that could decrease the value of the Camaro.
Expected to be released in early spring - 2014, the Z/28 may be one of the best road course cars for the price tag it will have taped to the window. No exact number yet, but the price is expected to be right around the same amount as you would pay for one of the other performing Camaros that Chevy has in it's line-up.
The latest trip to the most grueling road course in the world, the Nürburgring, the Z/28 laid down numbers on a damp track that beat not only it's sibling, the ZL1, but also the Porsche 911 Carrera S and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.
The Camaro boasted a 7:37.40 lap time and Chevrolet believes that the time could improve by as much as four seconds depending on weather conditions. Not only was the track damp but toward the end of the lap it started to rain.
This was a 24 hour test for the Camaro, so not only did it run this one lap to impress, but it also ran for 24 hours with breaks only to accommodate the the tires and brakes. A a test of endurance that Chevrolet has been doing to their sports cars since the early 1990s when their fastest car was a 300hp Corvette.
300hp sounds quite soft apposed to this Z/28 that brings a 505hp 7.0 liter engine to the table. That power helps it get around the track as fast as it does. But Chevrolet claims the real secret to it's fast times is the frame that is 300 pounds lighter than the ZL1. The combination of horsepower and lightness gives the Camaro the ability for more efficient braking going into corners and faster alliteration coming out of corners.
These cars are race ready - you can order a radio and an air condition for the Camaro, but Chevrolet has claimed they will not be standard. Regardless it's a peer race car ready for the track right off the showroom floor.
