ZR1 Put to the Test: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Full Test

Brute force, a quality we can't help but assign to any car generating 638 horsepower, is by definition anything but subtle. Yet the 2009 Chevy Corvette ZR1 manages at once to be both brutally quick and remarkably mild-mannered. Its quarter-mile acceleration is quicker than any production car we've ever tested, its chassis is benign but highly capable and its carbon-ceramic brakes are mind-bending in their effectiveness. This new Vette offers an unlikely combination of performance and real-world usability that we're proud to experience in an American car.

This combination is as rare as truth in a presidential debate. Honestly, most of the ZR1's competition (think Dodge Viper ACR) or Nissan GT-R)) is less capable and makes a much larger compromise in typical road driving. With the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 we have a machine that is engaging to drive, capable of making insane numbers on the test track and also a legitimate road car.

Lexus LF-A

The Lexus LF-A sports car concept displayed at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show has moved along another step from the car shown to us at the 2005 Detroit show. This remains only a concept, but Lexus is finally willing to talk about the high-revving, 500-horsepower V10 under the hood that is expected to help the car achieve a top speed of 200 mph.