[SPIED] Corvette ZR1 Convertible Seen On the Streets of Detroit

Any time we see a future Corvette product being tested in public, it just makes us feel good all over. This week was especially fun considering we got two different sightings of the new Corvette ZR1, including a quick video showing multiple Corvette ZR1s at idle.

This next batch of spy photos was released yesterday by Brian Williams of Spiedbilde and it shows a C8 Corvette ZR1 hardtop convertible driving around the streets in Metro Detroit. The prototype is wearing the familiar black and white vinyl camouflage while a dark netting is stretched across the rear hatch to avoid any prying eyes trying to get a closer look a the ZR1s rumored LT7 powerplant.

The biggest changes from the Z06 to the ZR1 include the additional side air scoops on the rear quarter panels, while a huge air extractor sits up front. The ZR1 prototypes have their own multi-spoke forged aluminum wheels and we believe the front splitter and rockers on the convertible to be similar to the Z06 offerings.

These spy photos also give us our first look at the Corvette ZR1s interior and no surprises there. Other than the ZR1 badge hidden on the bottom of the steering wheel with some tape, it looks exactly like the other existing models that have been out since 2020. The car is wearing a 3LZ Artemis interior and the pre-production model is wearing stickers and hanger labels just like it was a new car. We wonder if this is a newly-produced ZR1 prototype built in Bowling Green and just now being picked up by an engineer in the Detroit area. If so, the more we see these on the road in Detroit, the closer we are to these cars being declared production-ready.

After we found out some additional details on the ZR1s based on the 21 pre-production Corvettes that have been produced, our working theory is that that the track-based variants will all be coupe models which can be equipped with the Z06’s curvy rear wing or the even larger wing that we saw on the Coupe prototypes being tested earlier this week in Knoxville. Chevy tested only the Coupe models at the Nurburgring last October and we have not yet seen any convertible prototypes wearing any wing whatsoever.

The convertible models (which like the Z06 may be more popular than the Coupes) will be for those Corvette buyers who want ZR1 power but in an understated package without the huge rear wing that the convertible model provides. We do have some concerns about visibility through the rear video mirror with the huge wing installed, so it will be interesting to see how this all shapes up moving forward.

Of course, the biggest feature on the ZR1 will be its motor. The Z06s 5.5-Liter LT6 is expected to become the LT7 after a pair to turbo chargers is added. These will most likely be mounted in the engine bay as we see no signs of the turbos on the the rear of the car, and that’s what the previous CAD drawings had shown. While the Z06’s naturally aspirated V8 provides 670 horsepower, the addition of the twin-screws should boost the ZR1s power to 850, making it nearly 100 horsepower more powerful than the previous C7 ZR1 which offered 755-hp with its supercharged LT5.

Chevrolet promised us that “The unthinkable is coming this summer,” and we’d love to see the car revealed by outgoing Executive Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter who announced his retirement several weeks ago. Enjoy these spy photos and let us know if you see anything that we should take a closer look at.

Source:
Photos by Brian Willams, Spiedbilde

Related:
[SPIED] Listen to Multiple Corvette ZR1 Prototypes at Idle
[SPIED] Corvette ZR1 Mules Testing in Ohio Ahead of the NCM Bash
[VIDEO] Chevy Teases the Reveal of the Corvette ZR1

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