Corvettes for Sale: Addison, Texas is Suddenly Nirvana for Mint Condition C6 Corvette ZR1s

When your author briefly lived in Tomball, Texas, I became fascinated by a local Hyundai dealership. Even with a new 5.0 V8 on offer, it wasn’t their new car showroom that garnered the attention of this died-in-the-wool domestic performance guy. That distinction went to the fact that, of all things, they specialized in used Chevrolet SSR hardtop convertible LS2-powered retro trucks, of which they moved an incredible 362 examples through 2013 after starting with a modest rotation of five in 2007.

Since then, shops with similarly interesting areas of expertise have continued to catch my eye. In April, I stumbled upon an Iowa store with an entire wall of WS6 Trans-Ams, and this week, my explorations got even better as I unearthed a stash of my personal Holy Grails. Located just three-and-a-half hours up Interstate 45 from my previous residence, you’ll find A to B Motorcars, a purveyor of ‘quality’ used cars. It’s a small outfit, featuring just 21 vehicles in its present inventory, but when sorted in descending order, its five leadoff hitters can go toe-to-toe with the wares of any Corvette seller in the country.

Somehow, A to B Motorcars has amassed the finest offering of penultimate and final year examples of the C6 ZR1 “Blue Devil,” the first Corvette to undisputably attain supercar status, setting a bar that allowed its 755-horse successor and current 1,064 and 1,250 horsepower descendants to reach for the stars. It brought factory forced induction to America’s Sports Car for the first time, pumping it up to an unheard-of at the time 638 HP – up from previous ‘Vette highwater mark of 505 at a time when the supercharged Mustang of the day made do with 500, the all-new Nissan GT-R had 480, the ultimate V8 Ferrari was ‘only’ pushing 503, and even the mighty Viper that had been stealing spotlights in Detroit since 1992 fell well short with its preemptive 600-horse strike. Along with another ‘Vette record of 604 lb-ft of torque, the ZR1 maxed out at 205 MPH – the first Corvette to cross the double-century mark – knocking out 60 in just 3.3 seconds, 100 in 7-flat, and through the quarter in 11.1 at 130 on the way.

Despite all its muscle, this King of the Hill wasn’t a meathead, either. Outside of the engine bay, technical highlights included extensive use of carbon fiber, adjustable magnetic dampers that react to the road up to 1,000 times per second, and the same carbon ceramic brakes Ferrari chose for its $660,000 halo car just a few years prior. These enhancements helped it pull more than 1 g on the skidpad and stop from 60 in just 97 feet, making it a true three-tool track weapon with a laundry list of contemporary production car lap records to prove it.

A to B’s Best

While every one of the 4,695 ZR1s built was extraordinary in its own right, a slew of upgrades including new seats and an abundance of fresh customization options added to the menu in 2012 make the final 886 (404 in ’12 and 482 in ’13) the choice of the collector car community, making the Addison, TX dealership the current Bell of the ball, and their crown jewel is undoubtedly the 5,000-mile Inferno Orange PDE wearing 2012 VIN 00117. PDE was another RPO added to the order guide in ’12 as a response to the 2011 Z07 version of the Z06 getting a little too close for comfort by using the ZR1’s own parts against it. Like Z07, PDE (which should have been called “ZR2,” but that designation was inexplicably pilfered for a Chevy truck and SUV off-road package in the 90s) ratcheted the already bonkers ZR1 to the next level.

The primary components of the go-fast package and precursor to today’s ZTK track package started with a new set of “Cup” style wheels that shaved 5 lbs. from the standard set on the 2009 car while also being stronger than before. They were wrapped in ultra-sticky Pilot Sport Cup rubber, a product that has continued to grow alongside track-slaying ‘Vettes ever since. Closer gear ratios and a black-painted version of the more aggressive rear spoiler first seen on the Ron Fellows Z06 round out PDE highlights. All told, the PDE was six full seconds faster at Germany’s infamous Green Hell and 1.1 seconds faster at VIR/Car and Driver’s Lightning Lap than the standard ZR1. Just 375 examples were so optioned.

On top of the incredibly low mileage and the PDE goodies, A to B’s pièce de resistance wears an exceedingly rare color combo. Inferno Orange Metallic (IOM) is the scarcest color that was available for more than one model year (4th or 5th overall, depending on if you count the 1 of 1 that was sprayed LeMans Blue), with just 69 ever made. The 3LZ interior flips the script as one of just 96 ZR1s (only 12 in 2012) spec’d with the Casmere color. At the intersection of PDE, IOM, and the light tan interior, it’s very possible that this is the only ZR1 standing. It can be yours for $159,997, which is either eye-wateringly high or less than a nicely optioned 2027 Z06, depending on your point of view.

Don’t Forget About the Rest!

If sinister special editions are more your flavor, A to B is still your huckleberry. Their next 2012 is one of the 206 Centennial Editions made to celebrate Chevrolet’s 100th birthday. All of them were painted Carbon Flash Metallic – the only way to get the awesomely sparkly black paint – with a unique, red-rimmed take on the black Cup wheels, red calipers, red stitching, sueded interior accents, and a smattering of special badges, decals, and matte black stripes. Theirs is stamped with VIN 40 and has only traveled a touch over 6,600 miles since leaving Bowling Green. Without RPO PDE appearing on its window sticker, it’s able to undercut the last Centennial ZR1 we featured by about $25,000, making its $139,997 asking price look pretty reasonable.

Rounding out the 2012 offerings is number 00129, an Arctic White 3ZR that’s actually been enjoyed a bit with 25,605 on the clock. With 422 total sales, Arctic White was in the running with Jetstream Blue for the distant third-place slot in ZR1 exterior colors – with JSB just barely holding on to its lead at 464 through its ’09-’11 window of availability – behind Black at 1,043 and Cyber Gray at 949. This straightforward build has the popular chrome 20-spoke wheel upgrade (one of 3,377) and an item of the previously mentioned customization menu: red brake calipers. It also has the common upgrade of a new, non-DVD-based infotainment head unit that future Top Flight judges might frown upon, but users will appreciate. They’re asking $115k to become its next steward.

The first 2013 up for grabs is number 187, built in the final year of production, and it could be the white car’s twin in a tuxedo. It is also a 3ZR rolling on chromes, with its caliper choice being the only major deviation from the standard blueprint. Those silver stoppers make it one of just 36 ever made as an interesting foil to its supremely common paint color. It has 11,500 miles and has climbed almost exactly back to its original MSRP at $124,997.

Finally, is 2013 VIN 193, the deal of the group, sneaking in just under $100,000. A $60k price delta from the IOM car mostly boils down to mileage, with this car’s odometer currently reading a high (for a ZR1) 56,421. It sure is beautiful, though, painted in the understated Supersonic Blue Metallic (1 of 121) accented by chrome wheels with blue calipers. While the original orderer might have dropped the ball a bit by not getting matching blue stitching, they at least advanced their fumble by selecting the nicely complementing Dark Titanium 3ZR interior (1 of 999).

What these ZR1s Mean for The Market as a Whole

Other than wondering how they sourced half of all the 2012 and 2013 ZR1s currently available on Autotrader, A to B’s impressive selection and prices that would have been staggering and even laughable a few years ago, when ZR1s bottomed out in the mid-60,000-dollar range serves to shine a light on the ever-changing Corvette Market. Market factors that have pushed the final boss of C6 Corvettes into rapid appreciation are legion, but outside of the model’s obvious desirability, we would place most of the blame for big prices on the C8’s move to a midengined layout in 2020.

In that one fell swoop, front-engine Corvettes, especially those with the discontinued manual transmission, become a little more of a novel proposition each year, with seven years of backed up demand now having folks tripping over themselves for original layout and three-pedal ‘Vettes. In the ZR1’s case, the hype and insane capabilities of the car now wearing its badge also seem to be the rising tide that lifts all boats, while the inflated prices of new widebody C8s have also caused people to reevaluate how much they’d spend on the older models. Finally, the C8’s popularity among buyers who are new to Chevrolet has infused a lot of new competition into the collector’s scene, where ‘Vettes are joining collections that previously consisted of much more exotic metal.

All things considered, it is a great time to be in the ZR1 business, and A to B Motorcars looks almost clairvoyant for elbowing its way in at the right hour. If they can leverage this hot start into a North Freeway Hyundai SSR-style run remains to be seen, but at this point, we’re just happy to see America’s Sports Car finally getting the long-term 911-esque respect from buyers and sellers alike that it deserves!

Source:
A to B Motorcars

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