2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 | Retro Review

Back when the C6 ZR1 was king of the hill...have times changed for the better?
Show 2827 | Original Airdate 03-02-2009
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[@damian97332]

Motorweek is on a roll with these retro reviews right now!

[@philb6570]

I know. This how I been starting my day for the last few weeks

[@stevedouglas2953]

Hell yeah brother how good is it!

[@kennyj204]

Pass the butter!

[@stevie6265]

I love the retro reviews!! Bring back the 90's and early 00's! Cars nowadays are ( comfortable ) computer desks on wheels, and I hate them.

[@elliottmanning4116]

Be on the lookout on the first weekend of every month or a holiday weekend, and they show a livestream of their retro reviews on shuffle for the entire weekend.

[@t.smith317tf]

My dreams came true, and I'm now the owner of a C6 ZR1. It's absolutely an amazing car to drive. I feel very lucky to own one.

[@dnegel9546]

You hit 200?

[@billschlafly4107]

Congratulations!

[@yaniayache5132]

Congratulations man my dream car

[@SuitPenguin898]

That's good man 👍 Getting your dream car is maybe the best thing it can happen to you

[@ShariaLawAllDay]

Congratulations on getting my dream car as well, as I firmly believe the C6 ZR1 is the greatest Corvette of all time. The looks, the beautiful nostalgic circular taillights, the LS9 supercharged V8 with a cross-plane crankshaft, the rumbling idle sound, the loud supercharger whine, the legendary manual 6-speed Tremec, the exhilarating acceleration from a dig and on the track with its supercar-killer performance, it has it all. I pray I get my hands on one of these soon with low mileage and hope it will be a 2013 model.

[@michaelre7556]

I feel old, I remember when this thing came out and it was a sensation

[@user-unionwrestling]

We are old! 😅😂🤣

[@DaBrute]

I feel like I was just watching this on PBS 😅

[@Kaiser187]

40 here.

[@user-unionwrestling]

@@DaBrute 🤣😂🤣😅😂

[@user-unionwrestling]

@@Kaiser187 you're still wet behind the ears at 40! Lol

[@Rascofresco11]

MotorWeek to me proves that the mid 2000s was peak automotive history. Literally the last analog types of vehicles.

[@cobracharmer6178]

Mid 2,000s. Wouldn’t that be the year 2,500? 🤔

[@rockbottomrhythm_blues]

Before the fake news chip shortage and $6k high mileage civics.

[@Thejordanenthusiast]

2009 is late ‘00s, they very end of the decade to be exact.

[@mrhombregordo9556]

I'm still patching on my 05 grand marquis 4.6 and my 2000 Silverado 5.3. New cars just aren't worth the price and maintenance is insane😭....not to mention reliability is GARBAGE😩

[@guysteel]

My 2023 ZL1 can do everything this ZR1 can do...for way less money.

[@henryovalles1163]

Hands down my favorite modern corvette

[@browningbelgium2326]

True that!

[@cheapme1850]

Absolutely!

[@wrcconstructionllc]

Without a doubt!

[@classiccorvettesmusclecars5846]

The good ol days of round taillights & no direct injection.. LS engines were the best…

[@CaptainAlex69]

I feel the same with my EJ Subaru lol

[@andrewe4277]

I own a 2013 60th Anniversary Grand Sport Coupe and completely agree..

[@alpe6228]

DI is actually good if you stick to Shell.

[@corvetteZ3r]

I wish these were DI. But round tail lights>>>

[@CaptainAlex69]

@@corvetteZ3r DI is nasty. Ported >

[@373axle]

130mph in the 1/4th is insane!

[@eekay3646]

That's really a 10 sec car with that trap. Slick it down and it'll do mid 10's easily!

[@Ward413]

@@eekay3646Exactly right, fellas. Even a stock C6 Z06 will do high tens with a decent tire and driver mod so no doubt the C6 ZR1 is a true 10 second car. Dom would be proud.

[@TheOfficialCaseMade]

​@@Ward413yep, exactly. Ranger was doing 10s in a stock C6 Z06 over 10 years ago with just drag radials. C6s are the best modern Corvette, IMO.

[@BrianCenti-j4d]

Love the ZR1 ❤

[@dansherwood9851]

My fat pig ZL1 can only muster high 9’s @ 138😭

[@2010challengerRT]

A retro review of a car that came out recently enough to have had a youtube video the first time. We really do live in the future now.

[@thesearch9048]

Had the absolute pleasure of driving a C6 ZR1 at Spring Mountain Motorsports. What an amazing car!

[@peteshea8010]

With K Mart grade seats, interior and overall fit and finish. Junk, but fast junk.

[@TheOfficialCaseMade]

​@@peteshea8010they spent all the money on power and suspension upgrades so it would outperform cars 2-4 times its price. If you want fancy leather, go buy a designer purse, Nancy. If you wanna go fast as hell for as little money as possible, buy a 'Vette.

[@basshead.]

@@TheOfficialCaseMade the reply of the day lol

[@Highlander1432]

​@peteshea8010 Go buy a fancy purse, Nancy! Lmao

[@Thecarguy1254]

The fact that this is a retro review, time is a funny thing.

[@LSX01Nation]

The C6 ZR1 is the pinnacle of the old school GM performance with a modern touch. Forever a classic.

[@bwxmoto]

Wow the car I bought new in 2009 and still drive is now eligible for a MotorWeek retro review. I'm officially old. 💀

[@john_barnett]

you're officially rich

[@72442conv]

I had a 2009 ZR1 that I bought used in 2011 with less than 10K miles on it. Put 60K miles on it before I traded it in for a 2013 Viper GTS in 2014. That ZR1 is still the most engaging and memorable modern car I have owned. It was dead nuts reliable, oil changes and a battery were all it needed. The carbon ceramic brakes were incredible and even after 60K miles they were like new. The car sounded incredible and was very docile to drive. If you just drove it around town it felt like any other car, if you never stepped on it you would never know this thing had well over 600 hp. It was an incredible car. I currently own a 2016 Callaway SC757 Corvette Z06 7 speed and even though it is faster than the ZR1 it is missing something that the ZR1 had, I can't quite place it, but the C6 ZR1 was much more engaging to drive, and the sound was like nothing else.

[@corvetteZ3r]

The callaway is faster than a ZR1? I doubt it

[@72442conv]

@@corvetteZ3r The C7 Callaway SC757 Z06 has 757 HP, the ZR1 had 638HP., 120 HP more. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure which one is quite a bit faster...

[@corvetteZ3r]

@@72442conv but is it actually faster? The callaway is known to dyno the same as a regular C7Z, and a ZR1 will annihilate a C7Z. My C6Z making 492whp beat my stock auto C7Z

[@bd692]

Great cars you’ve had. 🇺🇸

[@corvetteZ3r]

@@72442conv SC757 dynos around the same as a stock C7Z and a ZR1 will decimate that so… you have any actual data?

[@hellkitty1014]

I remember when these came out and remember thinking the engineers at GM must've caught the senior management out of the office and went batcrap crazy! 600+hp at the time was insane(Mercedes-Benz mighty 6.0L V12 twin-turbo only churned out 604 at the time, for reference), and the designers wanted you to know it was the "big one" with the glass covered hood opening! Probably would've had a longer run if not for the financial collapse.

[@BlacKnightRising]

still way better looking than the C8 -- bar none

[@gsmith207]

For sure!

[@whitneyestate1402]

And C7 too

[@BlacKnightRising]

@@whitneyestate1402 in my opinion the C4, the C6 and the C7 are the best looking, the C8 I wanted to like, it's nice and all but--it just doesn't look like Americas' sports car anymore, just some ferrari wannabe that's a shame

[@mr.butterworth]

The C8 isn’t even a real Corvette, it’s a highly derivative pseudo exotic and a whole different model. I know people say Zora originally wanted the Corvette to be mid-engined or whatever, but that’s not what the Corvette formula became, and it thrived on the track regardless. But when you’re trying to be a Ferrari or McLaren you’re now chasing clout and you’re no longer America’s sports car.

[@BlacKnightRising]

@@mr.butterworth yea I don't think Zora would have much love for the C8 as for me I hate that stupid square wheel, I get the flat-bottom but that square is annoying and hate that stupid push-button lever pull tranny, I mean give me a stick like the C7 and every other 'vette before it, looks like something just waiting to break the C8 looks like a euro-trash ferrari, no longer looks like Americas' sports car, just a bastardized version of what GM thought people wanted, they KNOW NOTHING about what the people want hence those dopey ev's that nobodys' buying, fancy that--including the C8 'hybrid' for Gods' sake what the hell were they thinking

[@acerimmer8338]

Michelin "Pea-loh" Sport tires 🤣

[@hellkitty1014]

John has a way with words!😅😂 You should hear him say Toyota Cam-Ray!😂

[@rmp5s]

Jeez...335s out back...over a FOOT wide. Talk about steamrollers!!

[@thomascrator8183]

Michelin Pee Low? I thought it was Pilot?

[@rmp5s]

@@thomascrator8183 ...wut? lol

[@TonicofSonic]

Beat the Enzo around their track. What a monumental achievement.

[@pontiacGXPfan]

This is a real ZR1.......front engine and manual

[@dohc1067]

It's a beast, but I still miss the pop up head lights.

[@carlos64030]

A Jetstream Blue (Blue Devil) C6 ZR1 is one of my dream cars, but sadly I'm too tall to fit in them.

[@everythingengine]

I am surprised, how tall? I have never had someone not fit in it but then again they arent driving

[@carlos64030]

@@everythingengine, I'm 6'5" and weigh 290 lbs. I have long legs and it's a very tight fit. Using the clutch pedal is almost a complete no-go for me.

[@everythingengine]

@@carlos64030 I figured it had to do with actually driving. Bummer! my passenger is about 6'5" and as a passenger he is a bit tight

[@mr.butterworth]

@@carlos64030I’m 6’6” and just fit in my ‘99 Miata. But I’m slim. I’d suspect you’re simply too big around to fit the Corvette, but you can do something about that!

[@rockbottomrhythm_blues]

IF THE CHIP SHORTAGE IS A THING--BEST EXCUSE FOR CARS BEING SO EXPENSIVE WHY ARE ALL MOSTLY MECHANICAL/ ANALOG CARS FROM YESTERYEAR SO DARN EXPENSIVE TOO?

[@PhillyDee215]

That LS9 is a great engine and 335's on the rear tires back then was massive for a production vehicle

[@rwilson4073]

Even today 335s is pretty massive for a production vehicle, Corvette has always loved them big rear tires

[@PhillyDee215]

@@rwilson4073 indeed...

[@cali2468]

Meh. Dodge did 335's with Viper back in 1992...

[@ragingbull94mtx]

@@cali2468 And Lamborghini had 345's as early as 1978. Wide tires are nothing new. They're uncommon - but not new.

[@midnight347]

​@ragingbull94mtx you're really trying to compare vipers and lambos to vettes? Hell the 1990 zr1 had 315s...those cars aren't in the same price range as even a zr1.

[@moejr1974]

Say what you want about GM but they do the Corvette right. It is a performance bargain

[@svpracer98]

This car was such a big deal that even uk based top gear featured it... Twice!

[@rickreid81]

My opinion, the only true Corvette is front engine rear drive. What a great looking car with the praformance to back it up.

[@PANTYEATR1]

C6 for the win! 🏆💪 Where can i get some Motor week swag?

[@DizzyMan24]

2009? The year I started high school? RETRO????

[@cobracharmer6178]

Can someone explain to me where the gas guzzler tax went? Oil research? Bonus’s for the oil riggers? Charities? Homeless people? Where? I paid the gas guzzler tax for my 2009 GT500. That’s about $4,000 including state tax. Where? I wanna F n know! Oh yeah, nice Corvette!

[@Highlander1432]

Ukraine.

[@yudhabagaskara98]

Good old school C6

[@dtwd9043]

Best corvette ever built. And the C6Z as well. Not even a competition 💀

[@beretka1389]

Best looking corvette

[@Ls_corvette]

15 years later and it’s whooping 1,100hp red eyes like nothing

[@kareemrichards8635]

In my opinion, this is the best Corvette ever made. Thanks for sharing.

[@davidbaron6647]

Truly amazing for 2009. If I had the chance I would buy 😊

[@sbinnala]

It's still the king of all Corvettes. Period.

[@davidhavard1908]

This car will go down as the baddest car ever made in my opinion. The experience of the drive . Number 2 goes to the 03 cobra

[@Highlander1432]

Agreed 💯

[@emilianocruz11]

The 2019 and 2009 Corvette zr1 ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@s2JZ]

Facts!

[@gsmith207]

What the!?! I have been wanting one so bad since I got a 19 and 91 ZR1, and have been looking for a C6 version for my collection lately and then you upload this today. You’re killin me! Love these retro vids! You guys rock!

[@Shadowband72]

I'm somewhat intrigued by the new mid-engine Corvette . But as far as looks go , the C6 was the last good-looking Corvette . Just like the C8 the C7 had way too many sharp angles on it . I prefer the smoother more elegant lines of the older Corvettes .

[@dc8c]

Peak Corvette right here. You can put the engine in the middle and give it a Ferrari-esque V8 and it still won’t top this. Speaking of Ferraris, release that Enzo review!

[@tomoday4450]

I’ll take it over a C8 all day

[@Slowgroovin]

You can see the basic silhouette of the iconic C4 all the way through the C7 cars.

[@kgthegreatone943]

A car worth dreaming about

[@FirstnameLastname-ni9uh]

C6 corvettes are my favorite one day ill own a base c6 and upgrade the shit out of the engine and suspension and brakes

[@quentinsheckles3548]

One of my favorite corvette generations ever.

[@danziger69]

Probably the only car I would trade my 2009 Z06 for.

[@cheapme1850]

The last of the beautiful Corvettes. Both the C7 and C8 are too over the top and gaudy.

[@KevinJames-yg9eu]

Power that's simply ridiculous instead of completely useless....

[@mr.butterworth]

2009 is a Retro Review now? Okay, I guess, lol.

[@crodrc51able]

Gas guzzler tax… another form of gov overstepping.

[@yugotime1598]

From 09 but the video quality is terrible.

[@Motorweek]

Yeah, it's standard def

[@maff_u]

This mf say pillow?

[@oreally8605]

Still can't afford one. A 2009 i don't mean new either.

[@LrulestheworldM8]

This is the last of the true Corvette's. Even in 2009 through the bankruptcy, this is the only sports car that was never even considered for the chopping block. The Corvette ended production in 2013, but this is still the fastest that this nameplate has ever been. And unfortunately, they had to kill a ton of cars and projects to get to this point. (The turbo Quad 4 Fiero being one of them.) But this is still one of my favorite cars.

[@opethmike]

How isn’t the C7 a true Vette?

[@LrulestheworldM8]

@@opethmike there is no c7. They stopped after the c6. Everything after that was designed 'in China, with China, for China'. The Corvette WAS an American muscle car. It is now just a world car, completely unrecognizable from its former glory.

[@cali2468]

​@@LrulestheworldM8Just. Be. Quiet. 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@cali2468]

​​@@LrulestheworldM8And I bet 1 Billion dollars you've never even driven ANY generation Corvette in your life. 😂😂

[@eight-cloudspurple5871]

Was any Corvette officially sold in China?

[@fijitears]

Best Vette out there. Especially in blue, orange, & grey!

[@idontlikecops1]

Ladies and Gentlemen I give you... the world's greatest Corvette

[@kyletice811]

@3:20 he churching up the word Pilot to sound exotic….

[@roddydykes7053]

Yeah what the hell was that Pee-low Sport? 😂

[@joserobinson8419]

Before there was a srt 392,hellcat, and demon 😈

[@ragingbull94mtx]

Michelin is a French brand, so... 😆

[@skip741x3]

churching up??? well thats a new one to me! actually had to look it up. lol

[@CapnT87]

Did he pronounce Michelin Pilot as Michelin ‘Pilo’ 😂

[@justgoofingoff]

Still a beast to this day...

[@skip741x3]

100% bro! 3.5 to 60. an over 600hp and all that torque, thats Not gonna get old....anyone who is jaded to that must be the walking dead.

[@DaBomb31290]

I remember how mind blowing these were when they came out. Still impressive numbers today.

[@camirocz]

Bought one in 2016 a 2011 with 2200 kilometers. Sold it in 2018 with 6800 kilometers to a client in Australia .Crystal red metallic 3Zr.Was a great car.

[@krnt13]

The ZR-1 in this color looks beautiful.

[@thomascrator8183]

If your watching this in 2009, buy one, or two. They are going to go up in price.

[@Highlander1432]

2009 was the time to invest in the stock market not cars

[@Michael-lz3bk]

I still want one probably one of my favorite vettes

[@Andoniscars]

blue devil. brown

[@Thedonron12]

Greatest Corvette ever made. So ahead of its time.

[@patsfan8057]

What a Corvette is supposed to look like. The newer ones have NO heritage which is important, believe it or not. Miss those days..

[@greggc.touftree5936]

Beuatiful car that is INSANE on the power. Got to love the 'vette. Long gone are the days of the 140hp vette of the malaise era. We have our vette and it is divine.

[@peteshea8010]

Garbage seats, poor build quality and more rattles than a baby nursery. Had one and it was THE WORST car I've ever owned. Car was also unpredictabe at anything beyond 8/10ths in the corners. So much more to a real performance car than just track times. Stunning that Chevy specified such AWFUL seats in particular in such a heavy hitting car. Zero mention of the crap seats and K Mart grade interior in this lacking review...

[@scratchcardsandcollectible7455]

Meantime i need to fix my DaeWoo Lanos 99🎉

[@skip741x3]

Im always working on my 30yr old , 94 probe gt...

[@stephenp.harris5050]

I've always loved MW and watched them as a young lad in the 80's/90s...but....I always knew MW never could get the best performance numbers out of any car they tested.

[@mrhombregordo9556]

I still want one of these..... Definitely gettin some type of Vette in a few months 💯❤️👑💪🏿🫡

[@SammyM00782]

Your videos are sometimes jittery. If anyone else notices the jitter and it bothers you, turn it down to 480p. Relive the nostalgia lol

[@relaxing_white_noises_by_j1980]

STILL one of the best Corvette models ever!!!

[@BrianCenti-j4d]

I've seen stock ZR1's run high 10's ona prepped track. So an 11.3 on a cold day with little prep is great 👍 love the C6 ZR1 looks a lot better than what we have now 😮

[@chrisgarcia5462]

Crazy how Mr John Force is still kicking ass15yrs since this review came out.

[@SoCalFreelance]

The plastic engine cladding is ugly. The C8 engine bays look much better.

[@drewzuromski6289]

1320 videos KZbin channel is giving one of these away, go get entered NOW

[@bb57365]

Enzo level performance, was a serious machine. C8 version will be scarry.

[@inky.64]

The year 2009 and the word retro being in the same sentence just doesn't feel right. I was 4 when this thing came out... I'm now 19, times a weird thing isnt it

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

Sadly the average working man can no longer afford these cars

[@Kaiser187]

Best Vette ever made!

[@augustortiz]

Best corvette ever made. What a badass machine.

[@Canadian_Gamer]

2:21 nothing to see here, just a dude wearing a cowboy hat in a ZR1 😂

[@alpe6228]

Literally the greatest car of all times.

[@tjord]

3:18 Michelin "pee-loh" sport 2 tires" bruh *what*

[@toddp7324]

Michelin Pee-lohs! They should put those on the Cam-ray!

[@t.l.robinson2162]

I have a 2013 Night Race Blue ZR1. I absolutely love this car. Especially after having it modified by Race Proven Motorsports.

[@ryanupchurch9683]

I love that color

[@linkthegunner]

I miss when cars were affordable :

[@johngidman4574]

Truly an awesome car. Way more desirable than the C8.

[@revelare_xvii6269]

I can’t even imagine how psychotic the C8 ZR1 will be.

[@silly_hammy1]

3.5 ?? 😂😂😂 meanwhile, the average tesla does it in 2.

[@Len1977gt]

John Davis is f&cking awesome! Love him - hes the best

[@cgreenfield6655]

John is a legend

[@damiancarson7816]

Crazy that in 5 years this car will be 20 years old 😭

[@TimGi1]

A time where a Corvette was a „real“ Corvette! 👍😎🇺🇸✌️

[@user-ie1hg5ov1m]

Suddenly Im a sophomore in HS again

[@boal20fin]

Retro commercials are just different 🔥

[@airgunningyup]

these are more now than when they were new.