1,250-HP Corvette ZR1 Will Help You Live Life a 1/4 of a Mile at a Time

Getting your hands on a C7 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 meant gaining access to a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 that had an output of 755 horsepower. That's 5 less horsepower when compared to a Shelby GT500. But given the choice, would you take the heavier Mustang over the ZR1? That aside, how many ZR1 owners do you think felt that 755 horsepower is not enough for their needs? At what point do you draw the line between a streetcar and a race car?

Looking through the classifieds, I came across this 2019 Shadow Gray Metallic ZR1. You don't even need to read the description to realize that there's something insane about this car. You just need to observe the rear 15" Weld Beadlock Wheels. I'd say that you have to be pretty serious about racing your car to use that kind of a setup. Sure, the car looks slightly strange with different size wheels up front, but form follows function!

This ZR1 is running a 390 ci (6.4-liters) Darton Sleeved engine that has had quite a few upgrades done to it so far, including Diamond pistons, Callies rods, and a Synergy Motorsports ported blower. So forget about triple-digit horsepower levels. When using VP X85 fuel, this ZR1 will churn out a massive 1,071 wheel horsepower which equals about 1,250-hp to the crank! That's more than you would get out of a Bugatti Veyron! That's not to say that this would win against the French-built hypercar, but it does have you thinking about the outcome.

If this were stock, the manual gearbox might have been more interesting. But with this kind of power, having an 8-speed automatic feels like a blessing. Now, the seller hasn't mentioned anything about how fast this car is down the quarter-mile (402 meters). Instead, the car is described as a "hardcore American track monster." Upon doing a bit of research, you'll find out that a ZR1 with a Hennessey HPE1000 package is capable of running the quarter-mile in 9.4 seconds.

But if you take things up a notch, up to 1,200-horsepower, then you should be capable to dip in the high-8s. This ZR1 hasn't been converted for track use as it retains all of its creature comforts. And it has an asking price of $179,800, which is less than what you'd pay for a brand new Porsche 911 Turbo S.

While you can probably get a 9-second car for less money, is it still going to be as impressive? Also, is it going to be as reliable? Notice the Driveshaft Shop parts used in the build and the fact that the transmission has been strengthened as well! To top things off, this ZR1 has only been driven for 4,127-miles (6,641 km), which means the former owner has probably enjoyed it a quarter of a mile at a time himself.