Well, if you saw Rob’s post yesterday, you know I’m not on the payroll anymore. And what can I say? It sucks. Being a CarDomain editor was—by far—the coolest job I’ve ever had, and I’ll sincerely miss working with Rob and Jen. But I always enjoyed writing this post, so I’ve decided to try to keep it up. Oh, and thanks for the kind words ¡sǝu, I appreciated them. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Today, execs from the Big Three are going to try, again, to convince Congress to hand over $25 billion and bail out Detroit. Hopefully they’ll bring their "A" game, because some—like the pointy-headed geeks at Wired—think the Big Three should become the Medium Two. Wired
• While it’s rough out there for every company, until now, the exotic marques had seemed impervious to the downturn. But it looks like the crappy economy is starting to effect every tier of the industry. Aston Martin just announced plans to lay off 600 workers. Autoblog
• For those lucky customers that pick up a new ZR1, the General is going to throw in a free, two-day driving course at the Bondurant School. Since the new ‘Vette has over 600 horsepower on tap, a little professional instruction is probably a good idea. Motor Authority
• Honda has never had an unprofitable year or lay off workers. But with numbers like these, you wonder how long that record can stand. Freep

This might not initially seem like the most fair match-up, given that the GT-R lists for $25 grand less than the ‘Vette. But in reality, buyers are probably going to pay close to $100K to get their hands on  Godzilla, so price-wise, I don’t think this comparison is terribly unfair. Now, given the reams of positive press the GT-R has generated, I was really curious to see how it would fare in a head-to-head comparison with the General’s halo car. Would the GT-R’s suite of electronic nannies triumph over the ZR1′s brute force approach, or would raw power rule the day? Regardless, finding out must have been one hell of a good time, and the video of the showdown is awesome. Obviously, I’m not going to say which one came out on top. Head over to Edmunds and see for yourself.

I can’t tell you much in the way of context for this video, but it appears to be raw footage (for a TV ad?) of the 2009 ZR1 and the 2010 Camaro SS ripping it up on the track. The sound quality is crap, but the visuals are pretty interesting—take a look.

Yesterday, some dude flew a jet-pack across the English Channel. I have to admit, I think this is one of the most totally bad-ass things I have ever seen. Ever. How awesome would it be to take commute to work with one of these babies? I mean, it’s probably not the greenest thing in the world, but whatever. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Starting in 2011, no V10s or V12s will be allowed in European Le Mans racing. The organizing body wants teams to use less fuel and have quieter engines, which makes me wonder if they’ve heard Audi’s near-silent diesels. AutoWeek
• When the new ZR1 hits UK shores, the General is going to be asking $200,000 for it, which is about double what US customers will pay. Why not just buy one in the States and have it shipped over? That has to cost less than 100 grand. CarScoop
• Last time I got a speeding ticket, it cost me $140, and while I wasn’t happy about it, I figured it could have been worse. I mean, I could have racked up almost two million bucks in fines, like this dude in Brazil. The New York Times
• Chevy’s Volt uses electricity to power the wheels, but it also has a small gas engine to recharge the batteries. So should it be classified as an electric vehicle? The General thinks so. Automotive News
• Are you one of those people who can never decide what to listen to while on the road? Then check out Amplified Journey, which plots your route and offers suggestions about tunes. Automotive Traveler

At the Chevron press junket in San Fran last week, I bumped into Justin Berkowitz from the the Truth About Cars. Justin was the guy who made some false claims last week about Jen’s expenses on One Lap of America, erroneously claiming that meals and lodging were provided, and that the event was therefore some kind of free ride for CarDomain. When I asked him where he got his info, he replied "some people." Sounds like solid reporting to me, Justin! To be perfectly honest, I was surprised to see a representative from TTAC—where navel-gazing and blathering about "integrity" are the uber-boring norm—on a Big Oil-funded trip to sunny California. Now, I’m happy to report I spent Chevron’s generous per diem on Maker’s Mark, beer, Mexican food and taxis, but I’m sure Justin’s "integrity"—while allowing him to totally fabricate stuff about my colleague—probably prevented him doing so. Too bad, buddy! Anyway, here’s the news:

• Top Gear has gotten a hold of the ZR1. In a piece entitled "Freak Power" the tester said the car’s "dynamics are better than an Aston DBS, but you don’t get the precision of a 599." Of course, both of those machines cost way more than the ‘Vette. What a nice 100th birthday surprise for the General! Top Gear
• Lambo released a teaser shot of a new supercar this morning, and the press release claims that  "It’s not just a new Lamborghini, it’s a new world." Now, while I don’t believe the company is actually terraforming any other planets, I do imagine the new Raging Bull will be pretty burly. Lamborghini via World Car Fans
• After catching a delivery driver doing 80MPH in a 50 zone, police in Sydney allowed the him to get the customer their pie before taking him downtown. The funniest thing about this story? Even though it was in Australia, the story doesn’t mention anything about intoxication or beer being secured with a seat belt. Reuters
• I imagined that the sporty new XF would spell the end of the XJ, but that’s not the case. The next-gen version of Jag’s venerable series has been spotted engine testing in Coventry. Car Magazine via Jalopnik

So, I know I have a cool job. But getting paid to take a brand-new Corvette ZR1 for a spin down the autobahn? That’s just awesome!

I love watching videos of sports cars ripping around the ‘Ring, and I thought Andi Baritchi’s split-screen mash-up of the Viper ACR and the Corvette ZR-1 running hot laps was particularly cool. While ‘Vette fans might not be super stoked to see the track-tuned Viper spank the General’s new supercar by a burltastic four seconds—four seconds!—for non-partisan folks and Mopar fans, this is one hell of a clip. Enjoy.

This weekend, photographer Patrick Ernzen caught a black ZR1 at the Scottsdale Pavilions car show. The guy driving it (Patrick was pretty sure he works for GM) said it was the first in the western United States. Dunno, but this black Vette definitely looks amazing, especially in this light. A few more pics after the jump, or see the full gallery at Desert-Motors.com.

Continue reading "Corvette ZR1 in the Wild" »

Here’s the million dollar ZR1, fresh from the factory.

Everybody expected the General’s 638 horsepower ZR1 to be a beast, but this is the first time we’ve seen—and heard!—it in action. Watch as Jim Mero takes it for a blistering spin around the ‘Ring. How cool are the readouts showing the speed and RPM?