Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
When it was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1's power was estimated at 100 horsepower for each of its 6.2 litres of displacement.
General Motors Powertrain has completed SAE certification of the ZR1's supercharged LS9 V-8 and the results exceed the estimate: 638 horsepower and 819 Nm of torque.
The LS9's output is nearly 103 hp per litre or just about 1.7 hp for each of the engine's 376 cubic inches.
It is unquestionably the most powerful automotive production engine ever manufactured by General Motors and enables the Corvette ZR1 to achieve a top speed of more than 322 km/h.
"One of the most amazing things about the Corvette ZR1 is the level of refinement that our designers and engineers have attained. Even with all that power, this car has road manners that will allow our customers to enjoy it on the streets as a daily driver, and on the track," said Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper.
The Corvette ZR1 goes on sale this summer. Its 638-hp supercharged engine is complemented in the chassis by heavy-duty components not offered in any other model, including a six-speed manual transmission with race-hardened gears and dual-disc clutch technology that delivers exceptional clamping power and lower inertia, as well as strengthened axle components.
Fuel economy testing has not been completed, but engineers are confident the ZR1 will be the most fuel-efficient 600-plus-horsepower car on the market.
The LS9 engine is hand-built by specially trained technicians at GM's Performance Build Centre in Wixom, US. It is a unique, small-volume engine production facility that also builds the Chevrolet Corvette Z06's LS7 engine and other high-performance GM production engines.
"Developing the LS9 involved more than simply striving for a great horsepower number. Endurance and reliability testing have shown the engine to be robust and low-maintenance, just like other engines in the small-block family," said Sam Winegarden, executive director, engine engineering for GM Powertrain. "That it is distinguished as the most powerful engine ever from General Motors is a source of immense pride among everyone involved with the LS9."
