2009 Corvette – Vette-net

Despite the financial hardships faced by General Motors at that time, the company announced that the 2009 model year would not only bring changes to the current Corvette model line-up, but that it would also introduce the world to one of the most powerful – and, ironically, most expensive – production-model Corvettes of all time – the 638 horsepower ZR1 Corvette Coupe (see 2009 ZR1 Corvette Overview).

Type: Two Door Coupe, Two Door Convertible, Competition Sport Special Edition, GT1 Championship Edition Coupe, GT1 Championship Edition Convertible, Z06 Coupe, Competition Sport Edition Z06, GT1 Championship Edition Z06, ZR1 Coupe

Pricing: $47,895.00 (Coupe), $53,550.00 (Convertible), $55,765.00 (Competition Sport), $65,410.00 (GT1 C.E. Coupe), $71,915,00 (GT1 C.E. Conv.), $73,255.00 (Z06 Coupe), $77,600.00 (Comp. Sport Z06), $86,486.00 (GT1 C.E. Z06), $103,300.00 (ZR1 Coupe)

Engine options: 376 C.I. (6.2L) LS3 Engine (Coupe and Convertible), 427 C.I. (7.0L) LS7 Engine (Z06), 376 C.I. (6.2L) LS9 Engine (ZR1)

Transmission: 6 Speed Manual Transmission, 6 Speed Paddle Shift Automatic Transmission

Top speed: 205mph

Units Produced: 16,956

Available Colors: Arctic White, Blade Silver, LeMans Blue, Black, Velocity Yellow, Cyber Gray, Victory Red, Atomic Orange, Jetstream Blue, Crystal Red

Highlights of the year:

Chevrolet officially announced the 2009 Corvette ZR1 – an American supercar that brings the technology and engineering refinement of carbon-fiber, ceramics and electronics together in a distinctive design.

“Chevrolet’s goal with the new ZR1 is to show what an American supercar can deliver, at a price that trumps exotics that cost two, three or four times as much – and does so with exceptional driveability,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager.

The new LS9 6.2L small-block engine is the power plant the supports the ZR1’s performance capability. The enabler of the LS9’s performance and refinement is a large, positive-displacement Roots-type supercharger with a new, four-lobe rotor design. It is augmented with an integrated charge cooling system that reduces inlet air temperature for maximum performance.

A sixth-generation supercharger developed by Eaton helped the LS9 make big power and torque at lower rpm and carried it in a wide arc to 6,600 rpm, as it pushes enough air to help the engine maintain power through the upper levels of the rpm band – the area where supercharged performance tended to diminish. Heavy-duty and lightweight reciprocating components enabled the engine’s confident high-rpm performance.

The LS9 engine was backed by a new, stronger six-speed manual transmission and a twin-disc clutch that provide exceptional clamping power, while maintaining an easy clutch effort. ZR1-specific gearing in the transmission provides a steep first-gear ratio that helps launch the car, and top speed was achieved in sixth gear – a change from the fifth-gear top-speed run-outs in the manual-transmission Corvette and Corvette Z06.

The ZR1 was built on the same aluminum-intensive chassis as the Corvette Z06 and featured similar independent SLA front and rear suspensions, with aluminum upper and lower control arms. Where the ZR1 differed was the suspension tuning, which was optimized for the car’s steamroller-wide front and rear tires.

While the 2008 model year saw a number of notable improvements to the C6 coupe and convertible, including the introduction of the LS3 6.2L V-8 as the new standard engine for the base model Corvettes, the focus of the 2009 model year would be centered on refining those improvements while simultaneously ushering in a new era of Corvette performance unparalleled in the production car’s impressive history.

The 2009 Corvette was also the first to be equipped with Bluetooth capability, which provided owners with the convenience and safety of utilizing Bluetooth hands-free phone service

There were also improvements to the exterior. This Corvette blended elements from earlier Corvettes, (such as a rear split-window reminiscent of the 1963 Stingray,) with futuristic visual cues unlike anything seen on any Corvette before it. Although a vision of what future Corvettes could very well look like, this design was actually developed in conjunction with Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures for the movie “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” which hit movie theaters later that same year.

To commemorate the successes of the C6.R Corvette Race Car, GM also introduced a limited production GT1 Championship Edition Corvette.

The exteriors of this special edition Corvette came in one of two unique color schemes: titanium-colored graphics set against a vibrant yellow paint, or black paint with yellow-and-titanium accent to match the C6.R’s 2009 livery.

Despite the introduction of the ZR1, the special edition/commemorative editions, and the continual improvement in quality represented in every coupe and convertible built, Corvette’s sales numbers saw a dramatic drop from 2008 to 2009.

Where 2008 saw over 35,000 Corvettes sold during its production run, the 2009 model year saw less than half that, with a total of just 16,956 cars being sold that year. Understandably, the U.S. economy was in the middle of a fairly dramatic recession, and purchasing a Corvette was a luxury that fewer consumers could – or would be willing to – afford given the financial hardships experienced the world over.

Photos of the 2009 Corvette: