ZR1 should the press be allowed to drive it?

So you have a very exclusive car that GM will have no trouble selling with a significant markup; do you think magazine writers and the like should be able to get test cars from GM (of course they'd be able to get them from owners)?

I dunno. If someone wants to test one before they buy, what happens?

New Ferrari's are much harder to get and magazines drive them , why should the press not get to drive the balls off a ZR1 ?

New Ferrari's are much harder to get and magazines drive them , why should the press not get to drive the balls off a ZR1 ?
Alot of cars, such as those on Top Gear, are lent to the show by private owners. Ferrari's are also built in higher production than the ZR1.

I'm not saying private owners couldn't let them drive theirs, I'm talking about the manufacturer handing them out. For the ZR1, I'm also wondering how many of them won't be spoken for before the official release day. Also, this is a car that magazines will have to hire a race car driver to test at its potential, but will then most likely turn around and wrongfully give their own opinions.

I don't see how they could NOT allow the press to drive it and report about it?

I don't see how they could NOT allow the press to drive it and report about it?

Because the press is retarded? Don't you remember the flipped Z06? :no:

Because the press is retarded? Don't you remember the flipped Z06? :no:

I didn't see that. Link?

They'll probably let the press beat on one. The last mag to get it will likely complain of a slipping clutch and more brake fade than they expected.

GM clearly will provide a car for testing because much of the justification for cars like this is their halo status. What's the point of having a halo vehicle if you don't let people report about it?

Because the press is retarded? Don't you remember the flipped Z06? :no:
I missed that as well, any pics?

I got to drive one of the first 2 Porsche GT2s in the country. There will only be 200 of those imported, which makes them just a touch less common than a ZR1.

So, er, what's your point again?

Alot of cars, such as those on Top Gear, are lent to the show by private owners. Ferrari's are also built in higher production than the ZR1.

A lot of Ferraris tested in magazines are private owner cars as well. They often won't provide test cars. In the case of the Enzo, they even discouraged private owners from allowing magazines to test their cars, though some did.

I got to drive one of the first 2 Porsche GT2s in the country. There will only be 200 of those imported, which makes them just a touch less common than a ZR1.

So, er, what's your point again?

How did you become one of the lucky ones that got to drive that around?


As for the original question, GM would be foolish if they didn't allow the press to drive these cars. They will definitely be reviewed by magazines and whatnot; it's a production car, not some mythical unicorn super secret test vehicle...

As for Top Gear, I didn't know the cars were customer owned. I remember watching the Koenigsegg video with stig ran it off the track. I think it was a company car (as Koenigsegg went and added a spoiler and let them try it again), but would have sucked for the owner if it was a private customer owned vehicle.

I got to drive one of the first 2 Porsche GT2s in the country. There will only be 200 of those imported, which makes them just a touch less common than a ZR1.

So, er, what's your point again?

Nothing makes a better writer than a guy who gets to brake so hard his stomach hurts :D

this topic got me thinking...

Is GM adding in any sort of owner training course for this car? At $103,000+ I would tack on another $2,000 or whatever it costs to the price of the car to have the owner fly out to some track and learn how to drive and respect the car's capabilities. Didn't they offer this for the Z06, or was that just a pipe-dream I read about here a while back?

this topic got me thinking...

Is GM adding in any sort of owner training course for this car? At $103,000+ I would tack on another $2,000 or whatever it costs to the price of the car to have the owner fly out to some track and learn how to drive and respect the car's capabilities. Didn't they offer this for the Z06, or was that just a pipe-dream I read about here a while back?

Not offered for the Z06. There are a couple of schools that offer driver training courses that uses Z06's (Spring Mountain is one) but nothing sanctioned by GM upon purchase of a Z06.

I didn't see the story, but these are the pics.
http://videos.streetfire.net/mediaphotoalbum.aspx?fileid=1002894
A Dutch journalist also flipped a second car.

Because the press is retarded? Don't you remember the flipped Z06? :no:

Actually, I didn't remember that.

How did they flip it? Were they testing it so hard that the rubber actually held and G-forces took over? :lol:

I think the mainstream car magazines that have actual, experienced race car drivers (like Patrick Bedard at Car & Driver, former Indy 500 driver) should be allowed to drive it.

I don't think any of the douchebags at Edmunds or any of the other non-enthusiast car review sites should be allowed within ten feet of the thing.

The press drives cars like the Ford GT, ACR Viper, Saleens, Roush, Proshe(?)...

I didn't see the story, but these are the pics.
http://videos.streetfire.net/mediaphotoalbum.aspx?fileid=1002894
A Dutch journalist also flipped a second car.

Dealer car? Crown Chevrolet in Dublin, CA is right near me. I may even be familiar with what road that is if I had more details. :p

I didn't see the story, but these are the pics.
http://videos.streetfire.net/mediaphotoalbum.aspx?fileid=1002894
A Dutch journalist also flipped a second car.

I think i was thinking of the other one. But yea, do we want to lose such a limited production vehicle like this to the press? :lol:

My next door neighbor got a ride in a ZR1 this past week(his brother-in-law is a powertrain manager responsible for RWD platforms). He almost couldn't put words together to describe how incredible the car is. Break neck braking and he said that the acceleration was unreal. His sunglasses flew off his head from the acceleration (he had them resting up on his forehead). He also said that once the exhaust opens up, it is pure raw adrenaline from the sound.

For $103k, it's going to be pretty frickin awesome.

Dan

this topic got me thinking...

Is GM adding in any sort of owner training course for this car? At $103,000+ I would tack on another $2,000 or whatever it costs to the price of the car to have the owner fly out to some track and learn how to drive and respect the car's capabilities. Didn't they offer this for the Z06, or was that just a pipe-dream I read about here a while back?

Driving school is included but not required.

If you really want to read into what this car offers, I suggest you pick up the summer issue of Corvette Quarterly. The whole issue is devoted to the ZR1.

Of course being a vette mag it's gonna be majorly biased towards the car but I took a quick scan of it yesterday in the stores and it's not too bad. The pics are AMAZING!!!!!!!! (spoiler: there's a pic of an exploded view of the LS9 with all the parts.....................uber cool to see)

I'll probably go back to pick it up later today.

Tony

http://cqmag.com/current-issue/

Sigh.....(look at the front splitter/radiator); we can thank the media guys again.
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2009-corvette-zr1/975051/full/
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8093/eeeeemn5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/8093/eeeeemn5.6eba1f90cc.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=209&i=eeeeemn5.jpg)