2009 Corvette ZR1

I'll admit it, I've never really been a big Corvette fan. Don't get me wrong, I clearly see the car's appeal. But for my money, the 'vette has always been a solid sports car that failed to blow my doors off. I know, you 'vette fans are reading this and saying, "You are wacked Toyota Phil."

Well my attitude may be changing.

Chevy has just announced the 2009 Corvette ZR1 will be GM's

GM loading...

Quote  |  Chart  |  News  |  Profile

[GM  Loading...      ()   ] fastest production car ever with 620 horsepower, go 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, and pull a considerably higher price tag: $100,000. Those are some intriguing numbers for a variety of reasons.

First, there's no doubt GM is giving the Corvette a major performance boost putting its new LS9 engine, and its ability to crank out 585 pounds of torque, under the ZR1's carbon fiber hood. It's great to see an iconic American sports car get the goods to keep up with and blow past the competition. And don't think Chevy engineers haven't heard the buzz surrounding Nissan's GT-R.

But will the new 'vette sell at six figures? Yes.

There are plenty of 'vette fans ready to climb in a car that flies like the ZR1. And frankly, it's about time Chevy raise the stature of the 'vette. It's long been lauded as the best bang for the buck given its reasonable price. But as performance editions of various high end cars have become more popular, it's left the 'vette looking, dare I say, kind of boring.

Not anymore. Once Chevy shows the new ZR1 at next month's Detroit Auto Show, the Corvette buzz will start building. It might even generate a few new fans.

Questions?  Comments?