Motoring Weekly

Corvette ZR1 on island's roads

January 21 - 27, 2009
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The first Corvette ZR1 has landed in Bahrain at the National Motor Company after being specially air freighted to a member of Bahrain's Royal Family.

The first ZR1 in Bahrain will pave the way for other VIPs in the Middle East to join the exclusive club of ZR1 owners.

The mightiest Corvette ever created will break Middle East ground, hammering down and outperforming competitors like the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 and even the Lamborghini LP640.

Despite the intimidating performance figures, the Corvette ZR1 is as much about power as it is about handling and exceptional drivability.

Fadi Ghosn, chief marketing officer at General Motors Middle East, said: "This year, a limited number of vehicles will be available in the region and we are extremely delighted that the Royal Family was the first on our exclusive list.

"Those few fortunate customers will experience the scintillating performance and revolutionary technology and engineering of the new 2009 Corvette ZR1.

"This vehicle is a unique multi-dimensional performance machine that lives up to the legendary Corvette reputation."

The ZR1 boasts a brand-new LS9 V8 engine propelling it from 0 to 100km in a breath-taking 3.4 seconds. This is alongside a 6-speed, close-ration, race-hardened manual transmission and new, high-capacity, dual-disc clutch.

True to its race-bred heritage, the ZR1 builds on the highly-respected Corvette Z06's blistering performance in every category featuring this specific suspension tuning that provides more than 1G cornering grip from the 20-spoke, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels.

The 6.2L Supercharged V8 LS9 engine is hand-assembled at GM's Performance Build Centre, in Wixom, Michigan.

The 2009 Corvette ZR1 starts at BD39,000. The starting price gets you a bare bones, lightweight interior based on that of the Z06. For an extra BD3,770 Chevy will sell you the 3ZR package, which brings interior upgrades like power adjustable seats, sat/nav, more airbags, ZR1 embroidery etc.







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