When it was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, the 2009 Corvette ZR1's power was estimated at 100 horsepower for each of its 6.2 litres of displacement.
GM Powertrain has completed SAE certification of the ZR1's supercharged LS9 V8 and the results exceed the estimate -- 638 hp and 604 pound-feet of torque.
The LS9's output is nearly 103 hp per litre. General Motors says it is "unquestionably the most powerful automotive production engine ever manufactured" by the automaker and enables the ZR1 to achieve a top speed of more than 320 kilometres an hour.
"One of the most amazing things about the Corvette ZR1 is the level of refinement that our designers and engineers have attained," says Ed Peper, Chevrolet's general manager. "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."
The ZR1 goes on sale this summer.
-- Canwest News Service
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