Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

Let’s be honest — if you’re into power, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 is one of the most significant cars of the past year. With a gigantic supercharged engine, ridiculously large brakes and enough carbon fiber to make the kids squeal, this supercar really does turn heads. Pro tip: To get yourself noticed, it helps when the test car shows up in metallic orange on a sunny day.

Not only does the car act the part of “Lamborghini Hater,” the ZR-1 looks the part. With harsh new fenders, a low carbon fiber front spoiler, a carbon fiber roof, a unique rear spoiler and at least seven functioning air intakes along the body panels and hood (including its ever-so-subtle hood scoop), the ZR-1 gives the appearance of a Corvette that’s just busting at the seams with power and pure ferocity. Top it all off with a clear plastic cut-out in the carbon fiber hood that reveals the supercharger on top of the engine, and you’ve got yourself an instant head-turner that’s miles away from its closest competitor. Two words: burning rubber.

2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport: First Look

The Corvette lineup gains a new Grand Sport model for 2010 that's distinguished by special exterior styling and a stiffer suspension. Last offered for the 1996 model year, the new Grand Sport will be available as a coupe or convertible. Grand Sport models hit dealerships in September. Pricing information hasn't been announced.

The Grand Sport model uses the same 430-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 engine as the base Corvette, and is likewise available with a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission. Like the regular Corvette, an optional exhaust system bumps engine output to 436 hp.

Chevrolet Stingray Concept: Through Ian's Lens

As the lone concept vehicle to be revealed at the 2009 Chicago auto show, the Chevrolet Stingray was a shoo-in for the prettiest new car on the show floor. The Stingray instantly grabbed my attention with its mash-up of modern ZR-1 angles and its vintage Corvette styling. Not only did Chevrolet bring the split rear window back from the original Stingray, but this design was an opportunity to restyle the current Corvette and breathe some life back into what has become 20 years of stagnant and typical designs.

Chevrolet Stingray Concept at 2009 Chicago Auto Show

• Looks like: A Corvette made for Megatron
• Defining characteristics: A huge, arching rear end with a split rear hatch
• Ridiculous features: It transforms into a 20-foot-tall robot
• Chance of being mass-produced: There are some design elements that might carry over to the next-generation Corvette

Everyone thought the Chicago auto show would be this hum-drum, run-of-the-mill event. Then GM dropped the hammer on its "Transformers II" vehicles, including the much-anticipated Stingray you see here.

In the movie the Stingray will be called Sideswipe and is a good guy, but it looks like a Decepticon to us. For the Corvette fans out there, however — probably a much different demographic than those waiting for the "Transformers" sequel to come out this summer — the big news is that the Stingray concept resurrects a classic name in Corvette lore.

The concept also brings back the split rear window. Because of visibility concerns, it's unlikely a split rear window would ever make it to production, but it's probably the one element that screams "Stingray" from this concept. Otherwise, it looks like an unholy union of the all-new Camaro and the Batmobile. Not that that’s a bad thing, it’s just a bit too wild for a real car. GM also says this is a design study and not to get your hopes up for this to pack a ZR-1 engine under the hood anytime soon.

Check out more photos below and let us know if you think this design is worthy of being the next Corvette.

Corvette Paint Used to Generate Electricity

GM used to send the leftover paint from its Corvette factory in Kentucky to a landfill. Now, in a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Corvette plant will send the used paint to a Paradise Fossil plant for electricity generation.

The program is called "Vettes to Watts," and it joins other TVA alternative-fuel projects ranging from wood chips to tires.

The company Waste Management will truck 360 tons of paint chips to the Paradise plant every year, where it will be added to coal already being burned. Once dry, the paint has no volatile compounds and is classified as non-hazardous waste.

Still, don't run off and call the project "green" quite so fast — it's still burning paint and coal to generate power. But it is recycling.

TVA, GM Join to Burn Paint Chips (Detroit Free Press)

GM Rolls Out Red Tag Sale, Chevy Deals

GM’s Red Tag Sale has become a bit of a holiday tradition, usually starting in December. However, the abysmal economy has forced the company to roll out the sale a month early this year. Dealers are instructed to clearly place the price consumers will pay after incentives and other fees have been calculated and deducted on a big, red tag on each vehicle. (The tag’s price excludes factory-to-dealer incentives, as well as other stackable incentives like recent grad cash back, auto show bonus cash, and tax, title and registration fees.)

First up in our list of such incentives is Chevrolet. A variety of incentives (or, to be technical, the Red Tag Sale price) are available on 2008 and 2009 models. A full list is available on GM’s Red Tag Sale page. Even new models like the Chevy Traverse crossover are severely discounted. A selection of available Red Tag pricing deals are listed below, though they may vary depending on what region of the country you’re in: 

Corvette Production Takes a Break as Sales Sag

General Motors will give production of the Chevrolet Corvette a rest the week of Oct. 6. When its Bowling Green, Kentucky, assembly plant returns to work after the break, it will have 75 fewer workers and turn out 3.5 fewer cars per hour.

Last month we reported on some fairly excellent deals for brand-new Corvettes, as GM sought to boost its sales figures by including the car in its employee pricing deal, which continues through Sept. 30. A Corvette Z06 has almost $10,000 off the sticker price, but in this dismal automotive environment that reduction isn't about to turn things around.

Though sales jumped with the discount, they remain well off last year's mark — down 8.5% through August. Unsold vehicles crowd dealer lots, leading to production cuts. Still, GM's pain can be your gain: Check out pricing here; there’s never been a better time to shop for a Corvette.

Chevy to Temporarily Halt Vette Production Due to Economy (Autoblog)

Enthusiast File: 2009 Chevy Corvette ZR1

One could argue over what makes a "supercar." Performance? Price? Styling? Exclusivity? If it's performance, look no further than the $102,450 2009 Chevy Corvette ZR1. On the track, it proved to be one super car.

I got nowhere near the 205 mph top speed, but I felt the 3.5-second 0-60 mph time, the 7-second 0-100 time and the 0-100-0 mph time of less than 11 seconds. The supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 cranks out 638 hp at 6,500 rpm and 604 pounds-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm, for the kind of thrust you only feel in an elite group of cars. What sets the ZR1 apart, though, is how well it goes beyond straight-line acceleration and braking. In June of this year, the ZR1 set a production-car record time of 7:26:4 at Germany's famed Nurburgring with Chevy chassis development engineer Jim Mero at the wheel.

Boss Pricing: 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06 $10,000 Off

During most sales events like GM’s current employee pricing madness — we know, we’re inundating readers with these posts, but we want to make sure shoppers are well-informed — high-performance cars like the Chevy Corvette and its more powerful big brother, the Corvette Z06, aren’t included. Not this time.

The Corvette Z06’s base version, called the 1LZ, starts at $72,125. After the employee pricing discount, it’s $62,653. Yep, that’s almost $10,000 off.

The other two trim levels are discounted slightly more than $10,000. All prices are what’s available in the Chicago area, and your region’s discount may vary. Check GM’s website to see. Also, we called a local Chevy dealer to make sure they were indeed following the employee pricing deal for this model, and we were told they are. We found dozens of 2008 Corvette Z06s in just a search of our area on Cars.com’s new-car inventory page.

Employee pricing ends Sept. 2. And if you want a refresher on the Z06 check out my video from last year below.

A Corvette Weekend For Dad

This past weekend I brought home a test car appropriate for Father’s Day: a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette coupe that I knew my Vette-fanatic dad — who has owned the same 1964 Corvette roadster since 1976 — would flip out over. 

Prior to my bringing it home, he instantly picked out the car when I quizzed him over the phone, “Guess what car I’m bringing home. I’ll give you a hint: It’s fitting for the Father’s Day weekend.”

“A Vette?” he asked, followed by an excited, “a Z06?!?!” Sorry, Dad, no Z06 this time, just the base 436-hp coupe.