Just when we thought the C6 Z06 was the be all end all of American muscle, especially after breaking into the 10s on stock tires, Chevy has to one-up the Z06 and bring the ZR-1 back with a 620+hp, supercharged LS9.

Now I am not normally a fan of American muscle, but the original ZR-1 was always my favorite Corvette.  I'm glad the latest step up from the current Z06 will be named ZR-1 rather than "Blue Devil" or the over-used and abused "SS" title given to so many vehicles wearing the bowtie badge.

The heart of the ZR-1 is the all new LS9, the buffest thing to come in a Corvette.  Displacement has been lowered to "merely" 6.2 liters in order to beef up the block for boost, but it still puts out 100 plus horsepower per liter thanks to the Eaton roots blower putting out 10.5 psi.  There is even an air to liquid intercooler resting right on top to bring intake temps down 140 degrees F.  The cam has less lift and 27% less overlap, thanks to the use of a supercharger, which means idle is smoother, and daily driving at low speeds is easier (not sure why you would go slow in this car, though).  The Tremec 6060 six-speed gearbox has a 2.29:1 first gear ratio and 3.42:1 final drive which means 0-60 runs will take place in 1st gear alone.

With the new LS9 motor comes a bigger, badder Corvette.  With all the recent GT-R vs. Z06 business plaguing the industry, Nissan better be on top of its game when they come out with the V-Spec edition.  The competition just got a little stiffer.

The big thing on my mind, though, is what's going to happen when these motors are available to people looking to go with an LS swap?  This is SCC, after all.  With all the LS powered 240SXs and RX7s out there, I think we may see some ridiculously fast cars in the future.  A stock motor that puts out 620-650hp is just insane.  Putting it into a tiny, RWD 240SX or RX7 is just as crazy, but oh so much fun.

LS1 swaps?  Come on now, hold out for the LS9.