C8 mid-engine Zora ZR1 (no hyphen) for 2017

[Mystic ZR-1]

Car & Driver October 2014 issue
Only problem, no multi-cam engine... :cry:
Will they do it this time? C&D makes a good case for
why it will finally happen!

[JimZRyd]

Haven't received my issue yet. Looking forward to the write up but man does that pic ever look like a C7 that's had a few too many Twinkies !

[BigJohn]

Nice looking GT-R!!!!!

[Paul Workman]

Car & Driver October 2014 issue
Only problem, no multi-cam engine... :cry:
Will they do it this time? C&D makes a good case for
why it will finally happen!

Ah...We could only hope, Doug. Something along this line is what I was so hoping the C7 was going to be. I was SOOOooo disappointed. A Mid-engine, 12-cylinder (I'd accept a V-8) 32V 4-cam, VVT, direct injected, 9000 rpm 7.0L screamer...

Well, I can dream, can't I? [Sigh] Good chance that GTs and sports cars in the near future are going to have electric motor assist on all fours, and then ALL electric at some point. Gee... I can hardly wait to see that come about....

[PhillipsLT5]

Nice looking GT-R!!!!!

Correct

[Kevin]

never happen

[Fully Vetted]

never happen

I agree. I think the Ford GT is going to be the last true exotic car ($150k+) made by one of the big 3 that this country will produce for a while. I'm talking about something purpose built and very limited numbers. Not a 700hp rental car for $80,000. They are more about making money now than making history. More passionate about their stock price then their legacy. The Viper comes close but they can't figure out how to make it relevant or how to sell it.

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Would love to see Zora's dream become a reality one day.

[Paul Workman]

I agree. I think the Ford GT is going to be the last true exotic car ($150k+) made by one of the big 3 that this country will produce for a while. I'm talking about something purpose built and very limited numbers. Not a 700hp rental car for $80,000. They are more about making money now than making history. More passionate about their stock price then their legacy. The Viper comes close but they can't figure out how to make it relevant or how to sell it.

Next to the 63 SWC, the GT-40 has stood the passing of time mightily!

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x220/6PPC_bucket/GT406-22-14halfmileevent_zpsb7d0fe7b.jpg (http://s185.photobucket.com/user/6PPC_bucket/media/GT406-22-14halfmileevent_zpsb7d0fe7b.jpg.html)

[XfireZ51]

Would give up the ZR for a GT-40. You can tell this isn't the mid-engine Vette.
It has ROUND TAILLIGHTS. Not happening.

[Hog]

GT40 here
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb373/Paul_Schermerhorn/Cars3/GT40_at_Goodwood_zps880a62f4.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/Paul_Schermerhorn/media/Cars3/GT40_at_Goodwood_zps880a62f4.jpg.html)

Both the Ford GT and the GT-40 are both sinfully Ford.
I'd rather have a C6 ZR1 that a Ford GT. I'm sure one of the 107 actual 2000lb GT-40 race cars would be worth some coin.

Snubbing the ZR1 rpo for the C7 would certainly make a good lead up for a C8 ZR1. I dont see it happening. There will be some cool technology in the GEN 6 SBC's though.

[Kevin]

the gt40 is actually a british car

[Hog]

the gt40 is actually a british car
They were still built by Ford in both England and USA(depending on which Mark of GT-40 we are talking about), using American engines, built by Ford under Ford Advanced Vehicles Ltd in Slough England. The Mark 4 builds took place at Wixom USA. Their was almost Lotus involvement, until Lotus wanted the car named a Lotus-Ford.

[LGAFF]

Is this going to be a limited production car? If not, the problem is utility.....25-40K people per year are not buying a corvette that you can't put groceries, luggage, or golf clubs in.........rear engine allows you to reduce the frontal area...so not much room for luggage or taking anything with you....

[Paul Workman]

[QUOTE=XfireZ51;21180gt40 Would give up the ZR for a GT-40. You can tell this isn't the mid-engine Vette.
It has ROUND TAILLIGHTS. Not happening.[/QUOTE]

Hmmmmm... How about a GT -40 with an LT5 in it?

[Fully Vetted]

... I'd rather have a C6 ZR1 that a Ford GT...

Oooh...not me. Not in a million years. Just based on styling alone I wouldn't do that deal. I'd take a GT with a blown motor over a run of the mill C6 ZR1. You're also talking about a car that is now 10 years old.

[Hog]

Oooh...not me. Not in a million years. Just based on styling alone I wouldn't do that deal. I'd take a GT with a blown motor over a run of the mill C6 ZR1. You're also talking about a car that is now 10 years old.

For a driving car, ZR1 in a heartbeat. Heartbeat of America! The GT is a little twitchy when having fun, but thats mostly the engine/drive config.

I do understand from a collector perspective, just not my deal. Parts for a C6 can be had at any GM parts counter.

I will admit that I have never hung a C6 ZR1 around a corner, but its gotta be better than the GT.
The GT is a nice car for a Ford.

[Fully Vetted]

For a driving car, ZR1 in a heartbeat.

Sure, if you're planning on putting 100,000 miles on it or a 2 week road trip, yeah, I get that. I'm pretty sure the GT wasn't designed for that. A C6 ZR1 could be a daily driver if you wanted it to be. It wasn't designed for any single purpose like the GT. It is full of compromises in order for it be more versatile. It doesn't do anything great but it does a lot of things really good. And in 3 years it will be worth a little over half what you paid for it.

I will admit that I have never hung a C6 ZR1 around a corner, but its gotta be better than the GT. Why?

[Hog]

Sure, if you're planning on putting 100,000 miles on it or a 2 week road trip, yeah, I get that. I'm pretty sure the GT wasn't designed for that. A C6 ZR1 could be a daily driver if you wanted it to be. It wasn't designed for any single purpose like the GT. It is full of compromises in order for it be more versatile. It doesn't do anything great but it does a lot of things really good. And in 3 years it will be worth a little over half what you paid for it.
I agree, no the GT probably wasnt designed with a 2 week road trip in mind, it could be argued that the ZR1 wasnt either. But yes, for sure the ZR1 was designed to be more versatile.
The ZR1 does compromise more than the GT. The GT was marketed off of the lore of the old GT-40 race cars, but to be driven on the street. That coupled with killer performance.

I do beg to differ that the ZR-1 does do quite a few things, great IMO. The C6 ZR1 bested the GT on the 'Ring by 2.5 seconds on the runflats in 1 run, and 15 seconds again with runflats up to over 20 seconds. with the optional sticky's. (Iwas really surprised to see the 2014 Z./ Camaro bested the Ford GT AND the ZR1).

I was thinking more of a scenario, ZR1 and GT in front of you, pick which keys you want.

You know what, I JUST looked up the prices of some of these beasts. And I change my answer. $250,000-$400,000+ for a Ford GT? I WILL take the Ford GT, be stupid not to. Could buy 4 new ZR1's. Wow, just WOW!(I will leave up all my comments derived before I realized the exorbitant amounts of coin these things pull.




Why?

Better was the wrong word. While admitting to not having the opportunity
to hang a ZR1 out sideways. I was try to convey that doing so in a Ford GT was surprisingly different I assume to its mid-engine, rear drive configuration. The feeling was that I felt that either you get right into the power to drift, or back right off and take a corner without and steering using the throttle. The GT hooked well when it hooked, I felt like I could get nto a lot of trouble very quickly. Not for the "timid" driver. I'm not trying to portray that I had near enough seat time to even approach anything resembling the limits of the car. Just a 1/2 an hour screwing around with the owner in the passenger seat egging me on to "Give 'er", which was annoying. The last thing I wanted to do was twist his GT at ALL. I drive my OWN vehicles hard, because they are MINE, and Iknow how they react. It had a smaller blower pulley and ECM recalibration.

I was thinking that the ZR1 would be easier to "have fun with" than the GT in regards to laying a patch or similar slow speed "street" fun stuff simply because of the front engine/rear drive I am more used to.

The GT had a feeling sort of like a Testarossa, but it took way more work in the Ferrari simply because the the lack of power compared to the GT.

[XfireZ51]

I attended Fords at Carlisle a year ago and had the opportunity to speak w a Ford GT owner who had written a book on the GT. He was also doing a presentation on the GT. He commented that 3000 GTs were built but that over 1000 have been totaled. One reason why the price is escalating. It does not have the nanny electronics to save the unknowing from losing it. For those that don't know, it was Saleen that actually developed, engineered and built the Ford GT. He had a small factory in Detroit where these were built, then sent over to Ford for affixing the Blue Oval and Monroney stickers. Later on, Saleen also built a limited number of Vipers for Chrysler.

[Fully Vetted]

You also have to remember the GT was already out of production when the ZR1 came out so we can't really bench race them and any head to head competition would have to have an asterisk. Had Ford continued production you'd have to assume they would have kept up in the power race and not conceded the victory to Chevrolet at the 'Ring. However, those are all assumptions.

The question you posed was which would you take if both sets of keys were on the table. It comes down to one thing for me. The GT is a stand alone purpose built race car for the street. There are no other versions of the car. You either have one or you don't. The ZR1 is a heavily modified $50k Corvette. However well done it is (and it is very well done) for over $100k I would want something that is instantly recognizable as something special with a certain amount of exclusivity. Put a wide body kit on a C6 coupe and you have a clone Z. That's not happening with a GT.

[BigJohn]

The GT-40 race cars had to have room for two suitcases and carry a spair tire.