ZR-1 vs GT2 vs 599 vs GT-R

[mikeyb]

Supercars are like castles: the best ones come from Europe. Right?

For sure, it's long seemed that way. The Euro stars have always played in a price and performance stratosphere that makers from other continents simply couldn't (or wouldn't) attempt to match. Sticker price, schmicker price: In the spirit of the old adage "speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?" the premier machines from rarified houses like Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin cost hella big. But they also run unlike anything else on the road.

Uh, just a minute. Scratch that. For 2008, Nissan launched its ceiling-busting GT-R, a twin-turbo manga-robot on wheels with a price under $80K but an exhaust boom that rocked ears from the Nordschleife to Maranello. And now Uncle Sam is also strutting in the white-hot spotlight all oiled up and pumped: For 2009 comes the all-new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the most potent GM production automobile of all time, the best Vette ever, a star-spangled, supercharged sledgehammer in aluminum and carbon fiber with brakes lifted from the fastest road Ferraris ever built. Yes, it wears a base sticker that's difficult to utter in the same breath as "Chevrolet" -- more than $106,000 -- but the ZR1 also brandishes performance hardware straight from the parts shelves marked "No Compromises."

Clearly, the two new upstarts are begging to crack open a can of whup-ass in the hallowed halls of European-bred speed. Naturally, we're only too happy to help. We rounded up a GT-R and a ZR1 and headed off to the test track and five-mile high-speed oval of Chrysler's Arizona Proving Grounds with two of Europe's bona-fide superstars: the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano ("the finest all-around Ferrari ever," we said in July 2006) and the Porsche GT2 (which, in our May 2008 issue, we dubbed "one of the greatest sports cars the world has ever seen"). Along with us was former IndyCar driver and 24 Hours of Daytona winner Didier Theys (pictured below); he'd be our man at the wheel for a series of breathless, flat-to-the-floor top-speed runs, plus timed laps on the infield road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

For three unforgettable days in the Arizona and Nevada deserts it was War of the Worlds. And NORAD didn't even notice.


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Vital Statistics


ZR-1
Base: $106,520
Engine: 6.2L/638-hp 604-lb-ft supercharged OHV 16-valve V-8
6-speed man
3364 lbs
0-60mph 3.3 sec
0-100mph 6.9 sec
11.2 sec @ 130.5 mph
23.7 sec @ 0.87 g (avg)
60mph-0: 97 feet
1.10 g (avg)
Top Speed Observed 200.4 mph
Lap time: 56.9 sec
EPA 14/20 mpg

599
Base: $317,595
6.0L/612-hp 448-lb-ft 48-valve DOHC V-12
6-speed auto-clutch manual
3975 lbs
0-60mph: 3.2 sec
0-100mph: 7.1 sec
11.3 sec @ 126.4 mph
25.0 sec @ 0.79 g (avg)
60mph-0: 104 ft
0.95 g (avg)
Top Speed Observed: 201.5 mph
Lap Time: 58.0 sec
EPA: 11/15 mpg

GT2
Base: $192,560
3.6L/530-hp 505-lb-ft twin-turbo, DOHC 24-valve flat six
6-speed man
3270 lbs
0-60mph: 3.4 sec
0-100mph: 7.3 sec
11.4 sec @ 127.9 mph
22.9 sec @ 0.90 g (avg)
60mph-0: 98 feet
1.10 g (avg)
Top Speed Observed: 199.8 mph
Lap Time: 57.5 sec
EPA: 16/23 mpg

GT-R
Base: $77,840
3.8L/480-hp 430-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC, 24-valve V-6
6-speed auto-clutch manual
3868 lbs
0-60mph: 3.2 sec
0-100mph: 8.0 sec
11.6 sec @ 120.0 mph
24.1 sec @ 0.86 g (avg)
60mph-0: 105 feet
0.97 g (avg)
Top Speed Observed: 195.0 mph
Lap Time: 58.1 sec
EPA: 16/21 mpg



Final Results:

The Dust Clears

So? Who wins the War of the Worlds? For sure, each car in this field qualifies as a superstar. The Nissan GT-R delivers 21st Century electro-wonder and shattering performance at a base price ($77,840) that borders on the unbelievable. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano offers succulent styling, shameless hedonism, peerless refinement, and speed and handling matched only by a handful of cars on the planet. The Porsche GT2, which Theys dubbed "the raciest in the bunch," churns out effortless speed (the variable-vane twin-turbo engine feels naturally aspirated, so smooth is its power delivery) and seems utterly bulletproof. You know you could hammer on it all day long and it would never complain. The ZR1 has a few glaring flaws -- including a fade-into-the-traffic-flow exterior and a cockpit lacking almost any signs of flying first-class -- yet by nearly every objective measure (and most subjective ones, too) this new Chevy expands the performance envelope for premium supercars. And at a fraction of the price of the European thoroughbreds. In the supercar realm, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 rules.

America still sucks at the castle thing, though.


First Place: Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Class-shattering power, race-car handling grip, monster brakes, and sweet control inputs leave even the bluebloods in this Chevy's wake.


Second Place: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Costs huge, but delivers huge, too. Still one of the planet's finest sports cars. And when it comes to sex appeal, forget it: The Ferrari is the only one you'd choose for a date with Gisele Bundchen.


Third Place: Porsche GT2

The Rolex of sports cars: brilliantly engineered and bulletproof. Unreal speed, hellacious grip, and superb controls -- everyday drives become laps at Le Mans.


Fourth Place: Nissan GT-R

That a machine this incredible finishes fourth shows you how spectacular the other three really are. At the price, nothing comes close. And if you think Nissan is resting on its 480-horsepower laurels, stay tuned for Act II: GT-R V-Spec.

[Kymerik]

Gt2 please...the ZR1's crappy interior = lame...

[Raynman]

the ZR1's crappy interior = lame...

Very true, but on the outside I think it's the sexiest out of the bunch.

[Kymerik]

Very true, but on the outside I think it's the sexiest out of the bunch.

That's personal opinion, i'll stick with the GT2 on that one too :P something about the porsche shape

[mikeyb]

The Porsche looks like a squished VW Bug if you ask Jeremy Clarkson.

[daonly1around]

Porsche...

"now thats how you drive... from now on, THATS HOW YOU DRIVE"

ever since that movie i have LOVED the 911's

[Donas64]

The ZR1 is too much of a performance bargain to ignore. It goes just as fast as any of these and stops and corners with the best in the world. It also has classic good looks.

As for the interior, with the full leather options, it's more than comfy enough and with the 90-200,000 dollars you saved buying it, you can have a 20K bespoke interior installed that would put the others to shame.

I'm sorry but the ZR-1 wins....and it's not really that close for me.

Unless you're a badge snob then none of what I've said matters. :)

[Olestra]

Porsche...

"now thats how you drive... from now on, THATS HOW YOU DRIVE"

ever since that movie i have LOVED the 911's

Bad Boys 2?

[Flash5]

Bad Boys 2?

first one!

[jmv]

i knew before i'd read it that by the time the article was finished, i would want the porsche....

and i was right.

[mikeyb]

I'm going for the underdog the Nissan R35 GT-R. All weather, AWD, and a rear trunk.

[JoseProte83]

And a nice empty pocket MikeyB.




Gt2 please...the ZR1's crappy interior = lame...


Why don't go and buy a Roll Royce so you can go and admire the interior? Gosh.... People seems to forget the PURPOSE AND POINT of this type of car..... My house have a nice interior already........

[mikeyb]

And a nice empty pocket MikeyB.






Why don't go and buy a Roll Royce so you can go and admire the interior? Gosh.... People seems to forget the PURPOSE AND POINT of this type of car..... My house have a nice interior already........

Not as empty as the other guys bank accounts that buy the other three. And a Rolls is to big for Rob because He is a little car guy.

[bgibb68]

I'm going for the underdog the Nissan R35 GT-R. All weather, AWD, and a rear trunk.

and you wouldn't be afraid to drive it around.....i'ld run that sucker as a daily....(evil)

[Rotary_Powered]

I would take......a GT3 mwahahahah :) it might not be as super but it comes damn close....otherwise I cannot deny the ZR1's performance value....

[mikeyb]

and you wouldn't be afraid to drive it around.....i'ld run that sucker as a daily....(evil)

Well I would still park it out in no man's land when I go to the store or mall.

[lasermp5]

Trade the 599 for a GT-R AND ZR-1 lol

[daonly1around]

I would take......a GT3 mwahahahah :) it might not be as super but it comes damn close....otherwise I cannot deny the ZR1's performance value....

gt2 is more... RAW... takes more driving skills... little to no electronic stability and traction control if i'm correct, where as the GT3 is a tamer and more predictable

[Jacobra]

gt2 FTW!!!!!

[Newf]

Trade the 599 for a GT-R AND ZR-1 lol
+1

[kickniteasy]

take the gt-r and use the price difference of the others for mods.....it's blow them all out of the water IMO.

[JoseProte83]

Not as empty as the other guys bank accounts that buy the other three. And a Rolls is to big for Rob because He is a little car guy.


You really have no idea how expensive the GTR is at maintenance.... You can buy a Z06, mod it, race it every week end, and it will be cheaper per year than maintaining a GTR used only for daily driving..

[kickniteasy]

what is it that's so expensive about maintenance? I wouldn't doubt it, just curious since the car just came out recently

[Aaron23]

what is it that's so expensive about maintenance? I wouldn't doubt it, just curious since the car just came out recently

INFINITI!