Although Chevrolet has resorted to the usual swirly camouflage measures to conceal the finer details of the upcoming 2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, there?s little it can do to prevent prying eyes from zeroing in on the unbridled high-riding rear wing affixed to the decklid. Additional photos show a smaller and lower winglet; you can bet engineers are gathering data to compare and evaluate the optimum wing size and placement. The wing can’t divert our attention from the power bulge in the hood?and its attendant venting. Although we?ve seen similar ZR1 mules flying high in the wild before, these shots give a previously unavailable multi-angle view of the aero aids.
The clearest images yet don?t reveal any cabling or tubing that would confirm earlier speculation that the ZR1 will utilize hydraulic or pneumatic actuators to adjust the rear wing. On closer inspection, the photos show that the wing appears to be mounted with common, non-production hardware fasteners, so it is likely that it’s still in the development stages.
As we?ve said before, we expect the ZR1 to be the final act for the C7 series and to pack in excess of 700 horsepower from a supercharged and intercooled LT4 small-block V-8. A Tremec seven-speed transaxle and GM?s 10-speed automatic are the most likely transmission options. Speaking of trannies, note that this may be the last Corvette to offer a manual transmission, since the long anticipated mid-engine 2019 C8 Zora is expected to lack a t...