For Chevrolet’s Corvette, the ZR1 was the ultimate evolution of the C6 platform and as America’s Sports Car, the benchmark upon which all other performance cars in the U.S. were measured. Boasting a supercharged LS9 V-8 engine with more than 630 bhp on tap, performance was astonishing with a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds leading to a claimed top speed of 205 mph. With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $113,595, Chevrolet had never produced a Corvette with a six-figure price tag. However, this was still less than the Dodge Viper, its closest domestic competitor, and far less than the Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren MP4-12C, and Porsche’s 911 Turbo.

Presented here is a true European-delivered ZR1, a true rarity in the Corvette world. Of only 4,684 ZR1s produced, just 482 were built for the 2013 model year, the C6’s last year of production. Amongst those 482 examples, only 18 cars were originally destined for the European market. This car’s rarity is further enhanced by being one of only 54 ZR1s produced in Night Race Blue paint, a colour that was only offered for the 2013 model year, and one of 191 cars produced in 2013 that was fitted with the PDE High Performance Package. The PDE package consisted of fitting the car with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero tyres, lightweight aluminium-style 19-inch front wheels and 20-inch rear wheels, a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission, and a black-painted full-width rear spoiler.

Delivered to its first and only owner through Autohaus Steppe in Horgau, Germany in November of 2013, this ZR1 was then imported to Switzerland and delivered to the Corvette Sportcar Center in Bonstetten. There, it was upgraded with leather-trimmed Recaro racing seats, Schrott harnesses with a horizontal harness bar, and controllable exhaust valves. Driven roughly 5,700 km from since delivery, the car was last serviced in July of 2019 at 3,923 km.

Today, the ZR1 presents in wonderful condition throughout and would provide for an incredible driving experience. With production underway on the mid-engined C8 Corvettes, which will be sold as regular production automobiles in Europe, late-model front-engined Corvettes will remain desirable for years to come, and high-horspower models like the C6 ZR1 will surely be the most sought after. Finding a better C6 ZR1 in Europe would be a difficult task indeed.