Time has a funny way of putting things into perspective. Back in 2010, this world-beating Chevy Corvette ZR1 cost $120,000 if we account for inflation. Fast forward five years and this amazing car is now priced at less than half of its initial sum, making it cheaper than a base model Porsche Boxster S. Yee. Haw.
This 2010 Chevy Corvette ZR1 has a hood with a clear opening so you can see the engine underneath, which isn’t anything special if you forego the fact that it’s the most powerful engine GM had ever created up to that point. The supercharged 6.2 liter V8 engine spat out 638 horsepower in almost violent form. The lesser-spec Z06 of the generation was already a powerhouse, but this ZR1 was the last hurrah for the brand before they unveiled the C7 which was met with mixed reviews by older Corvette owners, if judged based solely aesthetics. There was just something about the C6 that screamed “modern”, while retaining all the unintentional trademark GM quirk (read: cost cutting) that was prevalent during the mid-2000s. Nevertheless, it’s the end-all version of one of the most iconic and well-received Corvettes of all time.
Although the miles may be on the high side for an exotic at 44,000, any Corvette worth its salt at this mileage is barely broken in. As it turns out, this one-owner example was serviced accordingly and should return many trouble-free miles for years to come, as evidenced by the description:
JUST OVER 44K MILES, ONE OWNER AND FULL SERVICE RECORDS! THIS JET-STREAM BLUE ZR-1 WITH EBONY BLACK LEATHER INTERIOR IS A RARE FIND. THIS IS NO DOUBT ONE OF THE BEST LOOKING COLOR COMBINATION EVER PRODUCED, FULLY LOADED, INCLUDING THE DESIREABLE 3ZL PKGE, THIS ZR-1 HAD AN ORIGIONAL STICKER PRICE OF OVER $120,000! EXTERIOR FEATURES ARE; FACTORY 20” CHROME MULTI-SPOKE ZR-1 WHEELS WITH RUN-FLAT TIRES, JET-STREAM BLUE METALLIC FRONT AND REAR CALIPERS WITH CARBON BRAKE ROTORS, BODY COLOR REAR SPOILER, COMPLETE CARBON BODY, INCLUDING A CARBON FIBER ROOF & PILLER, CARBON FIBER HOOD WITH FACTORY SEE-THROUGH WINDOW, AND CARBON FIBER FRONT SPOILER & SIDE SKIRTS!
This car is indeed worth it at this price because a Corvette is seldom a car that you keep to sell in the future - it’s a car that you buy to set your hair on fire every time you turn the key and embark on a journey to nowhere. With parts easy to replace and easy to find, it’s an analog supercar beater that can and will outlast anything five times its price. It’s not the most refined car for the price, but in life, you don’t always need a chisel. Sometimes you need to smash things with a big rock. It’s probably more fun anyway.
Tavarish is the founder of APiDA Online and writes and makes videos about buying and selling cool cars on the internet. He owns the world’s cheapest Mercedes S-Class, a graffiti-bombed Lexus, and he’s the only Jalopnik author that has never driven a Miata. He also has a real name that he didn’t feel was journalist-y enough so he used a pen name and this was the best he could do.
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