2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

"Shock and awe."

That was the design directive, the mantra operandi that Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter instilled in his ZR1 team as they developed the most powerful regular production passenger vehicle in General Motors' 100-year history (the freshly certified stats: 638 horses, 604 pound-feet). Get team members talking and they contrast this with former Corvette chief Dave Hill's marching orders for the C5-generation Z06. He reportedly placed greater emphasis on refined performance. Don't misunderstand, myriad technical advances mean the ne-plus-ultra Corvette ZR1 drives with far greater refinement than any Z06, but rest assured that few concessions to gob-smacking acceleration, cornering, or braking were made in the name of refinement.

For more nitty-gritty details than anyone could possibly remember about the nuts and bolts of the ZR1 pull out your February issue (or pull it up online). Let's spend most of our time here blasting around the 2.9-mile Lutzring circuit at GM's Milford, Michigan, Proving Ground, a course engineered to replicate the trickiest, most technical corners and combinations encountered on the best road courses from around the world.