A Low-Mileage Corvette ZR1, As Ordered for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
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With an iconic car like this - opens in new window or tab., you have to wonder: what’s cooler, the car or its history? It’s a black 2009 Corvette ZR1 coupe with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 producing a whopping 638 horsepower, coupled to a six-speed manual. It’s fully loaded with everything from a carbon-fiber roof panel and chromed aluminum wheels to the 3ZR option group that adds navigation, heated power seats, and leather-wrapped door panels. There are just 1,523 miles on the odometer.
On top of all that, the Corvette was ordered for NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and that’s whose hindquarters were in the seat when it acquired the few miles on the clock.
The Corvette comes with a six-speed manual transmission.
Further, the car was selected for Earnhardt by Joseph Riddick “Rick” Hendrick III, the big-time Chevy dealer who is a former race driver himself and owner of Hendrick Motorsports (12 Cup wins). He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier this year.
The ‘Vette features Earnhardt’s signature and was used by him as a demonstrator. It’s one of 368 ZR1s painted in Classic Black for 2009, and it was the 23rd built. Lately, the ZR1 has been residing in Hendrick’s well-known Heritage Collection. The current seller, Pennsylvania’s Fairfield Auto Group, bought the car - opens in new window or tab. at the 2017 Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona for $82,500.
Some think the 2009 Corvette ZR1 was “the best car ever made.”
Fletcher Quigley, online manager for Fairfield Auto Group, said the Corvette was one of four Hendrick bought for his team drivers in late 2008, and that the cars have some special features that weren’t yet available on early production cars. “It’s definitely an interesting car,” he said.
Quigley said that Earnhardt personally delivered the car’s signed center console to the Barrett-Jackson auction. So are owners interested in a brush with a famous race driver, or do they simply want a low-mileage ZR1? “A bit of both,” Quigley said. “The Earnhardt connection is important, and the fact that he’s retiring enhances that. But ZR1s will only increase in value, and there aren’t many low-mileage examples out there. The ZR1 will be replaced next year, and some buyers may want the best example they can find of the older model.”
Chromed aluminum wheels are part of the package.
ZR1 owners probably don’t lose much sleep over their car’s 18 mpg city/20 highway fuel economy. More likely, they celebrate its Ferrari-killing zero-to-60 acceleration of 3.3 seconds and its 200-mph top speed. Motor Trend described the ’09 ZR1 - opens in new window or tab. as the most powerful GM production car the magazine had ever tested, with a sound it compared to “an IndyCar being flat-footed around the Brickyard by a screaming Sam Kinison.” Jalopnik took a first ride and said that year’s ZR1 was “the best car ever made - opens in new window or tab..”
The great thing about Corvettes, even exotics like the ZR1, is that they’re comparatively affordable, and aren’t high-strung maintenance nightmares. The bodies are fiberglass, and the mechanicals have tried-and-true GM provenance. Some owners treat them like garage queens, but they can and do rack up high mileage without the need for a personal mechanic.
Taillights are what you’re going to see with this 200-mph ZR1, which can hit 60 mph in 3.3 seconds.
Just about everything you need for a 2009 Corvette - opens in new window or tab. is available through eBay Motors—even if the supercharger - opens in new window or tab. fails.
Fairfield Auto Group says this Corvette “leaves the rest of the supercar world wishing they were born a ZR1.” The car comes with “a treasure chest of documentation, including the original window sticker and a build sheet.”
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.