Obviously, the new 638-hp ZR1 will be the fastest car General Motors has ever produced. Check out the info from a blog by Tadge J. Juechter, Corvette Chief Engineer, on gmnext.com. Supposedly, the ZR1 lapped the Nurburgring at 7:26.4 with engineer Jim Mero behind the wheel. This makes it one of the quickest production cars to ever lap the fabled circuit and it did it in production trim on the factory-fit Michelin tires. The only changes from stock were a  a full complement of safety and communications equipment inside.

According to Juechter, the chassis alignment and vehicle height were set to factory specs and the car ran on pump fuel, not racing gas. In other words, he said, it's the same car you'll be able to buy off the showroom floor. The lap was electronically times and confirmed with two hand-held stopwatches. From what I've seen, this is the quickest lap ever for a stock production car.

Pricing will supposedly be $105,000 (including delivery and gas guzzler), plus $2,000 if you take the optional chrome wheels and another $10,000 for a specially-trimmed leather interior. Or so says the new issue of Auto Week.

Being poor certainly stinks. But Chevy has 2,000 copies a year for the well-to-do Bow Tie enthusiast.