Corvette ZR1X Unveil – Gillman Chevrolet
________________________________
Midway through the week, I caught wind of a pretty special event happening out at Gillman Chevrolet in Harlingen. TX2K had just wrapped up, and some friends and I were talking about the insane numbers Peter’s ZR1X had just done up in Ennis, TX. And because I didn’t get a chance to make it out this year, seeing the first one unveiled in the Rio Grande Valley was something I had to go check out for myself.
________________________________
________________________________
It had been a pretty long week. While I would have loved to have a late start to the weekend– a car unveiling is always pretty special. I took my exit off Stuart Place Rd. And before entering the parking lot I could already see several generations of Corvette’s lined up. Gillman’s worked with the Valley Corvette Club to make this an event something special. Something that would show the evolution that’s led to Chevy’s first true hypercar.
I could sit here and rattle off numbers that this 1250HP hybrid puts down. Get into detail about the 5.5L twin-turbo LT7 that has an AWD advantage thanks to the front-axle electric motor. Go on about how ridiculous it is that on street tires, it’s capable of 1.8 second 0-60s…but I won’t. You don’t have to be a die hard Chevy fan to appreciate just how insane some of these specs are. But being at this unveiling surrounded by well, die hard Chevy fans, definitely made this experience that much more enjoyable.
After getting up close for a few shots, I made my way outside with Mr. Slow3V himself- Thomas Sanchez. He showed up in his Eleanor replica he’s slowly perfected over the years, and something I still need to photograph. A few of the guys from the Weekend Warriors crew showed up with a variety of rides. And of course there was an entire section for the Valley Corvette Club. Hell, even a Monogram series Maybach SL 680 showed up- not something you get to see in person every day. Covering meets and motorsports is pretty awesome. But if you ever get the opportunity to attend a car unveiling, I’d set aside the slow weekend plans and be a part of the experience.
Huge Thanks to
Gillman Chevrolet Harlingen
Valley Corvette Club
________________________________
————————————–
Photos and Words by : Bobby Villarreal