First ‘Sinkhole’ Corvette restored & displayed at SEMA

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Blue Devil from the Sinkhole

Car fell nearly 30 feet

Chevrolet has unveiled the fully restored 2009 Corvette ZR1 that was damaged earlier this year when it fell into a sinkhole that developed beneath the National Corvette Museum.

Currently on display at SEMA, the Corvette ZR1 fell nearly 30 feet but was able to be driven out of the museum under its own power after being removed from the sinkhole.  Despite being drivable, the car suffered a lot of damage including:

• Cracked carbon-fiber ground effects and a broken passenger-side rocker panel


• Damaged passenger front fender, as well as cracks in both doors


• Cracked windshield, hood window glass and passenger headlamp assembly


• Bent rear control arms on the driver’s side


• Cracked oil lines to the supercharged LS9 engine’s dry-sump oiling system.

This particular car was one of the two models that were used to introduce Corvette ZR1 in January 2008. It was on loan from Chevrolet to the National Corvette Museum when the sinkhole developed.