Corvette ZR1 buyers receive free advanced driving course valued at $3,400

General Motors may be struggling for cash at the moment but that doesn't mean it’s skimping on the customer programs for its halo sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Every customer that purchases a ZR1 will receive a trip to the Bob Bondurant Driving School in Arizona to learn the finer points of "maximum car control", which includes a variety of driving exercises such as heel-and-toe downshifts, slaloms, and other techniques during a two-day training course.

Recently, the driving school has taken delivery of two ZR1s that will be used for training, however drivers undertaking the course must gradually be introduced to the potency of the ZR1. This means that they won't be thrust into the ZR1 from the get-go, but rather they will begin learning with a base Corvette, then a Z06, and then eventually the ZR1, reports MotorTrend. According to the president of the driving school, the course is designed to make new owners "appreciate their ZR1 on an entirely different level".

For non ZR1 owners, Bondurant says that they too can undertake the course for a cost of around $3,400. The ZR1, meanwhile, starts at $103,300 (including an $850 destination charge) and demands an additional $1,700 gas guzzler tax.

The driving course is well justified for new owners - the new ZR1 is officially the fastest production Corvette in history, capable of reaching a top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h). Its 0-62mph (0-100km/h) time is a full 0.3 seconds quicker than the already potent Z06, and the quarter mile is passed in just 11.3 seconds at 131mph (210km/h).