Its Executive Car of the Year went to the all-new Insignia, and Performance Car of the Year to the recently launched ZR1, both of which are now on sale in the UK.

The ninth and penultimate round of the 2008 FIA GT Championship took place at the former Grand Prix circuit of Zolder in Belgium. Dutch-Italian pairing Mike Hezemans and Fabrizio Gollin were the best-placed Corvette team, finishing second with their Phoenix Carsport Racing entry. Their Swiss team-mates Marcel Fässler and Jean-Dénis Deletraz finished fifth in the closely-fought race.

The circuit of Nogaro in the south of France hosted the eighth round of the FIA GT Championship. The Phoenix Carsport Racing Corvette team was particularly successful with a second-place finish for its driver pairing Mike Hezemans and Fabrizio Gollin, followed by team-mates Marcel Fässler and Jean-Dénis Deletraz in third place.

The fastest ever and most powerful series production car from General Motors, the 2009 Corvette ZR1, is on sale in the UK with first customer deliveries scheduled for late 2008.

The 2009 Corvette range continues to turn dreams into reality. The traditional Corvette V8-formula has expanded into a range of new Corvette models delivering yet more power, passion, precision and style.

In 1997, when John Middlebrook served as Chevrolet’s general manager, he said: “Corvette is now, and will continue to remain Chevrolet’s flagship.

The official Corvette ZR1 numbers are in and they’re good. Very good:

A legendary brand such as Corvette leaves plenty of traces. Traces which deserve to come under the spotlight. So now fans can order two very special limited edition models: one based on the Corvette Indy 500 pace car, and one as a salute to the unforgettable ‘big-block’ Stingray models from the 60's.

When it was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year, the 2009 Corvette ZR1’s power was estimated at 100 horsepower for each of its 6.2 liters of displacement. GM Powertrain has completed SAE certification of the ZR1’s supercharged LS9 V8 and the results exceed the estimate: 647 horsepower (476 kW) and 819 Nm of torque.

The kick-off for the FIA GT1 Championship 2008, comprising nine races in Europe and one in Argentina, is in Silverstone (GB) on April 19 and 20. This race series promises to be a major hit, with a full grid of stunning sports cars.

In addition to the limited-edition Corvette Victory Edition, a second special version of the all-American sports car will be introduced this spring, the Corvette Competition.

The Corvette ZR1 is set to make its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The ZR1 brings the technology and engineering refinement of carbon-fiber, ceramics and electronics together in a distinctive design.