Look no further than the Corvette ZR1 for proof that the United States can produce an exotic, supercar that beats--even blows away--the foreign competition. There's simply no finer sports car with an American badge rolling off the assembly line today than this über-Corvette.

The ZR1 packs a wallop under its carbon-fiber hood. Its raised, polycarbonate window offers a view of the intercooler (or, as I like to call it, "the mighty magic maker") that powers an LS9 supercharged V8 rated at 638 horsepower and 604 lb.-ft. of torque.

This is a beautiful engine that does its job effortlessly. Granted, it has way