Like many of you, I often find it a little tough to shift back into work mode after a long weekend. Not that I did anything particularly taxing, mind you—spent time with family, watched some baseball, picked up some old Camaro parts I might be able to use—just a kick-back weekend. I rolled in this morning, however, anxious to sink my teeth into one of the stories you’ll see in the November issue of CHP: a first look at the newest bit of internal combustion titillation cooked up by GM, the powerhouse LS9 engine destined for the new ZR1 Corvette. I’ve got the specs in front of me, and they’re exciting. If this thing’s switched on, it’s making at least 500 lb-ft of torque. It’s an impressive technological achievement, no doubt about it. And yet, given the times in which we live, it seems like a strange feat as well. I know why a 638 horsepower, 604 lb-ft engine is a good thing, and I know why sticking it in a sticky handling Vette is a good thing. Really, I do. But I can’t help but ask “why?” So when I talk to some of the brains behind this project for the article, I’ll ask that, among other things. On the other hand, my LS9 ruminations brought back memories of all the other super Vettes I’ve driven, from that first drive in the 385-horse ’01 Z06, to my memorable warp speed rip in the 505-horse ’06 version. And I realized that I’m really itching for a chance to drive the new ultra-Vette, something that I’m sure will seep into the conversation with the folks at GM. So maybe I’ve already answered that pesky “why” thing…and it’s not so strange, after all.