The thing about records is that they’re made to be broken. The pursuit of excellence is what compels some of the most driven people on the planet to make both headlines and history. We saw it a few months ago when the Ford Mustang GTD laid down a Nürburgring time of 6:52.072, and wondered what the Corvette team was planning. After all, we knew it had a 1,064-horsepower monster by the name of ZR1, and something even faster waiting in the wings. In June, the Corvette ZR1X, ZR1, and Z06 took to the famed Nürburgring, and one of them set a new record for American cars in the process.
Let’s start out with the big one, the time for the 1,250-horsepower Corvette ZR1X. The machine’s own vehicle dynamics engineer, Drew Cattell, took the new top-dog Corvette out on the Nordschleife and crossed the line in 6:49.275. That’s 2.797 seconds quicker than the $327,960 Mustang GTD piloted by Le Mans GTE winner Dirk Müller, and while pricing for the Corvette ZR1X isn’t out yet, it should be more affordable than that.
Not only is this a new record for an American car at the Green Hell, but I have to give props to Cattell for setting his own record: the fastest Nürburgring lap of anyone who isn’t a professional racing driver. Given that this is a time for the full 12.9-mile lap, this also makes the Corvette ZR1X the fourth-quickest unmodified production car to lap the Ring, behind the AMG One hypercar, the 991.2 Porsche 911 GT2 RS with the Manthey Performance kit, and the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series. There are some great highlights from the onboard footage too. A peak speed of 186 MPH in Foxhole is nuts, cornering forces exceed 2 g fairly frequently, and Performance Traction Management absolutely has its hands full in the slow sections.
So, what happens when you ditch the battery pack, an electric motor, and go with a regular ZR1 with the ZTK package, a 1,064-horsepower machine that starts at $188,190 including the track package? Well, ZR1 dynamics engineer Brian Wallace laid down a time of 6:50.763, only 1.488 seconds slower than Cattell in the ZR1X and still 1.3 seconds quicker than the Mustang GTD. Not bad for something six figures less expensive, especially without a racing driver behind the wheel. I’m just as impressed by the time as I am by Wallace’s tidy driving style. Smooth, measured, with few corrections needed. For greater context, that’s 1.435 seconds off the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, so while the winged flat-six wonder has an edge on paper, it’s well within the margin of another run with a pro driver on a slightly cooler day.
As for the Z06, it’s definitely not in the same league of straight-line speed as the ZR1 and ZR1X, but vehicle performance manager Aaron Link still laid down a 7:11.826, but you can tell from the onboard that the fifth gear ratio didn’t work in the Z06’s favor on the Nürburgring. It’s still a quick time though, a smaller number than the BMW M4 CSL and Porsche Carrera GT managed.
Now, before anyone rushes to the comments with an “um, actually,” there’s an asterisk we need to address: Why were the laps not logged under the Nürburgring’s production vehicle category? Well, to qualify for that category, vehicles must be ECE homologated, and the baddest Corvettes of them all are strictly North American propositions at this point, homologated to U.S. regulations. It’s a similar deal with the Z06 used for the lap, which was built to U.S. specifications. Don’t worry, other than safety equipment, all of these Corvettes are identical to the ones you’ll be able to buy from your local Chevrolet dealer.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering why the ZR1X only beat the time of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS by a whisker, it’s probably because Chevrolet has more in the tank. Not only is there the apples-to-oranges comparison of a vehicle dynamics engineer to Porsche’s pro racing driver Jörg Bergmeister, shaving a second or two off isn’t that massive of a percentage of overall lap time at the Nürburgring as it would be at, say, Laguna Seca. Specifically, the difference between a 6:50.763 and a 6:49.275 is 0.36 percent. Could a pro driver find that, or Cattell with more laps? I reckon yes.
So, congratulations to the Corvette team on its accomplishments, and um, sorry to anyone unlucky enough to be on social media today. Some of the most insufferable people on the planet are about to be really loud, but at the end of the day, a sub-6:50 time with an engineer at the wheel is an amazing feat. Oh, and let’s think about that one line from Chris Barber in Chevrolet’s documentary for a second, “I think historically, Corvette’s always got something else coming, right? We don’t stop.”
Top graphic image: Chevrolet
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Watching this and the gt3rs lap back to back makes it clear that one’s a good driver and the other’s a pro. Don’t get me wrong, I’d probably be 30s or more off the engineer’s pace myself, but you can see where he’s losing tenths here and there the whole time where the GT3RS lap it’s being pushed to the absolute limit with no errors.
I’m betting a pro with a few practice laps could cut 2-4s off this record.
I can’t even imagine what it was like doing those laps. Ok. You’re an engineer. You’re not a race car driver. Maybe you’re really familiar with the car. My hat is off to you guys. But just wow, you guys! My time would be probably 30 seconds behind yours. At best.
And though I’ve never owned a Ford or GM product, deep down, I’d be a GM guy.
So, congrats! Soak it up. You all deserve it.
Double the power compared to a gt3 rs and same ring time?
50% more expensive than the zr1x and same ring time?
Shure, the zl1 that did a lap suffered none of the hp cuts the customers had. Or c6 vetted. Sorry but gm has a long history of cheating with cars customers can’t have.
But it doesn’t even have pushrods…
Quite impressive. Especially since it’s still a lot cheaper than the GTD…
I’d really be quite happy with a base C8 to be honest
Today they take the Mustang ‘ring time. This weekend, they take the Mustang’s cars and coffee exit like a champion trophy.
Obviously the perfect car for idiot amateur wannabe race-car drivers. Like ME!!!!!
It seems from this there is little reason to buy the ZR1X over the ZR1, the extra power and complexity is not translating into meaningful performance gains.
Nürburgring lap time is not the only meaningful measure of vehicle performance.
But how are you gonna flex on your neighbor if you only have the second most batshit C8?
I would say 1064 hp on RWD is more batshit insane than 1250 hp on AWD.
The ZR1X has a lot more stable high speed turn-in thanks to the downforce and the heavier weight. That’s not something that can be seen visually, but you definitely feel the difference when you’re driving. If they handed the car over to an FIA endurance racer I’m sure the gap would be even bigger because they would have a much larger margin for control.
The engineering behind being able to accomplish these feats is incredibly impressive, and should rightfully be celebrated, regardless of brand.
Unfortunately, I’m sure fanboys will continue to use this as fodder for their own misguided online braggadocio, as if they had something to do with the success.
Now let’s see them race in the 24H!
One thing I’ve always wondered about is why Chevrolet never released something in the vein of a GT3/2 or a Scuderia/Speciale/Pista. Given that they’re selling every Corvette they make, I really think there’s room a true Lightweight edition: take the N/A Z06, remove sound installation, lighter glass, carbon fiber door cards, etc.
Given that these guys engineered the shockingly capable Camaro Z/28, imagine what they can do with a modern mid-engine chassis.
Give it an LS7, make it rev even higher, strip it of all niceities, even go so far as doing stuff like pull cords instead of interior door handles.
As much as I deeply respect and love that these times were set by the car’s engineers and not a pro driver, GM please stick a ‘ring veteran in these and see what they can do, I’m sure there’s at least a second or two left on the table at a minimum.
I have trouble thinking of anything auto-related that I care less about than ‘ring times. I’m sure my DD could lap the track in 30-40 minutes, and that seems fine to me. 99.9875% of car owners don’t care. Pointless urinating contest.
I took my daily drive E34 BMW535i for a few laps of the ring.
I’ve no idea what time I set. Under 15 minutes probably, but I’ve no idea. I was using the fast bits to coast and cool the brakes.
It was fun, but I went there to have a good time, not to set a good time.
For such a big difference in power/weight ratio, less than 3 seconds is actually more impressive for the GTD.
I mean, this is also more of a GT type car. GM specifically didn’t want to compromise street manners and usability. IDK why so many people were expecting it to mop the floor with the GTD or even the GT3RS; both of those are much more compromised track focused cars. The ZR1 is reportedly pretty cushy comparatively. Two different approaches and I’m guessing GM left a lot of the table by keeping it much more road focused. It would be nice to see what the GM team could do if they didn’t stick to the arbitrary requirements like being able to fit a set of golf clubs in the trunk, not having your fillings rattled out, or were willing to go crazier on the sticker price like Porsche and Ford.
Yeah, I see the ZR1(X) as a Corvette made to go to the track. I see the GTD as a production track car, made out of a Mustang. Sounds similar, but to me is very different.
Also, Ford used a LeMans driver. That’s got to count for something in the times, right?
I see the GTD as a Multimatic race car with a mustang body. Anybody who isn’t impressed with a production road car beating the GTD, doesn’t understand what the GTD is.
I agree. Yeah, the Mustang costs more and has pushrod suspension + active aero. The Corvette has almost 50% more power, a superior mid-engine layout and AWD. Really would like to know how much time GM left on the table having the engineers set the time vs. one of their IMSA drivers, like Ford did.
Yeah, not to mention that according to Jay Leno, the GTD is more of a GT than an stripped race car.
I am curious if Corvette has something in the pipeline that’s more closely resembles the GTD or GT2RS in execution. Less a power monster and more of a lightweight and downforce monster.
This is what they’re likely saving the Zora name for.
I think these results along with the Mustang’s just goes to show how impressive the 911 GT3RS really is. Half the Horsepower but the same time. That’s crazy! If a GT2RS does come out, it’ll be interesting to see how close it could get to the AMG.
Hand one over to Misha and shave another 4 seconds off the time!
I guess I must be one of them, because as an unabashed fan of the C8, I really thought/hoped the ZR1X would have more in it than a GT3 RS with literally half the horsepower. Or that the Z06 would be appreciably faster than a 2010 Viper.
I have immense respect for GM’s performance teams, and I understand that these were employee-driven laps and not pros. I still am underwhelmed based on what I assumed the cars would be capable of.
I think it’s impressive that the ZR1X is able to be close to full on “factory race cars” with roll cages and other accoutrement while being able to carry a couple bags of golf clubs and do so with the comfort of a Buick on the drive home.
I would hate to drive the Buicks that you apparently do.
My point being the suspension on a ZR1X with it’s adaptable settings mean that you can be raw on track but comfortable on the drive home. An old Viper isn’t going to be as comfortable on the road (especially in ACR form) and even the GT3 RS with PASM is still a pretty rough ride compared to MagnaRide.
Add to the fact that the ZR1X is a hybrid vs. the GT3 RS and Viper which aren’t, the extra weight is another factor. The only comparable point is the price and if it was my money? I’d be buying the Corvette every time. Especially since I can take the roof off!
Also, I’d highly recommend trying out a Buick Regal TourX. Lovely ride and decent power for a family commuter wagon.
As a former auto development engineer (but never dynamics, where the fun is really had) it’s very, very cool that they had their engineers run it and set the record.
As a “best ‘Ring time” marketing stunt it’s a bit disappointing, because even if you can say it wasn’t a pro driving, the raw numbers seem to fall short.
You say “2010 Viper” like it wasn’t the ACR. I dunno, I find it impressive. After all, the fastest a contemporary Z06 lapped to that 2010 Viper, was 7:22, while most times for a C6 Z06 are much slower than that. So they managed to shave ~10 seconds in the 10~15 years.
A C8 Z06 has 165 more HP than a C6Z, more advanced aero and tires, and a quick shifting DCT.
I just feel it should have been capable of better.
This was the first time it was taken there. It’ll bound to get faster with better drivers and better set ups.
When the ZBII ACR went to the ‘Ring in 2008, it did a 7:22. It wasn’t until 2011 when it was able to hit 7:12. Looking at lists of lap times for the track, it doesn’t seem unbelievable that 10 seconds couldn’t be found for the Z06.
If and when those extra seconds are found, I’ll reconsider my thoughts on it.
I don’t necessarily disagree but I’m just wondering if they let their development team drive these laps for hands-on experience so they have a better understanding of where to make the improvements and will hand it off to the pros for the real laps.
Maybe? Seems like these are already set in stone but perhaps a small change for the model refresh, ha.
The engineers are cool as a cucumber, nice driving fellas! They will probably shave a couple more seconds off with a pro at the wheel.