Corvette ZR1X Surpasses Ford's Nürburgring Lap Record
For decades, Chevrolet has been testing Corvettes at the Nürburgring, but it took over ten years for the automaker to announce a lap time for America’s flagship sports car on this legendary track. This changes on Thursday as Chevy unveiled three C8 Corvettes—the Z06, ZR1, and ZR1X—and asserts their position as the swiftest American vehicles around the German circuit.
The ZR1 and ZR1X both outperformed the Ford Mustang GTD's time of 6:52.072. The ZR1 clocked in at 6:50.763, while the hybrid ZR1X further reduced the time to 6:49.275, surpassing even the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Meanwhile, the Z06 achieved a solid 7:11.826.
- Corvette ZR1X — 6:49.275
- Corvette ZR1 — 6:50.763
- Corvette Z06 — 7:11.826
These Corvettes were primarily stock models, modified only for safety with a roll hoop, bucket seat, six-point harness, and fire suppression system. Each vehicle featured its respective performance package and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. The Nürburgring classifies these as prototype cars since the Z06 is a US-spec model and the ZR1 and ZR1X are not available in Europe.
The Fastest Nürburgring Lap Times
The impressive lap times were achieved by Corvette engineers rather than professional racers, a point Chevrolet takes pride in. Aaron Link, the vehicle performance manager, set the time in the Z06, Brian Wallace, a vehicle dynamics engineer, drove the ZR1, and Drew Cattell, another vehicle dynamics engineer, piloted the ZR1X.
GM Motorsport chief Ken Morris commented:
'We have fostered a unique bond between our vehicles, legendary tracks, and our engineering team, which is central to our vehicle development. These Corvettes were driven by the very engineers who designed, engineered, and fine-tuned them, not by professional race-car drivers.'
'Brian, Aaron, and Drew have advanced into elite drivers and exemplary engineers. Their lap times now stand among the fastest ever recorded by non-professionals at the Ring, which is fantastic.'
In contrast, professional drivers like Dirk Müller and Jörg Bergmeister set lap times for the Mustang GTD and Porsche 911 GT3 RS, respectively. Only Mercedes-AMG factory driver Maro Engel has driven stock production cars around the Nürburgring faster than Drew Cattell in the ZR1X, with his times in the AMG GT Black Series and One hypercar.
Chevrolet released a documentary about the Nürburgring project, offering in-depth insights into the efforts involved. Achieving a fast lap required extensive simulation and development work in Michigan, overcoming numerous logistical challenges, favorable dry conditions, and a substantial amount of Michelin tires.
The Corvette ZR1 already holds lap records for production cars at Road America, Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and both configurations of Virginia International Raceway. The Corvette engineers likely aim to push these boundaries further with the 1,250-horsepower ZR1X, while competitors are eager to challenge the Corvette's dominance.
