Corvette ZR1X Claims the Pikes Peak Production-Car Benchmark

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb delivered ideal weather over the weekend, creating the kind of conditions where speed records are meant to fall. On the Colorado mountain, that is exactly what happened.

Among the standout achievements was a new benchmark for a production-style car, even though the category is not officially recognized as a PPHIC class. The previous mark, held by a Porsche 911 Turbo S, has now been surpassed.

The vehicle that moved to the front of the pack was the 2027 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X.

JR Hildebrand guided the near-stock ZR1X to the summit at 14,115 feet and completed the run in 9:30.104. That effort beat the former best of 9:53.541 set by David Donner. Donner had previously posted a race-day result of 10:34.053, and this year he improved to 9:53.740 before Hildebrand lowered the bar again just two attempts later.

According to Chevrolet, the car used Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires mounted on factory carbon wheels. Aside from the mandatory safety equipment needed for competition, including a roll cage, harness, and fuel cell, the ZR1X remained essentially unchanged.

It is a notable reminder of how far performance cars have come. Not long ago, breaking the ten-minute mark on Pikes Peak required a purpose-built race machine. Today, a production sports car can do it.