Filed under: Supercars, Chevrolet
Gauntlet thrown: Corvette ZR1 laps the 'Ring in 7:26.4
by Damon Lavrinc on Jun 27th 2008 at 12:20PM 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1.
Tadge J. Juechter, Corvette's chief engineer, announced this morning that Jim Mero, GM's development engineer, drove the ZR1 around the Nurburgring in 7:26.4. According to the GMNext blog, the run took place earlier this morning and that conditions were good on the track, with the exception of a strong headwind down the main straight. Mero mentioned that he felt there were a few places where he could have gone faster, although no details were provided about why and where.
Juechter makes it clear that the ZR1 that lapped the 'Ring was instock trim, with the exception of safety and communications equipment. As such, the ZR1 was wearing the same Michelin Pilot Sport 2s found on the production model, the chassis alignment and vehicle height were set to factory specs and the unmodified engine was running on pump gas.
The lap began with a rolling start – which falls in line with current industry practices – and the time was confirmed both through an electronic timing system and two hand-held stopwatches. The ZR1 team will be posting a video of their run when they return from Germany and we'll be keeping our eye out for it when it's online the week of July 7th.
Top tip Mason!
Gallery: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
[Source: GMNext]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 14)
Carlos 12:23PM (6/27/2008)
OOOOOOOOOOOo BURN IN YOUR FACE! Now seriously this is pretty damn good. Bravo gentlemen, bravo.
And First!
Reply
Vintage 12:43PM (6/27/2008)
I'm not a GTR fan, but wouldn't it be better to see what the GTR Spec V lays down before declaring victory?
The regular GTR already destroyed the Z06... so... I'm guessing the Spec V will be even faster than the ZR1.
But don't call me biased, I really don't like either vehicle. I think they're both kinda retardedly expensive and retardedly fast. If I want to go that fast, I'd build my own cars up.
Proud Japanese 12:50PM (6/27/2008)
The V Spec will absolutely demolish the ZR1. GM already used up their trump car to beat the base GT-R. They won't have anything left to respond to the V-Spec with.
Proud Japanese 12:57PM (6/27/2008)
It's funny how when Nissan first released their figure everyone was demanding proof, but now that GM states their time, everyone takes their word at face value. I won't believe GM till they release a video just like Nissan did. They might as well by lying.
HeyHuub 1:00PM (6/27/2008)
The new Corvette maybe? Seeing as the current Corvette has been running for about 4 years already.
cly 1:02PM (6/27/2008)
This won't last.
Neither will the GT-R V-Spec
Honduh is coming.
Chad 1:04PM (6/27/2008)
There is no such thing as retardedly fast
Vintage 1:07PM (6/27/2008)
Retardedly fast is a good thing. :)
I just meant I don't really like either vehicle, because if I wanted to go really fast, I'd build a track car. I wouldn't blow $75+ grand on something that might slide into a wall. I'd blow 20 grand on something that's just as fun that I don't have to worry about getting bugs on.
BigMcLargeHuge 1:09PM (6/27/2008)
"there is no such thing as retardedly fast"
But there is Ludicrous Speed
Carlos 1:15PM (6/27/2008)
Hey guess what? Who cares. This car is fast none the less. Drop it fan boys and be an actual car fan.
NT 1:31PM (6/27/2008)
I don't believe it. Post a video like Nissan did to prove it.
Carlos 1:45PM (6/27/2008)
Wow you guys are really retarded lol. If you look at the power, weight, gearing of cars than ran similar times, youll see a pattern...
R 1:52PM (6/27/2008)
I'd believe it, just because that's the way I am, but I think what NT asks for is fair. The GTR was hit with so much skepticism, even with a video, I don't see why the ZR1 should be spared either. Or is it because it's a domestic that we can go lightly on it?
shirtman 2:55PM (6/27/2008)
And did anyone catch the fact that it was not a pro driver. deduct another 2 seconds. Go push rods!
V3LOCIP3D3 3:24PM (6/27/2008)
I'm with Vintage on this one. I never liked that corvette made the ZR1, because with an extra 30 grand in my wallet I could turn the ZO6 into a car I built myself that would probably be better, not to mention it would have extra sentimental value. If corvette made a 250,000 uncompromising super-vette, at least I could dream about that--and it would be expensive enough for miilionaires to want it, instead of just going ahead and buying a ferrari.
In my case, the ZR1 is a no-frills expensive sports car, that isn't realistic enough for me to save money for, like the ZO6, and not amazing enough for me to dream about, like a Ferrari.
RxMadness 4:07PM (6/27/2008)
@ R
The fact that the ZR1 is a domestic automobile has nothing to do with the credibility of it's lap time. No one is 'demanding proof' because it's completely believable for a car with the ZR1s credentials to run that fast. The reason the GTR received such scrutiny is because it's lap time almost defies physics.. like a really fat kid running a five minute mile.
rar 5:27PM (6/27/2008)
@ Proud Jap and NT, did you read that they are going to post a video? Did you also read who was driving? Jim Mero, GM's development engineer, not a pro driver. They could still shave a little time off of that with the right driver.
500 6:57PM (6/27/2008)
Um, sorry GT-R fanboys, you lose. The ZR1's already out. The Spec V is, at present, nothing more than vaporware.
TwinTurboVR4 7:07PM (6/27/2008)
amazing. with all the hype about lap times recently, people just start to see a number and dont realize how absolutely staggeringly FAST these cars really are. Now, the Z06 was 'fast', and as shown ot Top Gear, it held it's awn with the big dogs, but this ZR1 is just redonkulous. I really hope top gear gets its hand on it.
Props, GM, for one incredible feat of engineering.
Did they ever put a stock Ford GT around the ring?
ambientFLIER 10:16PM (6/27/2008)
Congratulations, it took a 600+hp corvette to edge out a 480hp Nissan. GO CHEVY!!!