The BIG News from the Ring - July 31st
- Thread starter teamzr1
- Start date
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Chevy is about to announce the most anticipated Nürburgring lap times of the year. In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, the brand announced that it plans to reveal multiple Nürburgring Nordchleife lap times for the Corvette lineup on July 31.
While the post does not announce which Corvette variants will showcase their official lap times, a still from the video shows what appears to be a ZR1X in yellow, a "basic" ZR1 in red, and a Z06 in black.
This is no guarantee that all three cars got an official timed lap in, but it is a good sign that the announcement could potentially include benchmarks for three of the five C8 variants.
The ZR1X, a recently-revealed model with over 1200 hp, is the headliner, and may have a shot at the track's overall production car record.
The brand previously posted a teaser for the timed runs on June 28th, which could be read as a hint that the fastest 'Vette lapped the legendary circuit in 6 minutes and 28 seconds.
That would eclipse a record of 6:29 set last year by the limited Mercedes AMG One hypercar. It seems like an optimistic, but not impossible, goal for the hybrid hyper-Corvette.
Chevy has previously announced some notable lap times for the non-hybrid ZR1 Corvette, including track records at Road America and Road Atlanta.
Those fast American tracks are not necessarily representative of performance on the 'Ring, but the basic ZR1 beat the 992.1-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS by five seconds at Road America and the 991.2-generation GT2 RS by two seconds at Road Atlanta.
Those 2 cars have official lap times of 6:49 and 6:43 at the Nürburgring, respectively, although the latter time is for the GT2 RS with Manthey Performance kit. (Porsche originally announced that the 991.2 GT3 RS did a 6:44, but that was for the shorter 20.6 kilometer track layout; the 6:49 is for the full 20.8-km version.)
Those comparisons should comfortably put both the ZR1 and ZR1X in position to pass the Ford Mustang GTD's 6:52 lap and take the record as the fastest American car in the track's history.
That sort of speed may be out of reach for the less powerful Z06, but it could potentially break the seven-minute mark, too.
For now, all of these comparisons are just data points that can be used for estimates.
The C8's ultimate pace will be revealed when lap times are announced on Thursday.
While the post does not announce which Corvette variants will showcase their official lap times, a still from the video shows what appears to be a ZR1X in yellow, a "basic" ZR1 in red, and a Z06 in black.
This is no guarantee that all three cars got an official timed lap in, but it is a good sign that the announcement could potentially include benchmarks for three of the five C8 variants.
The ZR1X, a recently-revealed model with over 1200 hp, is the headliner, and may have a shot at the track's overall production car record.
The brand previously posted a teaser for the timed runs on June 28th, which could be read as a hint that the fastest 'Vette lapped the legendary circuit in 6 minutes and 28 seconds.
That would eclipse a record of 6:29 set last year by the limited Mercedes AMG One hypercar. It seems like an optimistic, but not impossible, goal for the hybrid hyper-Corvette.
Chevy has previously announced some notable lap times for the non-hybrid ZR1 Corvette, including track records at Road America and Road Atlanta.
Those fast American tracks are not necessarily representative of performance on the 'Ring, but the basic ZR1 beat the 992.1-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS by five seconds at Road America and the 991.2-generation GT2 RS by two seconds at Road Atlanta.
Those 2 cars have official lap times of 6:49 and 6:43 at the Nürburgring, respectively, although the latter time is for the GT2 RS with Manthey Performance kit. (Porsche originally announced that the 991.2 GT3 RS did a 6:44, but that was for the shorter 20.6 kilometer track layout; the 6:49 is for the full 20.8-km version.)
Those comparisons should comfortably put both the ZR1 and ZR1X in position to pass the Ford Mustang GTD's 6:52 lap and take the record as the fastest American car in the track's history.
That sort of speed may be out of reach for the less powerful Z06, but it could potentially break the seven-minute mark, too.
For now, all of these comparisons are just data points that can be used for estimates.
The C8's ultimate pace will be revealed when lap times are announced on Thursday.
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
The Chevrolet Corvette Z06, ZR1 and ZR1X took over the 12.9-mile Nordschleife circuit where, for the first time in the track’s history, an automaker brought three different cars with three non-racecar drivers to record three lap times in a single visit.
Three of the Chevrolet engineers who helped develop these cars, and have extensive experience and advanced driving credentials, piloted them during the fast laps, highlighting the depth of talent and performance within General Motors.
The Chevrolet team now has the fastest official laps set by an American manufacturer at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Corvette ZR1X vehicle dynamics engineer Drew Cattell completed a 6:49.275 lap in the electrified all-wheel drive ZR1X and now has the fastest lap time of any non-professional racecar driver at the Nürburgring in the list of official record laps. ZR1 vehicle dynamics engineer Brian Wallace set a 6:50.763 time in the 1,064-horsepower ZR1.
The 670-horsepower Corvette Z06, with the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever put in a production car, set a lap of 7:11.826 with vehicle performance manager Aaron Link behind the wheel.
“No auto manufacturer has done a Nürburgring lap attempt like this before,” said GM President Mark Reuss.
“From development through production, and now at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Green Hell, we have clearly shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish. These are the best Corvettes in history, period.”
The new documentary “Homegrown Speed: A Corvette Story” goes behind the scenes and showcases the journey from GM’s Milford Proving Ground to Germany, illustrating the intensity and precision of pursuing three lap times with three separate Corvette variants and three different drivers.
In addition to the engineers who set the lap times, the film features Reuss, Senior Vice President of Product Programs, Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris and Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tony Roma.
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="
" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Three of the Chevrolet engineers who helped develop these cars, and have extensive experience and advanced driving credentials, piloted them during the fast laps, highlighting the depth of talent and performance within General Motors.
The Chevrolet team now has the fastest official laps set by an American manufacturer at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Corvette ZR1X vehicle dynamics engineer Drew Cattell completed a 6:49.275 lap in the electrified all-wheel drive ZR1X and now has the fastest lap time of any non-professional racecar driver at the Nürburgring in the list of official record laps. ZR1 vehicle dynamics engineer Brian Wallace set a 6:50.763 time in the 1,064-horsepower ZR1.
The 670-horsepower Corvette Z06, with the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever put in a production car, set a lap of 7:11.826 with vehicle performance manager Aaron Link behind the wheel.
“No auto manufacturer has done a Nürburgring lap attempt like this before,” said GM President Mark Reuss.
“From development through production, and now at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Green Hell, we have clearly shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish. These are the best Corvettes in history, period.”
The new documentary “Homegrown Speed: A Corvette Story” goes behind the scenes and showcases the journey from GM’s Milford Proving Ground to Germany, illustrating the intensity and precision of pursuing three lap times with three separate Corvette variants and three different drivers.
In addition to the engineers who set the lap times, the film features Reuss, Senior Vice President of Product Programs, Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris and Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tony Roma.
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
Chevy’s Corvette ZR1X is the fastest American production sports car made, and now it’s taken its place among the world’s elite sports cars around the world’s premier racetrack, Germany’s Nürburgring.
The all-wheel-drive, 1,250-horsepower ZR1X recorded the fourth-fastest production time ever around the epic, 12.9-mile track and the fastest by a US brand and non-professional driver -– at a blistering 6.49.3 minutes.
Only the 1,063-horsepower Mercedes AMG ONE (6:29.09 minutes), 700-horsepower Porsche GT2 RS MR (6:43.30 minutes), and 730-horse Mercedes AMG GT Black Series (6:48.04) have lapped to so-called “Green Hell” in the Eifel Mountains quicker. All three were piloted by professional drivers.
Not far behind in sixth place was the ZR1X’s sister, 1,064-horse, rear-wheel-drive ZR1 at 6.50.7 minutes. Chevrolet brought its trio of Corvette performance models – the ZR1X, ZR1, and Z06 – to the ‘Ring this summer in a historic bid to become the fastest US brand.
The Z06 recorded a time of 7.11.8 minutes.
“No auto manufacturer has done a Nürburgring lap attempt like this before,” said GM President Mark Reuss, himself a Level 6 driver and trained engineer. “From development through production, and now at the Nürburgring, we have clearly shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish. These are the best Corvettes in history, period.”
All three ‘Vettes were driven by Corvette engineers who are licensed (so-called Level 6 drivers in GM-speak) to drive Nürburgring and have a combined 1,825 development laps around the 154-turn circuit.
The so-called Nürburgring Nordschliefe has long been the benchmark for performance for its high-speed rollercoaster turns and 200 mph straightaways.
The Corvette team has tested there extensively. But has resisted setting an official time, in part due to the complexity and expense that an official lap time entails.
Nevertheless, as home-team German automakers continued to top the charts and the Nurburgring’s fame spread across social media, Detroit automakers have ramped up their efforts.
What’s more, Corvette and fellow Motown muscle-car Mustang are no longer parochial, North American sub-brands as Chevy and Ford market them for sale internationally and in GT3 racing series where their chief competition is Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, and other international performance brands.
Ford threw down the gauntlet earlier this year when its (estimated) $325k Mustang GTD a winged, production pony produced alongside the Mustang GT3 racer by Canadian partner Multimatic became the first US sports car to shatter Nürburgring’s seven-minute market (6.52.0 minutes), and become the fastest car around the ‘Ring not named Mercedes or Porsche.
“We're at the Nürburgring right now with our Corvette,” Reuss told reporters at the 24 Hours of Le Mans June 14 when asked about plans for Corvette marketing in Europe.
Like Merc and Porsche, the Mustang’s lap was set by a pro driver (IMSA ace Dirk Muller) .
But Corvette has taken a different tack in headlining its supercar (the ZR1 starts at just over $178k) which retails for much less than competitors.
“We’ve created a different kind of relationship between our cars, iconic tracks, and our engineers, it is how we develop our vehicles,” said Senior Vice President of Product Programs, Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris.
“These Corvettes weren’t piloted by pro racecar drivers. They were driven by the same engineers who designed, engineered and tuned them.”
Last year, in a preview of its ‘Ring run, Corvette engineers took the ZR1 on a US road tour, obliterating records at America’s major tracks including Road America (Wisconsin), Watkins Glen (New York), Road Atlanta (Georgia), and Virginia International Raceway Full Course.
Some of the same characters were back in Germany, with Global Vehicle Performance Manager (and VIR record holder) Aaron Link setting the Z06 time, and ZR1 Vehicles Dynamics Engineer (Road America record holder) clocking the ZR1 fast lap.
ZR1X vehicle dynamics engineer Drew Cattell (not among the US record holders, indicating the depth of driving talent in GM’s engineering ranks) was the headliner with the Nürburgring ZR1X lap. In so doing, he put down the fastest time of any non-professional driver around the ‘Ring.
Cattell’s time just pipped other notable laps recorded by the Porsche 911 GT3 RS (06:49.3 minutes), Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (6:49.4), and Radical SR8 (6:52.7).
Reuss had previewed the ZR1X’s capabilities earlier this year after taking his own Nürburgring laps. “Driving this car will change your life,” he said.
The all-wheel-drive, electrified cyborg puts up bigger horsepower numbers than sibling ZR1 by adding an electric motor up front to power the front wheels while a twin-turbo, 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 spin the rears. The combination makes for Corvette’s first hypercar to compete against the likes of million-dollar exotics like the AMG ONE.
ZR1 models were equipped with track-focused ZTK Performance Package including sticky, Michelin Cup 2R tires and high-downforce wing and spoilers.
The ‘Ring ‘Vettes were U.S. production-spec vehicles with only safety equipment modifications (roll hoop, fire extinguisher, six-point safety harness) added at Nürburgring’s suggestion. Sadly for drooling Germans, the ZR1 twins are not available in Europe because they don’t meet draconian emissions regulations.
The ZR1s go on sale this fall. The $116,995 Z06 is available everywhere. Chevrolet produced a documentary, “Homegrown Speed: A Corvette Story,” that chronicles the ‘Vette gang’s Nürburgring assault.
The all-wheel-drive, 1,250-horsepower ZR1X recorded the fourth-fastest production time ever around the epic, 12.9-mile track and the fastest by a US brand and non-professional driver -– at a blistering 6.49.3 minutes.
Only the 1,063-horsepower Mercedes AMG ONE (6:29.09 minutes), 700-horsepower Porsche GT2 RS MR (6:43.30 minutes), and 730-horse Mercedes AMG GT Black Series (6:48.04) have lapped to so-called “Green Hell” in the Eifel Mountains quicker. All three were piloted by professional drivers.
Not far behind in sixth place was the ZR1X’s sister, 1,064-horse, rear-wheel-drive ZR1 at 6.50.7 minutes. Chevrolet brought its trio of Corvette performance models – the ZR1X, ZR1, and Z06 – to the ‘Ring this summer in a historic bid to become the fastest US brand.
The Z06 recorded a time of 7.11.8 minutes.
“No auto manufacturer has done a Nürburgring lap attempt like this before,” said GM President Mark Reuss, himself a Level 6 driver and trained engineer. “From development through production, and now at the Nürburgring, we have clearly shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish. These are the best Corvettes in history, period.”
All three ‘Vettes were driven by Corvette engineers who are licensed (so-called Level 6 drivers in GM-speak) to drive Nürburgring and have a combined 1,825 development laps around the 154-turn circuit.
The so-called Nürburgring Nordschliefe has long been the benchmark for performance for its high-speed rollercoaster turns and 200 mph straightaways.
The Corvette team has tested there extensively. But has resisted setting an official time, in part due to the complexity and expense that an official lap time entails.
Nevertheless, as home-team German automakers continued to top the charts and the Nurburgring’s fame spread across social media, Detroit automakers have ramped up their efforts.
What’s more, Corvette and fellow Motown muscle-car Mustang are no longer parochial, North American sub-brands as Chevy and Ford market them for sale internationally and in GT3 racing series where their chief competition is Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, and other international performance brands.
Ford threw down the gauntlet earlier this year when its (estimated) $325k Mustang GTD a winged, production pony produced alongside the Mustang GT3 racer by Canadian partner Multimatic became the first US sports car to shatter Nürburgring’s seven-minute market (6.52.0 minutes), and become the fastest car around the ‘Ring not named Mercedes or Porsche.
“We're at the Nürburgring right now with our Corvette,” Reuss told reporters at the 24 Hours of Le Mans June 14 when asked about plans for Corvette marketing in Europe.
Like Merc and Porsche, the Mustang’s lap was set by a pro driver (IMSA ace Dirk Muller) .
But Corvette has taken a different tack in headlining its supercar (the ZR1 starts at just over $178k) which retails for much less than competitors.
“We’ve created a different kind of relationship between our cars, iconic tracks, and our engineers, it is how we develop our vehicles,” said Senior Vice President of Product Programs, Safety, Integration and Motorsports Ken Morris.
“These Corvettes weren’t piloted by pro racecar drivers. They were driven by the same engineers who designed, engineered and tuned them.”
Last year, in a preview of its ‘Ring run, Corvette engineers took the ZR1 on a US road tour, obliterating records at America’s major tracks including Road America (Wisconsin), Watkins Glen (New York), Road Atlanta (Georgia), and Virginia International Raceway Full Course.
Some of the same characters were back in Germany, with Global Vehicle Performance Manager (and VIR record holder) Aaron Link setting the Z06 time, and ZR1 Vehicles Dynamics Engineer (Road America record holder) clocking the ZR1 fast lap.
ZR1X vehicle dynamics engineer Drew Cattell (not among the US record holders, indicating the depth of driving talent in GM’s engineering ranks) was the headliner with the Nürburgring ZR1X lap. In so doing, he put down the fastest time of any non-professional driver around the ‘Ring.
Cattell’s time just pipped other notable laps recorded by the Porsche 911 GT3 RS (06:49.3 minutes), Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (6:49.4), and Radical SR8 (6:52.7).
Reuss had previewed the ZR1X’s capabilities earlier this year after taking his own Nürburgring laps. “Driving this car will change your life,” he said.
The all-wheel-drive, electrified cyborg puts up bigger horsepower numbers than sibling ZR1 by adding an electric motor up front to power the front wheels while a twin-turbo, 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 spin the rears. The combination makes for Corvette’s first hypercar to compete against the likes of million-dollar exotics like the AMG ONE.
ZR1 models were equipped with track-focused ZTK Performance Package including sticky, Michelin Cup 2R tires and high-downforce wing and spoilers.
The ‘Ring ‘Vettes were U.S. production-spec vehicles with only safety equipment modifications (roll hoop, fire extinguisher, six-point safety harness) added at Nürburgring’s suggestion. Sadly for drooling Germans, the ZR1 twins are not available in Europe because they don’t meet draconian emissions regulations.
The ZR1s go on sale this fall. The $116,995 Z06 is available everywhere. Chevrolet produced a documentary, “Homegrown Speed: A Corvette Story,” that chronicles the ‘Vette gang’s Nürburgring assault.
teamzr1
Supporting vendor
HOT Laps for all 3 C8s, Z06, ZR1 and ZR1-X
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="
" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="
" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="
" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="
<iframe width="660" height="415" src="