The Corvette ZR1 is the fastest GM and American car ever
We thought the C7 ZR1 was fast, but it turns out the MR layout is a bit quicker with two massive turbos
This week GM announced their Corvette ZR1 reached a top speed of 233 MPH during testing. The car underwent several runs, all in excess of 230 MPH, with even the President of GM, Mark Reuss, at the helm, proving it doesn’t take a test driver to get the max number on the needle.
Powered by the LT7, a 5.5L flat-plane crank, and twin-turbocharged V8 (not to mention having the biggest turbos ever fitted to a production streetcar), and mid-mounted, the ZR1 achieved top speed at redline in sixth gear. This Corvette engine is the most powerful ever produced by an American manufacturer with 1,064 horsepower and 828-pound feet of torque at 6,000 rpm.
The GM president was quoted as saying, “Setting the top-speed record in the Corvette ZR1 is a true triumph for Corvette and for Chevrolet, and also an exhilarating, surreal experience for me personally,” said Reuss. “With the current generation’s switch to mid-engine, we knew the outstanding performance and balance made this a real possibility. To go over there and get it done is a testament to the power of ZR1, and to the incredibly talented team that developed and built it.”
The talented team still has some numbers to release as we haven’t even heard the quarter mile time. GM, however, estimates it will be a sub-10-second time. Considering the top speed test took place at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg, Germany, we can all assume the ZR1 will also be lapping the Nürburgring and posting more records for its class. The 1200 pounds of downforce, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, and ‘Top Speed Mode’ for closed circuits will certainly help when it comes to taming ‘The Green Hell.’
Granted when GM talks about being the fastest American car of all time, they’re not including the low-production, small manufacturers such as SSC, Hennessey, Vector, Saleen, or Czinger. Eliminating those, GM competed with itself as the Camaro ZL1 had previously hit a top speed of 217 MPH at the same facility, along with the previous generation Corvette C7 ZR1.
Cheers,
M. T. Blake
(Instagram @autohabitblake)
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