Corvette ZR1seen Lapping the Nurburgring Low 7:40's in Damp Conditions
aston_martin submitted on 4/10/2008 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 1:37:27 PM
70 user comments | Category: Spy Shots | Source: | SOURCE: www.edmunds.com
After months of seeing the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 sitting on a stand at auto shows, we can finally bring you video of the 620-horsepower supercar in action — and you won't be disappointed.
Shot on the Nürburgring test track in Germany, the engineers behind the wheel of the most powerful Corvette ever were flogging it hard and we have the lap times to prove it.
According to our shooters on the ground, the Corvette ZR1 was turning in lap times in the low 7:40s, a pace that puts it right up there with the world's fastest supercars. And given the damp conditions and rough, hand-timed numbers, you can expect to see even quicker official lap times when Chevrolet goes public with its Nürburgring data.
Introduced earlier this year at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a limited-production version of the standard Corvette. It features a supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V8 rated at 620 hp and 595 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed transmission sends power to the 335/35R20 tires. Extensive use of carbon fiber gives the ZR1 a unique look, but it still weighs a few hundred pounds more than a standard Corvette Z06.
That said, the folks at Chevrolet aren't worried about the performance potential of their $100,000 halo car. According to ZR1 Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter, the ZR1 will beat the track record for production cars at any road course in the world.
Looks like they still have some work to do at the Nürburgring, because the Nissan GT-R has already run a lap of 7:38. We're guessing the ZR1 will be able to shave off another 4 seconds without much trouble. The only question now is how much quicker than 7:38 can it go? We'll keep you posted.
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