How Fast Can the C8 Corvette ZR1 Blitz the Nürburgring?

In 2009, Chevrolet popularized the Nürburgring lap time as a performance benchmark in the United States. They had been there three years prior, but with the introduction of the C6 ZR1, the marketing wing really started pushing 7:xx times on the public as a signifier of home-grown world-class speed. The remainder of the C6’s run was a back-and-forth battle for ‘Ring superiority between escalating versions of America’s Sports Car, Nissan GT-R, Viper, and Porsche, and the whole thing was a lot of fun to witness! Then, almost as quickly as it showed up, lap reporting disappeared from Corvette launch literature. During this extended off-season, the Cross Flag faithful have had to settle for conjecture, Camaros, and infuriating “segment” times to scratch the gameday itch that the competition of ’09-’12 provided. Bad luck aside, we haven’t heard an official Corvette ‘Ring time since this year’s graduating class was in first grade! It’s been so long that you get the feeling that Chevrolet might just sit on future times to save face after the last twelve years of crickets.

What It’ll Take to Become the Fastest American at the ‘Ring

We certainly hope that isn’t the case, and with the grandchild of the car that still stands as the ‘Vette’s highwater mark shedding its camo for the first time for some high-speed track testing in Germany, it’s time for Chevrolet to get back to selling ‘ships‘ by having loose lips. The ZR1 connection isn’t the only strong storyline that Tadge and Co. can capitalize on here, either. Since the updated PDE version of the Blue Devil turned in its 7:19 best, the ZL1 1LE and its 7:16 have claimed the title of ‘fastest Chevy’ at the Green Hell, and a famed privately-funded Viper ACR-E threw down a notable 7:01 gauntlet, making it the fastest representative of the Stars and Stripes – even if you count the C7 ZR1’s disappointing unreleased “S” time.

When you put a target on those standard-bearers, the C8 ZR1 looks like a shoe-in to hit its mark. The twelve-year-old C6 ZR1 was motivating 3,333 lbs. with 638 HP but didn’t have much in the way of aerodynamic aids. The top-dog Camaro had 650 horses and made more downforce, but also weighed about 500 lbs. more than the ’12 ZR1. Finally, the swan-song Viper was working with 645 horsepower, tipped the scale at 3,378 lbs., and was famously capable of generating 1,700 lbs. of downforce with its “Extreme” aero kit.

Except for the Camaro, the new ZR1 isn’t going to beat its benchmarks when it comes to weight. The C8 Z06 with the Z07 package, carbon fiber wheels, and carbon aero pushes down on the pavement with 3,686 lbs. We expect the ZR1 to boil down to that car with a pair of turbos strapped to its flat-plane V8. There are going to be a few more changes, but in equivalent 911s (991.1 GT3 RS and GT2 RS), the turbos add just under 100 additional lbs. without accounting for lightweight “Weissach” packages, so we won’t blink if the C8 ZR1 ends up being a 3,800-pounder. That’s the bad news, but the positives greatly outweigh, no pun intended, that sum. The turbos will more than make up for their added weight by boosting the LT6 over 800 HP – probably significantly over 800 – making it the most potent American competitor by a minimum of 150 horses. The adjustable, and possibly active, rear wing we are seeing on ZR1 ‘Ring test mules this week is also much more aggressive than anything we’ve ever seen from a General Motors road car. It might not reach Viper levels of downforce, and frankly, it doesn’t have to, but based on a simple eye test, it’ll be several magnitudes more serious than the 950-lbs. achieved by the previous ZR1’s “big wing” ZTK package and the 734-lbs. that current Z07s can put down at 186 MPH. We also haven’t broached the topic of tires. The 2012 ZR1 shocked the establishment with its Pilot Sport Cup rubber. Since then, several “cheater” tires have been stock equipment, including the Viper’s Kumhos (that were infamously shot by the end of the ACR’s ‘Ring attempt) and the 1LE’s Goodyears that were specifically developed to take on Michelin’s finest. From earlier spy shots, we can see that the ZR1 will be riding on the Cup 2R, which is a cut above all the tires mentioned thus far. Per Michelin, these semi-slick “lap time smashers” can shave .8 of a second per mile (the ‘Ring is 12.943 miles long) on track, compared the Cup 2, which, itself, was a similar improvement over the OGs on the 2012 ZR1. Put it all together, and the ZR1 should have no problem becoming the first American car to break the 7:00 barrier, and we see no reason why GM wouldn’t want to capitalize on this achievement by publishing it.

Sounds Easy, but What About Re-claiming the Overall Record?

Quite simply, the upcoming ZR1 will be playing in another league than any domestic that came before it. As great as the ACR-E was, the real goal should be taking down the overall leaders. When looking at production road-going hardware, the times to beat start with the 992 911 GT3 at 6:55.34 and continue with the 6:52.01 of the Lamborghini Huracán Performante, the 6:47.25 of the 991.2 911 GT2 RS, 6:44.97 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, the 992 911 GT3 RS’ 6:44.848, and the AMG GT Black Series’ 6:43.616. Except for the Lambos, all of these times were done on Cup 2Rs, and most of the cars in this bunch make 720 or fewer ponies, with the most powerful coming in at 770 (SVJ).

While everything we know so far about the New Devil mostly matches or outright exceeds all of these foes, there’s one variable where Chevrolet traditionally leaves a little on the table: drivers. While Porsche et al. have professional racers behind the wheel when they go for a lap record, GM always has engineers turn in their best efforts, and these guys are incredibly talented, but to dip into the low 6:40s, our team might need to give WEC Champ Nicky Catsburg a shot behind the wheel.

Oh, yeah, there’s also one multi-million-dollar silverback left in this discussion. All of the cars on the list up to this point look vulnerable to attack from an 850-horse super’Vette, but there’s one that we might have to wait for the hybrid Zora to dethrone. Mercedes-AMG is in the middle of building a scant 275 examples of its “One” hypercar. For $2.72 million, it brings four-digit HP to the table, and in its official attempt, it undercut its Black Series stablemate by nearly 13 ticks. If the ZR1 wants to claim the C6’s crown, the number to beat is 6:30.705. That seems like a stretch, but the lesser AMG’s 6:43 would be an unbelievable place to start; GM just needs to pony up and get back to sharing its times!

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