Could The Corvette ZR1 Claim A New Nurburgring Lap Record?

The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the recently announced ZR1X have the potential to be some of the fastest supercars in the world. The ZR1X is the most powerful production car that any Big Three American automaker has ever built, thanks to its twin-turbocharged V8 and hybrid assist, which delivers 1,250 horsepower to all four wheels. Even without the hybrid system, the ZR1 produces an impressive 1,064 hp. Such cars could set production car lap records, including the one at the most important racetrack in the world, the Nürburgring.

According to Jim Mero, a former Corvette engineer who spoke on the HorsePower Obsessed podcast, the ZR1 could set a blisteringly quick 6:23 lap around the world-famous Green Hell. Mero used his experience driving three C7 Corvette variants – the Grand Sport, Z06, and ZR1 – to calculate a rough formula to determine how much increasing the horsepower will improve the lap time. As of this writing, the 2024 Corvette Z06 is the quickest C8 to run the track with a 7:10.52 time, though Mero says “the car is way faster, and should be under seven minutes.”

Will It Beat The AMG One?

If Mero’s calculations are correct, the ZR1 would easily take down the current Nürburgring production car record holder, the Mercedes-AMG One, which lapped the nearly 13-mile track in 6:29.090. As a reminder, the One produces 1,049 hp from its F1-derived 1.6-liter V6 and electric motors. Mercedes only produced 275 units priced at nearly $3 million each. For the ZR1 to take this record would be a true David versus Goliath situation.

Related

Mercedes-AMG One Just Smashed Its Own Nurburgring Record

When the only competition is yourself, that’s not a bad problem to have.

“Realistically, I think the car should be under 6:30,” Mero said of the C8 ZR1. “I’m probably going to get into a lot of trouble for that, but it’s speculation, with some background.”

Mero says he is pretty accurate when estimating Corvette lap times, having set an unofficial 7:04 run in the C7 ZR1. “There is no one on this planet more disappointed to not get under seven minutes in the C7 ZR1,” he said. “It broke my heart.”

Will The ZR1X Be Faster?

Later in the podcast, Mero is asked if he believes the ZR1X will be faster or slower than its non-hybrid counterpart. It’s an interesting equation because the ZR1X has more power from the hybrid assist, but it may not be able to take full advantage of it on such a long track like the Nürburgring. The hybrid system also adds weight.

“I’d like to understand the three modes. There is a qualifying mode; I wonder if I will be able to get the full 186 hp [from the electric motor] for the whole lap. I don’t know the weight of the hybrid system, so I don’t know how it will affect the handling. My guess is the regular ZR1 will be faster,” he explained.

Let’s hope General Motors has more luck setting a record in the C8 ZR1 than it did in the C7.