Spy photographers spotted Chevy testing its most-powerful factory Corvette ever, the ZR1, on the Nürburgring Nordschleife on numerous occasions last year. Yet, we never received an official lap time.
The answer is likely because, well, it's rather disappointing. According to a Facebook post from retired Corvette test driver, Jim Mero, the Chevy Corvette ZR1 hustled its way around the Green Hell in a quick but not record-challenging 7:04. That's slower than what the Corvette team hoped for, which was a sub-7-minute run. Mero's post showcased each of his runs around the 'Ring in various Corvettes, but there's a catch to the 7:04 time: the Corvette ZR1 did it on cold tires.
Mero didn't really expand on the asterisk, but he claimed he was "forced" to run the lap on the cold rubber, which will no doubt hurt any chance at a quicker lap. Mero commented he regularly segmented the track at 6:57, but segments don't equal a full lap time.
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Upon his retirement from GM last year, co-workers presented the driver with a plaque that showcased his driving achievements. Users on the Corvette Forum noted the 6:57 time printed for the Corvette ZR1, though it was denoted with an "S." Users speculated the "S" stood for "segments," which adds up lap segment times for a final lap time—not an official fully timed lap. Mero sounded confident in his post that the Corvette ZR1 could have easily accomplished the 6:57 time for a full lap, or gone quicker, on properly warmed tires.
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Yet, even the 6:57 time isn't enough to place the Corvette ZR1 on the same pedestal as current lap record holders. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS previously claimed the record with a time of 6:47.3, and the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ is the current record holder with a 6:44.97. If we accept the 6:57, that matches the Porsche 918 Spyder, which is seventh quickest on the Nordschleife leaderboard. That's quite a feat in itself. If we use the unofficial 7:04 time, that makes the Corvette ZR1 slower than a Dodge Viper ACR and only quicker than a modern sports cars like the Nissan GT-R Nismo and Mercedes-AMG GT R.
Mero will appear at the National Corvette Museum Bash this August. There, he plans to detail the story behind the unsuccessful push for a Corvette ZR1 lap time. We can't wait to hear the details.
