The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has posted a Nürburgring Nordschleife track time. We just don't know when Chevrolet will release it yet, and the automaker's public relations team doesn't know either.
Motor Authority learned of the time from Corvette Lead Development Engineer Mike Petrucci, who confirmed that Chevrolet was at the 'Ring in July the week before the July 18 reveal to the public at a World War II blimp hangar in Tustin, California.
Petrucci said Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin was at the wheel for the 'Ring run, but he wouldn't share what time the British driver posted.
When asked if the Corvette met its goals, Petrucci said it exceeded them and did better than the Corvette team even hoped.
2020 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
2020 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
2020 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Motor Authority asked Corvette PR manager Kevin Kelly when the time will be released. He said he didn't know, but noted that it's something the team has in its pocket to make news.
What the time could be is open for speculation at this point. Chevrolet aimed to take the 2020 Corvette to the next level of performance by switching to a mid-engine design for the first time in the car's 67-year history. Corvette engineers were disappointed by the 7:04 time put up by the 750-horsepower 2019 Corvette ZR1, saying the front-engine car could have posted a 6:57 on warm tires. The current record for a production car is held by the all-wheel-drive Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, with a time of 6:44.97.
We don't expect that the 495-hp Corvette (the team certainly ran the 2020 model with the Z51 package) approached either the Lambo's time or the ZR1's 7:04. However, the new 'Vette may have bested the 7:19.68 time of the 638-hp 2012 Corvette ZR1.
We'll likely find out just how quick the 2020 Corvette is on the world's most daunting track in the next couple of months.
Editor's note: This article has been corrected to indicate the 2012 ZR1 made 638 hp, not 650 hp.
