1/2-Mile Record C7 Corvette Z06 Needs Extra Downforce, Compensates with Nitrous

Stretching its mechanical legs at a recent 1/2-mile event, the 'Vette managed to climb to 177 mph (make that 285 km/h if you happen to follow the metric system).

The machine, which you can see at work in the video below, has been tuned by Vengeance Racing and we're here to talk about the challenges the specialist faced when setting up the car for such a goal.

Compared to the current Z06, the C6 Corvette ZR1 seemes like a shed-built supercar in terms of high-speed stability. Even so, Vengeance Racing explained it had to add some extra downforce to make the Z06 stable at the top end.

However, such a move obviously generated drag, which isn't exactly what you want when you're aiming for a trap speed run. Since the boost had already been dialed up, the aftermarket specialist had to turn to another power adder in order to pass the 170 mph barrier.

As a result, the blown 6.2-liter V8 under the hood was gifted with a 150 shot of nitrous. And while the gas didn't generate a revolution, it offered just the extra muscle needed for hitting the target.

Predictably, such a Chevy also comes with a glorious soundtrack and the piece of footage below allows us to sample the voice of this mad Z06.

Even so, aficionados looking for truly extreme Z06s should be patient, as the best is yet to come. For one thing, we're waiting for a 'Vette that, unlike this one, won't get its posterior kicked by a... Jeep Grand Cherokee, be it heavily modded or not.