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Chasing 2018 Corvette ZR1 Prototypes Outside Nurburgring Is a Supercharger Hunt

Chevrolet is almost ready to bring the ZR1 badge back into the headlines and prototypes of the 2018 Corvette ZR1 have been doing their thing at the Nurburgring for quite a while now. The latest sighting of the range-topper brings us a test car chase taking place on the roads around the Green Hell.
2018 Corvette ZR1 Prototype 5 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
2018 Corvette ZR1 Prototype2018 Corvette ZR1 Prototype2018 Corvette ZR1 Prototype2018 Corvette ZR1 Prototype
As you'll notice in the piece of footage at the bottom of the page, the pair of 2018 Chevrolet Corvette prototypes are surprisingly quiet, as the engineers behind the wheel baby the throttle.

Before any Bosozoku fans jump for joy over the ZR1 prototype having joined their team, we'll remind you that the improvised tailpipes of the testers have to do with the cars being too loud for the Nordschleife.

In a clip we delivered last month, we mentioned the 100 dB noise limit imposed during the industry testing days. So, even with the obvious aural downtuning required for the ZR1 to meet road car standards, the supercar will pack one hell of a growl.

More importantly, the soundtrack delivered by the prototypes talks about the supercharger expected to sit under the massive hood bulge of the C7-generation ZR1.

There's no official word on the matter, but we expect the LT4 motor of the Z06 to be massaged for the ZR1. As such, the blown 6.2-liter mill should jump from 650 ponies to anywhere between 700 and 750 horses.

It's worth noting that GM engineers also need to address the potential heat soak issue that could accompany such a muscle boost - as some of you know, the Corvette Z06 has had its fair share of heat-related controversy.

Many tack day fans are eager to find out that Nurburgring stopwatch number of the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. And, since the previous model delivered an impressive 7:19.63 (think: 991.1 Porsche 911 GT3 level), our expectations are overly spicy.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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