Photo: Chevrolet
Care to guess which is the fastest ‘Vette at the world’s most challenging racing circuit? That would be C7 ZR1, lapping the famed racetrack in seven minutes and four seconds. An even bigger question is how the ‘Vette fares with the engine in the middle, and the rumor mill keeps crunching more or less official numbers.
Without citing any source, Muscle Cars & Trucks exclusively reported a Nurburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7:28.30 for the C8 in Stingray flavor and with the Z51 option. Let those numbers sink in for a minute, then remember that the C6 ZR1 lapped the 12.9-mile Green Hell in 7:19.63 quite a few years ago.
MC&T claims that the C8 lap is a factory-tested lap, meaning that Chevy had a professional test driver behind the wheel. While the eighth-generation Corvette may not be the fastest out there on the ‘Ring, there’s no denying it’s miles ahead of the C7 Stingray Z51. In rather unfavorable conditions for grip, the preceding model managed to set a time of seven minutes and 39 seconds way back in 2013.
Make no mistake about it; Chevy is off to a great start with the mid-engined platform of the C8 model. The Stingray also happens to be great value for money for the 2020 model year, and the hype surrounding this baby is so high that the first model year of production has sold out before production has even started.
LT2 is the codename of the small-block V8 behind the driver’s and passenger’s backs, and as opposed to the LT1, you’re in for more power baby! The standard rating is 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet at the crankshaft, representing an improvement of 40 horsepower and 10 pound-feet of torque. Opt for the sports exhaust or Z51 package, and the LT2 levels up to 490 ponies and 470 twerks.
Over the next few years, at least two more C8 variants will roll off the line in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The first is the Z06, which is expected to feature a flat-plane crankshaft V8 based on the C8.R racing car’s engine. As for the ZR1, an electrified front axle will translate to e-AWD and tons of get-up-and-go.
MC&T claims that the C8 lap is a factory-tested lap, meaning that Chevy had a professional test driver behind the wheel. While the eighth-generation Corvette may not be the fastest out there on the ‘Ring, there’s no denying it’s miles ahead of the C7 Stingray Z51. In rather unfavorable conditions for grip, the preceding model managed to set a time of seven minutes and 39 seconds way back in 2013.
Make no mistake about it; Chevy is off to a great start with the mid-engined platform of the C8 model. The Stingray also happens to be great value for money for the 2020 model year, and the hype surrounding this baby is so high that the first model year of production has sold out before production has even started.
LT2 is the codename of the small-block V8 behind the driver’s and passenger’s backs, and as opposed to the LT1, you’re in for more power baby! The standard rating is 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet at the crankshaft, representing an improvement of 40 horsepower and 10 pound-feet of torque. Opt for the sports exhaust or Z51 package, and the LT2 levels up to 490 ponies and 470 twerks.
Over the next few years, at least two more C8 variants will roll off the line in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The first is the Z06, which is expected to feature a flat-plane crankshaft V8 based on the C8.R racing car’s engine. As for the ZR1, an electrified front axle will translate to e-AWD and tons of get-up-and-go.
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