autoevolution
 

Jim Mero Turned Dream Into Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1

The best kind of car meet is the one where you get to do more than just look around and take photos. It's connecting with like-minded people that counts most. Because without the people behind the wheel, cars would just be inanimate objects. Going out for a drive isn't as fun if your buddies aren't tagging along for the whole thing. So for Corvette Month here on autoevolution, we've decided to look closer at the people who have helped shape the American icon.
Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1 20 photos
Photo: Jim Mero/Chevrolet
Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality: Corvette Legend Act 1
A few days ago, we spoke about Zora Arkus-Duntov. He was one of the brilliant men who helped pave the way for the Corvette to become one of the greatest sports cars of all time. But regardless of how impressive a car may be, it still needs a driver to shine out from the crowd. Now, there are quite a few drivers who have made history driving Corvettes over the past few decades. Each of them has played a certain part in the greater story. But you might have realized that there is one track that sends shivers down our spines just by thinking of it.

I loved to go fast, the faster the better!

Oh yes, we are talking about the Green Hell! The 12.94-mile (20.83 km) long North Loop at the Nürburgring has become a proving ground for car manufacturers, and there are both men and women who couldn't envision a life without driving there. Seeing that this month we've tested several Corvettes at the German racetrack, thanks to wonders of modern technology (Assetto Corsa), there's one name that kept showing up every time we'd do some research on the topic. And that name was Jim Mero.

After watching all the videos we could find that featured him driving Corvettes around various circuits, there was no doubt in our minds that we had to get in touch with him for an interview. It only took one email for the legend himself to reply, and what followed next was something that had us buzzing for days. We initially estimated we'd do a short story about him and his 'Vette exploits, but we couldn't possibly convey all the information to you in less than 1,000 words. So we'll be splitting this interview into four different parts.

Although most Corvette enthusiasts have probably seen Jim Mero driving before, we thought we'd start from the beginning. First things first, he is now 62 years old and a Retired General Motors Corvette Vehicle Dynamics Engineer, Ride, and Handling. Naturally, he couldn't stay away from fast cars, so he's currently managing Jim Mero Vehicle Dynamics LLC in Michigan. We were curious to know when and how he first became interested in cars, and the conversation started from there.

Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality\: Corvette Legend Act 1
Photo: Jim Mero/Chevrolet
"I was always interested in cars, fascinated by them. But I did not come from a family with generations of racers, hot rods, or anything like that. We were a stereotypical family of 6 which meant our cars were meant to haul people. The beginning of anything that resembled racing was starting in go-karts in 1984. But I remember from a very young age that I loved to go fast regardless of what I was driving or riding. Go-karts, bikes, motorcycles, snowmobiles, that didn’t matter, the faster the better."

I looked at her and said: I'm going to do that!

Upon entering college, he initially planned on becoming an architect. That seemed like the right way to go as he loved designing buildings and was also very good at technical drawing. But that idea wouldn't last long. His brother Bill was able to obtain a position on Roger Penske's IndyCar team. Naturally, he invited the whole family over to see the Michigan 500 race. "I remember sitting next to my mom and the first time those cars came by at over 200 mph (321 kph), I looked at her and said, “I’m going to do that!”

Long story short, Bill wanted to race cars as well but did not know what college degree to pursue to help him maximize his potential in doing so. Roger Penske graciously provided him with the idea of getting a degree in mechanical engineering. And that's how Jim switched his major in college to go down the road he knew was meant for him. We were also curious to know what kind of cars Jim drove in his youth. "The first car I ever drove was my grandmother’s Chrysler. I can’t remember the model. But she lived up in Canada on a farm with a lot of backcountry roads."

"My first car was a 1966 Chevrolet Impala which my dad bought for me when I was 16. That would’ve been 1976. It was in perfect condition and only had 29,000 miles (46,670 km) on it. It was the envy of the entire high school. It was lifted in the rear and had Cragar chrome wheels on it. When I passed it on to my brother after I graduated college, I always said one day I would own another 1966 Impala. However, I have not been able to obtain one. I had no idea how the prices of classic cars like that would go up."

Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality\: Corvette Legend Act 1
Photo: Jim Mero/Chevrolet
But let's move on to the moment that marked the beginning of a beautiful relationship: Jim Mero started working at General Motors in 1984. "I was hired into what was Fisher Body working on occupant protection, seatbelts, airbags, and things like that. We were the test facility, so my major responsibility was ensuring that the barrier cars as well as the acceleration sled bucks were properly built and fitted with representative occupant protection. The road from there to the Corvette Ride and Handling job was very obscure. When I look back on it, I still have a hard time believing where the journey ended."

I received the best first assignment ever!

At this point in our discussion, we were dying to ask the big question. Naturally, we wanted to know when was the first time for him out on the Nürburgring. And we were also curious to know if that first outing was in a Corvette or something else. It seems that at first Jim did a stint on the Cadillac STS from 2000 to 2004. He had moved there after working on the Camaro/Firebird program. By then, he had been racing cars for over 15 years and was also one of the drivers for the internal 24-hour racetrack test for the Corvette.

Now, you might think that he had the best job in the world. But wait until you get hold of this. "Probably the coolest thing on the STS was my first assignment. The timing was perfect as my new boss came to me and said “welcome to Cadillac. Your first assignment is to go to the Nürburgring to be trained. The Cadillac CTS was the first car to be developed at the track."

"The STS was a few years behind it production-wise. At that point, General Motors was very interested in becoming a leader on the world stage. So the Chief Engineer of Cadillac as well as Dave Hill, Chief Engineer for Corvette, decided that if we are going to sell a car in Europe, we are going to make sure it performs well on the Nürburgring, as that’s where all cars are measured."

Jim Mero Turned Dream to Reality\: Corvette Legend Act 1
Photo: Jim Mero/Chevrolet
But you can't just go out on the Nürburgring in a powerful car and expect to break a record. So Jim had to go through training first. And his first outing on the Green Hell happened as he was driving an Opel Astra out of all cars. "Let me tell you, for your first laps on the Nürburgring, that was plenty of a car. I knew the fundamentals of driving a racetrack, but the hardest part of the training was learning the 150+ turns. Typically George Weber driving school lasted three days, but because of timing, I only had 1.5 days to pass the course. Luckily, I was able to do it."

I was in heaven

That first trip was initially supposed to only take a few days. At that point, the Corvette had never officially been on the German racetrack. Dave Wickman was the development manager of the Corvette and he knew that Jim was going to be in Germany. After discussing with Dave Hill they both agreed that would be a good opportunity to collect some data for future Corvette trips.

"So Dave Wickman came to me and asked if I wanted to stay an extra week driving Corvettes, collecting data. I think I said “absolutely” before he finished the question. They sent over a C5 Base, a C5 Z51, and a C5 Z06. I was trained on a full Thursday and ½ a day Friday and the following week I drove Corvettes the entire time. How’s that for your first trip to the Nürburgring? I was in heaven."

His first trip to the Green Hell happened in August of 2000. And his last one would be in April 2015. In total, Jim Mero has made between 35 to 40 trips to the Nürburgring. And during those trips, he has racked up some 4,000 to 5,000 laps. Let that sink in for a moment. That's about 62,000 miles (almost 100,000 km) of driving on one of the most demanding race tracks in the world. That's twice the length of the Equator. But we'll get back to it in the next three stories.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories