Corvettes weren't always fast. Remember the C5-generation Z06? That fellow hits 171 miles per hour (275 kilometers per hour) at full chatter. By comparison, the fastest production 'Vette is the C7 ZR1, which is rated at 212 miles per hour (341 kph).
Rather than the flat-plane crankshaft V8-engined Z06 or the hybrid E-Ray, the fastest C8 of them all is the 195-mph Z06. The Stingray tops 194 miles per hour, whereas the Stingray Z51 makes do with 184 due to its more draggy aero and 5.17:1 final-drive ratio.
Pictured at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 2022 model year Stingray Z51 in the clip below performed better than expected. It actually clocked two more MPHs than GM says it does, namely 186.339 miles per hour (299.884 kilometers per hour) over merely 2.3 miles (3.7 kilometers).
For some reason or another, quite a few people commented on Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds' latest upload about poor shifting. A few also believe the Stingray Z51 can go faster, although the specifications sheet from GM says otherwise.
Does 186.339 miles per hour seem too slow for a car that retails at 70,000-odd bucks? We also have to remember GM switched to a midship configuration for handling rather than outright speed, a change that way too many peeps seem to forget about the C8.
The C8 used to be a sub-$60,000 car at one point, although GM hiked up the base price repeatedly since the 2020 model year went on sale in August 2019. It's also worth noting that General Motors will operate a small refresh on the C8 in 2024 for the 2025 model year. With said facelift, hearsay suggests the wall of buttons will be dropped for a more elegant solution.
MY25 is also believed to mark the return of the ZR1, the fourth version of the C8 after the Stingray, Z06, and E-Ray. Spied making turbo noises, the ZR1 is best described as the Z06 with a couple of turbos. Over 800 horsepower is the peak output estimate of this heavily-anticipated car, which is more than the 755 horsepower of the small block-engined C7 ZR1.
Speaking of which, the previous gen's LT5 engine is the only fifth-gen small block to combine direct fuel injection with port fuel injection. The LT6 in the C8 Z06 uses direct fuel injection exclusively, and the same applies to the LT2 of the Stingray and E-Ray.
Later on, the C8 range will be completed by the so-called Zora. Named after the gentleman who convinced GM to shoehorn a small block in the C1, the Zora is half ZR1 and half E-Ray. It's believed to pack in the ballpark of 1,000 horsepower, a peak output number that would make the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 (1,001 ps or 987 horsepower) blush in awe.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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