With its new ultimate speed weapon, the C7 Corvette ZR1, Chevrolet is hoping to crack the seven-minute Nürburgring Nordschleife lap-time barrier – a feat that precious few street-legal production vehicles have so far been able to manage. Prototypes of the new, 755-horsepower Porsche-fighter have been spotted running around the Nürburgring before, of course, but the car has not yet had the opportunity to try its hand at setting a proper record lap time due to the track’s tight restrictions on when manufacturers are allowed to give it the old “college try”.
Speaking to Road & Track, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said that setting an official Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time for the C7 ZR1 is not a priority for the manufacturer, but that Chevrolet will nonetheless make an attempt some time after the new model reaches showrooms in the spring. Assuming the automaker is indeed able to pull off a lap quicker than seven minutes, it would mean the car is substantially quicker than the previous-generation C6 ZR1, which turned out a 7:19.63 lap in 2011.
In that endeavor, grip will be of the utmost importance, and the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s aggressive aerodynamic pieces and wide performance tires ought to provide plenty of it. No doubt Chevrolet would run an example fitted with the optional ZTK performance package, which boasts super-grippy Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and a two-way adjustable rear wing that contributes to 60 percent more downforce than the C7 Corvette Z06 with Z07 package.
We can’t wait to see what sort of time the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 can set at “The Green Hell,” and especially, whether it manages a faster lap than that other all-American monster-downforce-generating machine: the Dodge Viper ACR. (A crowdfunded privateer campaign produced a 7:01.3 Nürburgring lap time for the Viper ACR before the car crashed, putting an end to the efforts.)
Comments
I did not think it would pick up that much time. But if Chevy is talking about it they must have a good idea it will do it.
While they may not hav a complete lap I know they have flat out times in sections. They would have compiled them enough to know what it will do.
The final lap time will be around 6:48; 6:56
While we know some of the specifics of the 2019 C7 Corvette ZR1 like how much horsepower the LT5 generates and how it differs over the C7 Corvette Z06 cosmetically; but it’s unclear whether Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter has borrowed any lessons from Chevrolet’s C7.R program to compete with the 2017 quickest production cars at Nurburgring with the Porsche 911 GT2 RS scored a 6:47.3, the Lamborghini Huracan Performane a 6:52.01, the Porsche 918 Spyder a 6:57.00 and the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4SV a 6:59.73 as claiming a spot from any of these 4 would instantly make the 2019 C7 Corvette ZR1 in elite company as being among the best ever.
The Pratt and Miller car brriws more from the street car than the race car barrows from the race car.
Even the engine is restricted and puts out less power than the Z06.
Due to the IMSA rules they are two different beast based on the same car.
They may try to market it like they take from the race car for the street but it is very limited in crossover in this class.
The Vette team is very adept at engineering what 5ney need to make it go faster.
At the Ring the trick is the down force on the first two thirds of the but the engine to overcome the down force on the last third that is all high speed.
Basesd on the top speed it looks like a wash with the ZO6 but is the down force and power enough on the first part of the lap.
It will be interesting to see the results.
If it does not make it the engine in the C8 should manage it.
I’m sure this new ZR1 has enough to cut 20+ seconds off the previous cars pace. I’ve been saying it all along that the target was the 6: minute mark.
We did see a private Z06 run a 7:13.9 didn’t we?
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2017/07/c7-corvette-z06-laps-the-nurburgring-in-713-9-video/