The 2025 Corvette ZR1 spec sheet is filled to bursting with eye-popping numbers, from four-digit horsepower to over 1,200 pounds of downforce. No surprise then that the new C8 ZR1 is the fastest, most-powerful production vehicle to ever wear the iconic sports car nameplate. Now, the team at Chevrolet has proven those credentials with a top speed run in Germany, and the results surprised everybody – even the engineers.
As GM Authority covered previously, the 2025 Corvette ZR1 managed an average top speed run of 233 mph during testing at the High-Speed Oval Track at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg in Germany, exceeding the automaker’s initial estimates of 215 mph by a considerable margin. The 233-mph top speed figure also makes the new ZR1 the fastest production vehicle priced under the $1 million mark, and bests the previous C7 ZR1’s top speed (212 mph) by 21 mph.
“We actually didn’t think 233 was in the cards,” said Corvette ZR1 lead development engineer, Chris Barber. “That’s part of the reason everyone was so excited. Not only did we meet the target, we did better. It speaks to the confidence the car provides, how easy it felt for us to do something that sounds just insane.”
The vehicle used for testing was bone stock, and included the production-spec aero setup, factory engine tuning, and stock Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires mounted on aluminum wheels. What’s more, the top speed run wasn’t set by a professional racing driver. Rather, GM President Mark Reuss was at the wheel, piloting the Corvette ZR1 up to 233 on two runs in opposite directions to secure the record.
“This car actually overachieved,” Barber says.
The new record was set on a ATP Automotive Testing’s high-speed oval track in Papenburg. The track is shaped like a paper clip, and spans some 7.6 miles, with steep 50-degree banking to maintain velocity while gearing up for the straights.
“Going into the banking was the most intense part,” Barber says. “That feeling is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It just pushes you so hard into the ground. Even NASCAR tracks, they don’t come close to 50-degree banking. Almost nobody gets to experience something like that.”
Naturally, the powerplant is a crucial part of the equation as well, with the C8 ZR1 cradling the twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 LT7 gasoline engine, rated at 1,064 horsepower. All C8 variants ride on the GM Y2 platform, with production taking place at the GM Bowling Green plant in Kentucky.
Watch the thrilling top speed run right here:
Comment
Sure beats out the new $3.9 million dollar Ferrari !