The new C8 Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X sit at the very top of the Chevrolet go-fast food chain, packing four-digit horsepower and all the goodies to put that power to good use. Naturally, performance enthusiasts want to know – just how fast are these twin-turbo monsters when it comes to the industry benchmark that is the Nürburgring race track? Now, according to one ex-GM engineer, a time under the six-minute, 30-second mark seems well within reach.
In a lengthy interview with Horsepower Obsessed, former GM ride and handling engineer Jim Mero shared his thoughts on what we should expect. In addition to intimate familiarity with the guts of America’s Sports Car, Mero also has experience behind the wheel, driving the C7 Corvette at the ‘Ring to help tune overall performance. Based on this background, Mero says he has a decent handle on what the new Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X are capable of.
By comparing lap times of similarly equipped C7 models and calculating how added horsepower translated into time gains, Mero believes the C8 ZR1 might achieve a Nürburgring time under six minutes and 30 seconds, possibly around 6:23 to 6:30. While he acknowledges this is purely speculative, he emphasizes that the math and reasoning he’s used in the past has typically been within five percent of the actual recorded times.
As for the ZR1X, which adds a front electric motor similar to that of the Corvette E-Ray, Mero is a bit more cautious. While the added hybrid power could boost acceleration, he’s concerned about how long the full electric boost (rated at 186 horsepower) can be sustained over a full lap, especially given just how long and demanding a lap around the Nürburgring truly is. To that end, he speculates that the extra weight of the hybrid system, combined with limitations in battery output over the full lap, might actually make the regular Corvette ZR1 faster than the ZR1X on this particular track.
Check out the full 48-minute interview right here:
Comments
Trust….but verify.
5 percent of 6’30” is 19.5 seconds. So he is saying he has no clue. I would think an engineer would understand that.
Gonna take his word, and his vast experience, over yours. But thanks.