{"id":34787,"date":"2025-08-01T08:07:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T12:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34787"},"modified":"2025-08-01T08:07:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T12:07:39","slug":"hyperlap-corvette-zr1x-sets-american-record-at-nurburgring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/hyperlap-corvette-zr1x-sets-american-record-at-nurburgring","title":{"rendered":"Hyperlap: Corvette ZR1X sets American record at Nu\u0308rburgring"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chevrolet\u2019s Corvette ZR1X is the fastest American production sports car made and now it\u2019s taken its place among the world\u2019s elite sportscars around the world\u2019s premier race track, Germany\u2019s Nu\u0308rburgring.<\/p>\n

The all-wheel-drive, 1,250-horsepower ZR1X recorded the fourth fastest production time ever around the epic, 12.9-mile track \u2014 and the fastest by a U.S. brand and non-professional driver \u2014 at a blistering 6.49.3 minutes.<\/p>\n

Only the 1,063-horsepower Mercedes AMG ONE (6:29.09 minutes), 700-horsepower Porsche GT2 RS MR (6:43.30 minutes), and 730-horse Mercedes AMG GT Black Series (6:48.04) have lapped the so-called \u201cGreen Hell\u201d in the Eifel Mountains quicker. All three were piloted by professional drivers.<\/p>\n

\"Chevy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Chevy brought its three performance Corvettes – ZR1X, ZR1, and Z06 – to Nu\u0308rburgring’s 12.9-mile track in Germany.<\/div>\n

GM<\/p>\n

Not far behind in sixth place was the ZR1X\u2019s sister, 1,064-horse, rear-wheel-drive ZR1 at 6.50.7 minutes. Chevrolet brought its trio of Corvette performance models \u2014 the ZR1X, ZR1, and Z06 \u2014 to the \u2018Ring this summer in a historic bid to become the fastest U.S. brand. The Z06 recorded a time of 7.11.8 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo auto manufacturer has done a Nu\u0308rburgring lap attempt like this before,\u201d said GM President Mark Reuss, himself a Level 6 driver and trained engineer. \u201cFrom development through production, and now at the Nu\u0308rburgring, we have clearly shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish. These are the best Corvettes in history, period.\u201d<\/p>\n

All three \u2018Vettes were driven by Corvette engineers who are licensed (so-called Level 6 drivers in GM-speak) to drive Nu\u0308rburgring and have a combined 1,825 development laps around the 154-turn circuit.<\/p>\n

\"Chevy<\/figure>\n
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Chevy brought its three performance Corvettes – ZR1X, ZR1, and Z06 – to Nu\u0308rburgring’s 12.9-mile track in Germany.<\/em><\/div>\n

GM<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The so-called Nu\u0308rburgring Nordschliefe has long been the benchmark for performance for its high-speed rollercoaster turns and 200 mph straightaways. The Corvette team has tested there extensively, but has resisted setting an official time, in part due to the complexity and expense that an official lap time entails.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, as home-team German automakers continued to top the charts and the Nu\u0308rburgring\u2019s fame spread across social media, Detroit automakers have ramped up their efforts. What\u2019s more, Corvette and fellow Motown muscle-car Mustang are no longer parochial, North American sub-brands as Chevy and Ford market them for sale internationally and in GT3 racing series where their chief competition is Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, and other international performance brands.<\/p>\n