America is back testing their new cars in Nürburgring, one of the largest and most dangerous racing tracks in the world. The racetrack is 12.9 miles long and has up to 73 corners, what makes the perfect spot for supercars to be tested. In the 1970s it was one of the main tracks in Formula 1, but the autosport division ended up taking the race out of the calendar due to its extreme nature – in which the legendary driver Niki Lauda almost lost his life. Now, the racetrack is used mostly for testing.
Nürburgring is the perfect “playground”
Now, as the cars are under more technology and the conditions of the track are more predictable, Chevrolet and other European and American automakers test their supercars in the Nürburgring to see how far the vehicle can go without any sign of problem appearing. Not only this, but the overall performance is also evaluated in the track.
With lots of manufacturers running around the track during the test phase of the cars, someone had to lead the general time a car takes to go around the track. In some cases, the length is short due to the extension of the track – which means there are two or more circuits inside the original. As the automakers compete in silence, Chevrolet just set a new record in Nürburgring.
America on the top: Chevrolet’s new record
Chevrolet released a new video showing the goals behind its recent Nürburgring runs. Alongside aiming for a sub-seven-minute lap, the automaker wanted to hit the mark using only in-house drivers. The team also aimed to set a new benchmark for American manufacturers on the track.
During the testing, vehicle performance manager Aaron Link drove the Z06 and posted a time of 7:11.826. The ZR1, driven by vehicle dynamics engineer Brian Wallace, came in at 6:50.763. The fastest lap came from the ZR1X — the most powerful of the trio — with Drew Cattell behind the wheel, registering a 6:49.275.
With these runs, the ZR1X and ZR1 now hold the two fastest Nürburgring lap times ever recorded by an American production car. For the tests, Chevrolet brought three models: the 1250-horsepower ZR1X, the 1064-hp ZR1, and the 670-hp Z06.
These times placed the ZR1X and ZR1 in fifth and seventh positions, respectively, on the Nürburgring’s all-time production car leaderboard. The top spot is still held by the Mercedes-AMG One, which ran a 6:29.090 with Maro Engel driving. Ford’s Mustang GTD — tested earlier this year with professional driver Dirk Müller — posted a 6:52.072, placing just behind the ZR1.
The team followed the racetrack requirements
Although all three Corvette models were timed under the Prototype/Pre-Production category, they followed America’s production specifications. Safety requirements from the track led to a few additions: a roll hoop, a fire extinguisher, a full containment race seat, and a six-point harness. The classification was mainly due to the fact that the ZR1 models aren’t sold in Europe, and the Z06 is built for the U.S. market.
At the end of the video, the team hinted that development is ongoing. “So, what’s next for us?” Aaron Link asked. Chris Barber, lead development engineer on the ZR1, answered: “I think historically, Corvette’s always got something else coming, right? We don’t stop.”
Most fans didn’t approve America’s “new” supercar
In a poll made by the Car and Driver magazine, readers could choose between two options: the cars were faster than they expected, or it was slower than they thought. Over 70% of the readers that choose any options thought the car would be faster, while 25% think it exceeded the expectations. Since the car is only a prototype, fans had nothing to be worried about as the final adjustments and more will be made before launching.
Our coverage of events affecting companies is purely informative and descriptive. Under no circumstances does it seek to promote an opinion or create a trend, nor can it be taken as investment advice or a recommendation of any kind.
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