If there was ever any doubt that the new Corvette ZR1 is here to take names, consider that doubt obliterated - just like the lap records this 1,064 hp (783 kW) monster left in its wake. General Motors sent a team of four elite engineers on a mission to prove that their latest supercar wasn’t just another fast Corvette, but that it’s a record-taking, physics-defying, tyre-melting package of screaming eagles. And prove it they did - five times over. Armed with a pre-production ZR1 fitted with the optional ZTK Performance Package - which brings aggressive aero, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ZP tyres, and even stiffer suspension - these GM test drivers attacked some of America’s most challenging racetracks and rewrote history in the process.
The Lap Records: A Corvette Masterclass in Speed
Four GM engineers, each a certified Nürburgring Industry Pool driver with decades of experience, took turns at the wheel of the ZR1, setting five new lap records:
Watkins Glen Long Course – 1:52.7 | Driver: Bill Wise, Lead Performance Engineer, Chassis Controls
Road America – 2:08.6 | Driver: Brian Wallace, Lead Vehicle Dynamics Engineer
Road Atlanta – 1:22.8 | Driver: Chris Barber, Lead Development Engineer
Virginia International Raceway (Full Course) – 1:47.7 | Driver: Aaron Link, Global Vehicle Performance Manager
Virginia International Raceway (Grand Course) – 2:32.3 | Driver: Aaron Link
These times don’t just make the ZR1 the fastest production Corvette ever; they position it as a direct threat to supercars that cost five times as much.
At the core of the ZR1’s record-shattering performance is the all-new LT7 engine, a 5.5-litre, twin-turbo, flat-plane-crank V8 that produces a staggering 1,064 hp at 7,000 rpm and 1,123 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. This isn’t just the most powerful Corvette engine ever - it’s the most powerful factory-produced V8 in American automotive history. Ford must love that. The ZR1 doesn’t just deliver numbers; it delivers performance that defies logic. 0-100 km/h in around 2.3 seconds, a quarter-mile comes up in 9.6 seconds and it has a top speed of over 346 km/h, with the ZTK Package pushing that to 375 km/h. And with over 540 kg of downforce at top speed, it sticks to the track like the proverbial shit to a blanket. The ZR1 has aero that bites and suspension that fights - there’s a massive carbon fibre rear wing, front dive planes, and an underbody aero system, stiffer suspension tuning and the obligatory sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ZP tyres. And just in case you needed a nod to Corvette history, the 2025 ZR1 revives one of the most iconic design elements - the split rear window, a throwback to the legendary 1963 Sting Ray. Tony Roma, Corvette’s executive chief engineer, summed it up best: “Corvette ZR1 continues to showcase how this nameplate elevates at every corner. From design, engineering, development, validation, to driving and setting incredible lap records like these – we do it all in-house.”
Take a look at the YouTube video that's a summary of Corvette's exploits when the GM team went out and set lap records at some of the USA's most well-known tracks. Following this video is the onboard footage of the lap records with the monstrous ZR1 piloted by a fleet of GM test drivers: 4 Renowned US Tracks. 5 Record-Setting Laps. | Corvette ZR1 | Chevrolet | Chevrolet
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