Chevy’s $175K Corvette ZR1 Shatters Lap Records Set by McLaren Senna and Porsche GT3 RS | Carscoops

      Get ready to watch on-board footage of all five record-setting laps.

      8 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      The Corvette ZR1 is set to go into production later this year, boasting five new lap records.

      These records were established at Watkins Glen, Road America, Road Atlanta, and Virginia International Raceway.

      Four different drivers contributed to these achievements, with dashcam footage available for each record.

      Though the Chevrolet C8 Corvette ZR1 isn’t yet available at dealerships, it is already rewriting the history books. This 1,064-horsepower American supercar has broken five track records, demonstrating that its performance is not merely promotional—it’s genuine. And if you need further proof, the dashcam videos from these record laps will eliminate any doubt.

      General Motors did not provide a detailed breakdown of the lap times; however, we will follow the order mentioned, beginning with Watkins Glen. Specifically, the ZR1 recorded a 1:52.7 lap time on the Long Course, driven by Bill Wise, the lead performance engineer for the ZR1, who clearly understands the car well.

      Next is Road America, where Brian Wallace navigated the ZR1 to a remarkable 2:08.6 lap. This record beats the previous time, held by a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, by more than five seconds. If Porsche wasn’t already worried about the ZR1, they certainly should be now.

      At Road Atlanta, the ZR1 outperformed another Porsche, the 911 GT2 RS, with a lap time of 1:22.8 seconds—exactly two seconds quicker than the Porsche's time set in 2019. Chris Barber, the lead development engineer for the project, was behind the wheel during this record.

      Lastly, the Chevrolet team achieved two more records at Virginia International Raceway on both the Full Course and the Grand Course. On the Full Course, they achieved a lap time of 1:47.7, which, according to FastestLaps.com, is nearly 10 seconds quicker than the second-fastest record set by a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 at 1:56.30.

      Then, the ZR1 broke the McLaren Senna's lap record on the Grand Course with a time of 2:32.3. Both records at VIR were set by Aaron Link, indicating that these five records were attained by four different drivers. This clearly illustrates the versatility of the ZR1.

      It's important to note that the ZR1 referenced here is a pre-production model equipped with the ZTK package, which includes various carbon fiber aerodynamic components such as a rear wing, a Gurney lip, and dive planes. It also utilizes Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ZP tires. Production of this flagship Chevy sports car will commence later this year, and dealers will start accepting orders later this month.