Corvette Zora Spotted Speeding Around The Ring Uncovered | Carscoops

      Corvette’s research and development team has relocated to the Nürburgring, where two hybrid Zora prototypes are reportedly generating around 1,200 hp.

      Chevrolet engineers are currently testing two high-performance C8 Corvettes at the Nürburgring.

      The Zora prototypes feature a combination of the ZR1's turbocharged V8 engine and the e-Ray's all-wheel-drive hybrid system.

      The team is expected to make an attempt at an official lap time with the Zora and/or ZR1 this month.

      Though the reviews of the current flagship Corvette, the ZR1, have just begun to come in, Chevy engineers are already well into the development of another more extreme C8 known as the Zora. The Corvette team is at Germany's historic Nürburgring preparing to determine just how fast the vehicle can go.

      Recent spy images reveal two distinct versions of what seems to be the new C8 halo model, one in purple and the other in yellow, being driven on the 12.9-mile (20.8 km) forest circuit and its nearby roads. Reports indicate that the Corvette team plans to stay at the Nürburgring for three weeks, which should provide them with an opportunity to achieve an official lap time and perhaps outpace more expensive European competitors.

      A Corvette Built for Supercar Ambitions

      There's no such thing as a sluggish C8 Vette; even the standard model can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 3 seconds. However, the Zora—named after the legendary Corvette engineer Zora Arkus Duntov—will make the base Corvette feel significantly less agile in comparison.

      The new flagship Corvette incorporates the twin-turbocharged, flat-plane crank V8 from the 1,064 hp (1,079 PS), rear-wheel-drive ZR1 along with the electric front motor from the E-Ray hybrid, and is rumored to generate approximately 1,200 hp (1,217 PS). Anticipate a zero-to-60 mph time in the low 2-second range, with a more notable advantage beyond 60 mph when it comes to Nurburgring performance.

      Both vehicles appear to be ZR1s, featuring aggressive air intakes, a split rear window, and prominent rear spoilers, although the purple vehicle displays Z06 badges. Since neither prototype is camouflaged, one might assume that Chevy is simply testing Euro-spec versions of the ZR1, which would explain the unusual exhaust tips. Alternatively, they might be preparing to record a ZR1 Nurburgring lap time, something that they have yet to achieve.

      However, both prototypes bear yellow circular stickers on their windows indicating to emergency responders that they are hybrids, which is a feature that the ZR1 does not possess but the Zora will. Even the ZR1 should be capable of completing the course in under 7 minutes and is expected to outpace the Ford Mustang GTD, which recorded a lap time of 6:52.072 in May. Yet, the Zora is predicted to be significantly faster.

      Could it potentially surpass the current production car record holder, the Mercedes-AMG One, which timed at 6:29.09? That remains uncertain. However, it is clear that Chevy has set its sights high.