Chevy Corvette ZR1 Posts New VIR Lap Record

General Motors revealed in November pricing for the ’19 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 would zoom past $120,000, and now the automaker discloses the hotly anticipated sports coupe can zoom past any production competitor at Virginia International Raceway.

GM says the 755-hp Corvette ZR1, the latest and likely final variant from the current-generation car that came out in 2013 as a ’14 model, recently ran VIR’s 4.1-mile (6.6-km) Grand Course West in a blistering 2:37.25. The lap time vaults the Corvette ZR1 past the 647-hp Ford GT, which earlier had run the same course to a record 2:38.62.

According to GM, the record lap was established in factory-equipped model with the exception of a harness bar and track seats with 5-point harnesses. Available equipment aiding the lap included a paddle-shift, 8-speed automatic transmission and $2,995 ZTK Performance Package, which adds an adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing, a front splitter with carbon-fiber end caps, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, specific chassis and the automaker’s magnetorheological damping system.

“The Corvette ZR1’s lap record at VIR, arguably America’s most challenging road course, is a testament to its supercar status,” says Mark Reuss, executive vice president-Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, at GM. “On the race track, the ZR1 can compete with any supercar at any price.”

The Corvette ZR1 goes on sale later this spring, starting at $119,000 including destination charges. A convertible model will cost 123,995. But that’s a fraction of the estimated $450,000 the ’17 Ford GT fetched in its limited production run, or even near the $875,000 the Porsche 918 Spyder commands. The Porsche hybrid supercar held the lap record at VIR prior to the Ford GT.

Jim Mero, a vehicle dynamics engineer at GM, piloted the Corvette ZR1 to the record lap during validation testing. He is not a professional race driver, GM says, and the car was set up according to the owner manual’s recommended track alignment and aerodynamic settings.

“The track had been empty since mid-December, so it was a bit slow when we started, but the conditions turned pretty quick at the end,” says Alex MacDonald, manager-Vehicle Performance at GM. “On the heels of announcing our (Corvette) Z06 time of 2:39.77, the ZR1 lap time is the icing on the cake. It’s not too often you set a lap record during validation testing.”

The ZR1 is backed by an LT5 6.2L V-8 outfitted with a new, more-efficient, intercooled supercharger, along with GM’s first dual-fuel-injection system, which employs primary direct injection and supplemental port injection, the automaker says.

Compared to the supercharger on the Corvette Z06 LT4 V-8, the LT5 uses a larger, 2.65-L blower for more boost but spins at a slightly lower speed. The upgrade reduces heat to help maintain a lower air intake temperature for optimal performance, GM says. The Z06 was plagued with cooling problems, and changes were made for ’17 to address the issue.

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