Video: 2012 Chevy Corvette ZR1 Runs 7:19.63 On the Nurburgring

ohhhh Yeahhhhh Suck on that ACR! This is a real car to boot you know with A/C and a Radio! That should shut up all the GTR fans as well with good tires the ZR1 is in FACT the KING OF THE HILL!

That time is amazing and very surprising.

This thread will have 100 comments and some heavy flame content by tonight lol.

@09cobaltsstc, it is a great time, it only took the vette 3 years to beat the viper.

cue 50 comments about how the GTR is only $90k and only slightly slower on the track. This performance is beyond impressive for a RWD car. The ZR1 already has one of the fastest times (only surpassed by a few street legal race car exotics) in lightning lip at VIR and the new tires are supposed to shave 3 secs at that track.

lostboyz.... They haven't been back to the "Ring" Since 2009 sooo yeah... also it only took the same rubber used on the ACR to beat it. Stop hating... The fact that the ACR was basically a Race car I.E no A/C , radio or even carpet let alone sound deeding material and huge wings and aero bits for racecar down force, yet still got crushed by a car that can be a daily driver makes this time that much more impressive.

Sweet!

What are the differences between the two ZR1s? Just the tires?

A breakdown of the improvements would be nice.

LOL, 1487. There will not be 50 comments about how the GT-R is only $90-ish thousand. Real car enthusiasts appreciate exemplary efforts such as this one when they see/read them.

Congrats to the driver, that guy has big balls and skills!!!

As for the car per se, this won`t make it more desireable, at least for me.

The car is simply not my cup of tea, for the price and other factors.

Yeah, what are the differences between the cars? just tires? what tires the GTR had?

Wonder how ZR1`s are selling? Just saw one new with $8K off base MRSP. That is cool!!

@09cobaltsstc, I'm not being a hater, just stating facts. I wouldn't exactly call the interior of the zr1 much better than the acr, its pretty god awful. No one in their right mind would DD a zr1 either so don't kid yourself. I'm very impressed with the time, good to see american cars with those times. Just don't expect that number to stand for long with so many new cars coming.

Um, yeah, the interior on the ZR1 is much better than the ACR, unless you're the kind of person who thinks the average living room isn't much nicer than an unfinished basement. And god awful? When was the last time you sat in one? I mean it's no Audi, but it's not a bad place to be, unless you're an automotive journalist comparing it to a much more expensive Porsche or Ferrari. And yeah a person in their right mind would DD a ZR1. Why not? It's comfy, gets decent mileage, super reliable, and damn fun. That's always been what sets Corvette's apart from cars like Ferrari's(well that and price). The only even remotely logical reason not to DD it is the collector value of it. BTW holy crap that's fast. It's hard to turn in that kind of lap time on GT5.

I can agree to mileage and reliability and absolutely on fun, but I have never heard it called comfy. Yes I am exageratting the interior, but it would be hard for me to spend $120k on a car with it though. Hopefully it gets updated, then it would be about perfect.

I'm a Corvette fan, but I hope Nissan and Dodge pick up the challenge and throw down better times. Then Chevy throws down a better time still. Then we, the consumers and enthusiasts, ultimately win.

And congrats to all the engineers and drivers involved for just being awesome.

lostboyz:

Give it a rest, the ACR was a street legal race car while the ZR1 can be driven every day featuring nav, leather, heated seats, BOSE, etc. Even the most avid Vette hater cannot argue that the Vette's interior isnt far superior to the neon inspired interior of the Viper. And considering you cant buy a Viper ACR its pointless to criticize the Vette to make the Viper look better.

"I mean it's no Audi, but it's not a bad place to be, unless you're an automotive journalist comparing it to a much more expensive Porsche or Ferrari."

Thank you. Aside from the small nav screen and steering wheel design, nothing really stands out in the Vette as truly downmarket. I sat in an R8 and the interior is better than the Vette BUT no better than an A4 or A6. Basically, if you've been in a mainstream Audi you wouldnt be impressed with R8.

The 2012 Vette/ZR1 gets new tires, lighter wheels, upgraded seats, updraded manual tranny and steering wheel. Everything mentioned save the steering wheel is optional. This test car doesnt seem to have the new steering wheel.

"Just don't expect that number to stand for long with so many new cars coming."

like the Aventador for $385k? One thing that makes the ZR1 and GTR impressive is that they are far cheaper than other cars with similar performance. I dont see anything coming soon for under $200k (maybe $300k) that will top this. Maybe the top RWD 911 can get close, but the power advantage of the Zr1 is substantial.

I looked again, the steering wheel is just slightly changed in terms of materials and stitching, its not new like in the camaro.

Yeah but the GT-R is only $90k and is barely slower around the track. K someone had to do it.

The ZR1 is pretty damn impressive. Wish there were more American cars on its' level still in production.

I'm not a Corvette guy but I fail to see how any true auto enthusiast can't help but be impressed with the car AND the driving.

Kudos to Chevy for moving the bar again. The rising tide lifts all boats... let's keep the competition coming. Nissan, Porsche, Ferrari... what have you got?

@lostboyz: I ran into a guy loading spring flowers and compost in the back of his new ZR1 at Lowes a few weekends ago.

ZR1: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup - Track & Competition DOT tire

GTR: DunlopSP Sport Maxx GT 600 DSST CTT - Extreme Performance Summer tire

I think we are seeing 1487's bias toward the General -- GM/Chevy > Chrysler/Dodge.

This isn't supposed to be a ZR1 vs. Viper ACR argument, is it?

It's all about ZR1 vs. GT-R, y0! j/k

I'll agree that the ZR1 has a decent interior, but I sure don't consider a Bose sound system to be a major selling point...

@lt_562, I saw someone try and load a pallet of pavers into a minivan too, it doesn't mean all that much. The ZR1 is an amazing car, I'm excited for the faster time, so others try to beat it. People who want to see that number unchanged just so the ZR1 can be there forever aren't true enthusiasts, they are fanboys. I will love any car that gets there.

Mero has talent. Does he race?

Someone should build an exact scale replica of the Nurburgring in the United States for those of us who don't have the money to travel to Germany and rent a car to drive around the world's most awesome race track.

That was.....violent. Wow. Stock alignment even.

downright testicular driving on display

"Someone should build an exact scale replica of the Nurburgring in the United States for those of us who don't have the money to travel to Germany and rent a car to drive around the world's most awesome race track."

Save your pennies:
http://www.bmwccaringschool.com/
It had to be cancelled this year but we're on for 2012.

the ZR1 is an awsome car in every way and the driver is great. congrats to chevy. BUT, something to consider; the new 2012 GTR already crushed its original time and the ZR1's original time by running a 7:22.... in the rain (:

That guy knows what he's doing.

7:19! Damn! And that's with a proper manual gearbox! Not one of those STUPID flappy paddles! Also, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires must be legit, because that's what Porsche sets 911 GT3 times with. Sure, they suck in the rain and anything but super smooth asphalt, but still, who here does hot laps on the Nurburgring on their daily commute? Show of hands? Yep, just as I thought, none of you. So you could run PS2s on your ZR1s and it wouldn't really matter.

Give it a Caddy quality interior next time (with Recaros) and you've got THE best supercar across the board.

@ roadburner

Any reason why you don't care for the Bose system? I believe when Clarkson drove the ZR1 to Bonneville he called it "the best stereo in the world." That's gotta count for something, no?

To quote Jeremy Clarkson, "Are you listening Ferrari? Well done fat man from Kentucky! This...is...a...masterpiece!"

interesting exercise in watching the old video and the new video consecutively. old car was so much more skittish, he really had to wrestle the thing. this one, not so much.

"Any reason why you don't care for the Bose system?"

I've never cared for ANY Bose speaker system but I'll admit the automotive systems aren't as execrable and overpriced as the home systems. There's a reason behind the old saying,
"No highs, no lows, it MUST be Bose..."

"People who want to see that number unchanged just so the ZR1 can be there forever aren't true enthusiasts, they are fanboys. I will love any car that gets there. "

Its not about not wanting to see the time beat, its acknowledging that whatever car does beat it will cost far more. If Chevy could sell a $300k vette they could beat this time as well. I'll be impressed by something under $150k topping this performance.

Because cost has linear relationship to performance....

When you go to a race event do you ask everyone how much their cars are worth so that you can add that to their times to determine the real winner? Racing is racing, is it more impressive that a cheaper car can do it? Well when you consider the corvette is plastic and those $300k lambos and ferraris aren't and they have plush interiors etc. They are different cars on the street, but the track the only thing that matters is the time from start to finish.

I'm not talking about racing the cars head to head- where does that even happen? I am saying that the performance per dollar is impressive on Z06, ZR1 and GTR and notsomuch on Italian supercars costing three times as much. YOU may not care about the price, I do- it's that simple. If Hyundai built a $300k sports car it would likely be mighty impressive. Same goes for all the world's major automakers which is why I'm not impressed by a $400k LF-A that performs like a Z06. And lambos do not have "plush" interiors from what I've seen. Fine leathers? Yes. Luxurious interiors? Not really. Ferrari and Lambo interiors are like race interiors modified for civilian duty, function is always a priority over plushness in those cars and their overall aesthetics are usually somewhat dated and awkward looking. The Aventador appears to have the best Lambo interior ever by a significant margin, it actually looks somewhat upscale.

Fiberglass and carbon fiber save weight- planes and other fyling objects also have "plastic" construction. Its pure ignorance to suggest that the use of such lightweight materials represents cheapness or corner cutting. I see you've been reading too many issues of Car and Driver.

Anyone selling a car that costs twice as much as this Vette BETTER be able to produce a better lap time on a track.

@ 1487

I've sat in a Lambo before (thanks Lambo dealer in Chicago!). I can definitely say that the Gallardo interior is definitely luxury. It's basically warmed over Audi parts, but still, they're very high quality and have a great feel. They're on par with the switchgear and interior in an R8. Parts sharing isn't an issue, as long as the parts themselves are high quality. Hence why I suggest the Corvette share interior parts with the Caddy CTS-V. Can't speak for Fezzas as I haven't sat in one, but I do know that they aren't race interiors modified for street use (unless you're talking about cars like the 430 Scuderia or 360 Challenge Stradale), but rather appear to have good leathers and high quality, upscale looking interiors (satnav from Chrysler T&C notwithstanding).