Chevrolet made history at the Nürburgring Nordschleife by bringing three different Corvette models—the Z06, ZR1, and ZR1X—and having three of its own engineers, not professional racecar drivers, set official lap times in a single visit. This marks the first time an automaker has attempted such a feat at the legendary 12.9-mile circuit.
The Chevrolet team now holds the fastest official laps by an American manufacturer at the Nürburgring.
Record-Setting Laps by GM Engineers
- Drew Cattell, vehicle dynamics engineer, drove the electrified all-wheel-drive Corvette ZR1X to a lap time of 6:49.275—the fastest ever by a non-professional driver in the official Nürburgring records.
- Brian Wallace, ZR1 vehicle dynamics engineer, set a 6:50.763 lap in the 1,064-horsepower ZR1.
- Aaron Link, vehicle performance manager, piloted the 670-horsepower Corvette Z06 to a 7:11.826 lap. The Z06 features the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever in a production car.
All three Corvettes were U.S. production-spec vehicles, with only safety modifications required by the track, such as a roll hoop, race seat, fire extinguisher, and six-point harness. The ZR1 and ZR1X are not sold in Europe, so all three cars set times in the Prototype/Pre-Production category.
Corvette Model Highlights:
| Model | Horsepower | Engine | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z06 with Z07 Package | 670 hp | 5.5L flat-plane V8 | Carbon fiber wheels, Michelin Cup 2R tires, carbon ceramic brakes |
| ZR1 with ZTK Package | 1,064 hp | 5.5L twin-turbo flat-plane V8 | Carbon fiber wheels, Michelin Cup 2R tires, 10-piston front brakes |
| ZR1X with ZTK Package | 1,250 hp | 5.5L twin-turbo flat-plane V8 + front electric motor | Carbon fiber wheels, Michelin Cup 2R tires, 10-piston front brakes |
Experienced GM Drivers
Link, Wallace, and Cattell are not just engineers—they are seasoned Nürburgring drivers, with a combined 1,825 laps and 31 trips to the track for GM vehicle development. Together, they have 36 years of experience working on GM Performance Cars. Wallace also leads GM’s high-performance driver training program.
GM President Mark Reuss said, “No auto manufacturer has done a Nürburgring lap attempt like this before. We have shown there is no limit to what our GM engineers and vehicles can accomplish. These are the best Corvettes in history, period.”
GM’s approach of having the same engineers who design and tune the cars also drive them on the track has created a unique relationship between the cars, the tracks, and the people behind them. Their lap times now rank among the fastest ever recorded by non-professionals at the Nürburgring, proving the performance and engineering excellence of the latest Corvettes.
