The 2019 Corvette ZR1 has lapped the Nürburgring on multiple occasions, but the automaker hasn’t released an official lap time for the high-performance model.
That still hasn’t changed, but a member of the Corvette Forum has posted a picture of a retirement gift which suggests the car lapped the green hell in 6:57. According to GM Authority, Corvette engineer Jim Mero retired earlier this month and his wife posted pictures of the retirements gifts that her husband received to celebrate 34 years with the automaker.
Among the gifts was a picture collage which showed the Nürburgring lap times of various Corvettes that Mero drove and worked on. While Mero’s name probably doesn’t ring a bell, he’s closely associated with the Corvette and GM has touted his accomplishments behind the wheel on numerous occasions.
In 2012, the company said he set a new production car lap record on the Grand Course at the Virginia International Raceway when he piloted a Corvette ZR1 to a lap time of 2:45.6. A year earlier, GM released a video showing Mero using the 2012 Corvette ZR1 to lap the Nürburgring in 7:19.63. This was more than six seconds faster than the Corvette’s previous lap record which was also achieved by Mero in 2008.
There’s no guarantee that the 6:57 time is accurate and it also included an “(S)” notation next to it. Members of the forum speculate the (S) likely means a segment time, but we won’t know until GM comes out with an official statement.
Speaking of the time, it sounds quick but feasible as the Corvette ZR1 features an extensive aero package and a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that develops 755 hp (563 kW) and 715 lb-ft (969 Nm) of torque. This means it has 105 hp (78 kW / 106 PS) and 65 lb-ft (88 Nm) more than Corvette Z06 which lapped the ‘Ring in 7:13.9 back in 2017.
https://youtu.be/sGm0QGAIcL4