In July last year, Chevrolet revealed its most powerful production car ever in the Corvette ZR1X: a mid-engined, twin-turbo supercar with a front electric motor to boot.
Capable of producing more than 900kW and 1200Nm for just over US$200,000 (A$299,000), the Corvette ZR1X has already become the fastest American car around the Nürburgring, dethroning the Ford Mustang GTD.
When it was revealed, Chevrolet also made some big claims about the Corvette ZR1X’s performance figures, saying it could sprint from 0-60mph (0-98km/h) in under two seconds, complete a quarter-mile (402m) pass in less than nine seconds and do so at more than 240km/h.
Well, half a year later it has backed up those claims, and become the new quickest American production car in the process.
Set up in its lowest drag package with lightweight carbon fibre wheels, the Corvette ZR1X was sent for validation at US 131 Motorsports Park in October last year, where it posted some incredibly impressive numbers.
Its quickest run of the day saw it launch from 0-60mph in just 1.68 seconds, generating 1.75G as it did so. It broke the beam at the end of the track 8.675 seconds later at a speed of 255.9km/h.
For reference, the world’s fastest-accelerating production car, the Rimac Nevera R, only takes two-hundredths of a second less to complete the 0-60mph sprint, though it’s worth noting the Corvette’s runs took place on a prepped surface.
Without surface preparation and with the ZTK Performance Package (adding Michelin Pilot Cup 2R tyres and an aerodynamic bodykit) it still managed a 1.89-second 0-60mph time, and a 8.99-second quarter-mile pass.
Chevrolet added all of its current mid-engined C8 Corvettes can accelerate from 0-60mph within almost a second of each other, ranging from the 2.9-second Stingray, the 2.6-second Z06, the 2.5-second E-Ray and the 2.3-second ZR1, all fitted with their relevant performance packages.
Sadly, Australia doesn’t get the ZR1 nor ZR1X, with the hybrid E-Ray being the fastest-accelerating Corvette you can buy locally.
