Corvette ZR1 clocks 375 km/h; Fastest car under $1 million

The Corvette ZR1 was factory stock with the standard aero package.

The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has managed to crack the 230 mph (370 km/h) mark, making it the fastest car priced under US$ 1 million.

The top-speed run took place at the Automotive Testing Papenburg's High-Sped Oval Track in Germany. The Corvette ZR1 reached a top speed of 233 mph (374.9 km/h) and was driven by Mark Reuss, President of General Motors. The top speed was an average of a two-way run on the north and southbound straightaways of the oval track. In addition to the GM President, five engineers also managed to crack the 230 mph speed.

The Corvette ZR1 was factory stock with the standard aero package and rode on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres with aluminium wheels. However, the run did use a specially developed 'Top Speed' Mode to go 233 mph at redline in sixth gear with an engineer in the passenger seat. The drive mode adjusts chassis control systems to achieve max speeds and is reserved for closed-course driving.

Chris Barber, Lead Development Engineer, Corvette ZR1, stated, "We actually didn’t think 233 was in the cards. That’s part of the reason everyone was so excited. Not only did we meet the target, we did better. It speaks to the confidence the car provides, how easy it felt for us to do something that sounds just insane." He further added, "We’ve done some cool stuff, but I’ve never seen the group so ecstatic. Having Mark Reuss there as the driver just added to it."

Talking about the Corvette ZR1, the car comes powered by a twin-turbo 5.5-litre flat-plane crank LT7 engine. It produces 1,064 BHP making it the most powerful American V8 production car by a major automaker.