2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8

Wait, what? Corvette’s head of engineering says the ZR1X is *not* the final boss

Tony Roma also hinted the C8 will soon attempt to contest the Mustang GTD’s ‘Ring record

Think the part-hybrid, part-savage ‘ZR1X’ is the ultimate form of the C8? Think again. Because Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma hinted there'll be even more to come from the mid-engined supercar.

“The backbone we’ve built into the C8 is proving to be super capable,” said Roma. “The things we’ve learned from creating the various models so far and the opportunities we have in the future with this chassis are incredible. The ZR1X is not the end of the story, it’s just the latest chapter. The team that works on it has a very ‘what can we do, and how can we do it?’ attitude. They see possibilities and not challenges.”

Interesting. It’s unlikely whatever work will be carried out on an even harder ZR1X would involve more power, given the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and front-mounted e-motor produce a combined 1,250bhp. That’s… a lot. Enough to get this thing from 0-60mph in under two seconds.

Roma confirmed the top speed hasn’t yet been tested, but said there’s no reason why the ZR1X won’t match the ZR1’s 233mph rating. But really, what is the point of all this speed and power in the first place?

 
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is the fastest American car ever around the Nürburgring

The Ford Mustang GTD has had its US-spec record nabbed by a 1,250bhp hybrid ‘Vette

Back in December last year, Ford announced that its new-but-not-a-diesel GTD had set a Nürburgring lap time of 6m 57.6s, making it the fastest American car ever to lap the Green Hell. Then, in May this year Ford went back to Germany and shaved 5.5 seconds off that time for a new record of 6m 52.072s.

Unfortunately, that record has now been blitzed by not just one, but two different Chevrolet Corvettes.

Yep, the bonkers ZR1X – the hybridised, all-wheel drive 1,250bhp Corvette – is now the new American record holder, with a blistering lap time of 6m 49.275s. And the ‘standard’ ZR1 with its twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 sending 1,064bhp to the rear wheels alone wasn’t far behind, with an official ‘Ring time of 6m 50.763s.

Both of those cars were equipped with the track-focussed ZTK Package, and both lap times were set by non-professional racecar drivers. Wait, what?

 
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray now available in SA - here's how much it'll cost to put one in your driveway

Ever dreamed of owning a Corvette? For the first time ever, the Chevrolet sports car is available in South Africa as a factory-built right-hand drive vehicle.

However this doesn’t mark the official return of the Chevrolet brand, which exited our market when General Motors pulled the plug in 2017. Rather, it is an exclusive and low-volume import via the CVH Auto Group, based in Bryanston, Johannesburg.

What's the price?

Getting the new Corvette Stingray into your driveway will set you back from R3.7 million, with both the coupe, convertible and Z06 models being available to South Africans.

That makes it a shade more expensive than the Porsche 911 GTS (R3.25m) and cheaper than the 911 GT3 (R4.62m) and Mercedes-AMG’s GT63 S (R4.38m).

The Corvette Stingray, introduced in 2020, is the first-ever series-produced mid-engined Corvette, with previous iterations having been front-engined.

 
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