The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is now the fastest car ever built by an American auto manufacturer.
At a test track in Germany, General Motors President Mark Reuss drove a 2025 Corvette ZR1 233 mph, setting a top speed record unrivalled by any current production car priced under $1 million.
The Corvette team set this two-way average speed on the northbound and southbound straightaways of the High-Speed Oval Track at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg, in a recent test in Papenburg, Germany.
“Setting the top-speed record in the Corvette ZR1 is a true triumph for Corvette and for Chevrolet, and also an exhilarating, surreal experience for me personally,” said Reuss. “With the current generation’s switch to mid-engine, we knew the outstanding performance and balance made this a real possibility. To go over there and get it done is a testament to the power of ZR1, and to the incredibly talented team that developed and built it.”
The ZR1 features the most powerful V8 engine ever produced in America by an auto manufacturer. Corvette shifted to mid-engine architecture in 2020, unlocking new levels of performance and innovation.
Chevrolet engineers leveraged GM’s deep software, modeling, and hardware development knowledge to set a new speed benchmark for American automakers.
Facts about Corvette ZR1’s record-setting run:
- The ZR1 coupe which set the record had a standard chassis and aero package, with a standard spoiler with short wicker, carbon fiber ground effects, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires and aluminum wheels.
- Chevrolet engineers developed Top Speed Mode, exclusively for closed course use, which adjusts chassis control systems for maximum speed.
- The ZR1 reached 233 mph with the engine at redline in sixth gear.
- During testing, including Reuss’s record run, an engineer was in the passenger seat analyzing data in real-time.
- The 233-mph run was not a one-off performance. Five engineers and both ZR1 development cars onsite exceeded 230 mph across multiple runs.
- Papenburg provided optimal conditions, such as temperature and air density, for a high-speed test. Chevrolet engineers have previously set top speeds for the sixth and seventh generation Corvette ZR1, and the sixth generation Camaro ZL1 at this facility.
- The ZR1 is the fastest car GM has ever produced.
SOURCE: Chevrolet
