Corvette ZR1 hits 233 mph: Fastest car built by the automaker

The Corvette hit 233 mph with the engine at redline in sixth gear.

Edited for 6 vs 8 speeds: If there were that much power to spare with an 8-speed, this would actually imply not gearing limited unless they were artificially limiting it to 6th... Perhaps for some reason other than not enough power, like executive safety, 7/8 gear strength, tire limitations, cooling limitations, or perhaps even just not enough real estate? If they were able to top 6th going BOTH directions, that could point to this being beginning rater than the end.

Alternatively, out of my element here, but would the downforce producing features also induce additional drag beyond the advertised Cd as speed increases? For airplanes the induced drag decreases with speed because the angle of attack needed to maintain altitude decreases. But a car is more like a plane being held at a constant angle of attack and altitude while being forced to just go faster, causing things like earlier flow separation with speed, which I'm not sure conventional automotive advertised Cd methods account for.

It was all of that styling that slowed it down.

In reply to Snrub :

Might just be the way they're geared. They both might have the power to reach higher speeds, but the gearing/redline doesn't allow it.

The weird thing is it said it was at redline in 6th, which implies near peak power.  Maybe it's just redline limited and 7th is a super economy gear and unable to take it faster?

rough math shows with good gearing it should be able to go much faster than 233

In reply to TravisTheHuman :

Not terribly weird.  The 6 speed C4s (and F bodies) hit top speed in 5th, not 6th.

Heck, even the early RX-7s, which did not have particularly tall 5th gears, hit top speed in 4th, which was redline at 120.  They could maintain that speed in 5th but they wouldn't accelerate.  I may have verified this once... a day...

No, its not terribly weird (although I'm surprised there are 2 economy gears), especially for Corvettes.

That said, if they wanted to make a big deal out of a top speed, I would think they'd choose the ratio(s) a bit differently *shrug*

Almost every car review I read through the years, the top speed is set using a gear closer to 1:1.

The Corvette still has to help the corporate CAFE numbers, so the gearing reflects that.  It's only been since the proliferation of 8, 9, or even 10 spd gearboxes that you could have tremendous acceleration through the first 6 or 7 gears, and still have a few gears for cruising/fuel economy.

BTW: Here's a 6-minute documentary from Chevrolet about the top-speed run.

"Reuss took one of the two ZR1s to 233 mph. As the video shows, that's redline in sixth gear. We asked Reuss if he thought a change in gearing would eke out another few miles per hour, but he assured us it had "nothing left in it." "

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a62602821/chevrolet-corvette-zr1-to-233-mph-reuss/

I love all the armchair engineering trying to figure out why it's "only" going 233 :) Corvettes (as far as I am aware) have had some pretty long legged top gears in the last decade or so to make them relaxed highway cruisers. Corvette clubs seem to have at least one pilgrimage a year to Bowling Green, it's a different use case than most Miata clubs. My LS Miata has Corvette-related gearing and IIRC 5th is good for just over 200, while 6th is something like 305. Not that I have the power or drag to get there.

What got my attention was the "big three" reference. Stellantis is not an American manufacturer any more than Toyota is today. Sure, some of their nameplates started in the US and they wrap themselves in the flag every chance they get, but it's not a US company. If we take automakers with their HQ in the US, the big three are Ford, GM and Tesla.

Keith Tanner said:

I love all the armchair engineering trying to figure out why it's "only" going 233 :) ...

What got my attention was the "big three" reference. Stellantis is not an American manufacturer any more...

We're talking about cars on the Internet. Armchairs are where we are sitting. ;p

I find it funny how Fiat bought Chrysler for a technology transfer in the financial crisis. Now the Fiat part is essentially dead. They spun off Ferrari because it was so profitable. 2 of 4 of the US nameplates are essentially dead. The company exists on the profits of 2 of the remaining US brands. Alfa and Lancia are essentially dead. Not much to say about the French brands.

Snrub said:

"Reuss took one of the two ZR1s to 233 mph. As the video shows, that's redline in sixth gear. We asked Reuss if he thought a change in gearing would eke out another few miles per hour, but he assured us it had "nothing left in it." "

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a62602821/chevrolet-corvette-zr1-to-233-mph-reuss/

Maybe he was talking about his ball sa....er...scrotum.  I know mine would be close to empty at that speed too.

Very impressive, no doubt but I'm not the least bit interested in top speed numbers. I am far more interested in 0-60 mph, 1/4 mile times and Nurburgring lap times because these translate to performance that I can relate to. I'm never going to test the top speed of anything but I will do 0-60 mph over and over and Nurburgring laps also mean the car can stop,turn and accelerate repeatedly without melting down.

As someone who sees GM V8s blow up at stock power levels before their first oil change in truck applications on a regular basis, I'm expecting the life expectancy of a 1000hp V8 from the same company to be measured in minutes.

Keith Tanner said:

If we take automakers with their HQ in the US, the big three are Ford, GM and Tesla.

Woah, you're right! How did that happen?

confuZion3 said:

Keith Tanner said:

If we take automakers with their HQ in the US, the big three are Ford, GM and Tesla.

Woah, you're right! How did that happen?

ChryslerJeepDodgeRam got sold overseas and thus abdicated their position, and there just aren't all that many US automakers once you sort out who owns the nameplates. Fourth is Rivian. Fifth is Lucid or AM General, depending on if you count military vehicles or only civilian.

In reply to NickD :

i was under the assumption that the corvettes don't have any of the AFM/DOD garbage. is there another failure mode?

In reply to budget_bandit :

Oh, the 'Vette has Active Fuel Management since the C7. But we're also seeing the truck 6.2Ls that are wasting the main bearings at sub-4-digit mileage, and it's not uncommon.

NickD said:

In reply to budget_bandit :

Oh, the 'Vette has Active Fuel Management since the C7. But we're also seeing the truck 6.2Ls that are wasting the main bearings at sub-4-digit mileage, and it's not uncommon.

That exclusively on the L87, not older L86 6.2s?

I can't help but think 0w20 isn't great for engine longevity but could be wrong.

flyin_viata said:

NickD said:

In reply to budget_bandit :

Oh, the 'Vette has Active Fuel Management since the C7. But we're also seeing the truck 6.2Ls that are wasting the main bearings at sub-4-digit mileage, and it's not uncommon.

That exclusively on the L87, not older L86 6.2s?

I can't help but think 0w20 isn't great for engine longevity but could be wrong.

L87, yes. According to which engineer you talk to at GM, it's either that the cranks are incorrectly ground or that they changed main bearing suppliers and the new supplier screwed up. 

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Mndsm said:

Driven5 said:

Apparently we're omitting limited production hypercar manufacturers from this claim?

I was the same thing. Hennessey has been there

I suppose that's what "production car" means in this context. Hennessy modifies existing vehicles. Well, when they aren't stealing their customers' money. 

05 Mustang GT - 15 Expedition - 23 Explorer ST

bingo

Driven5 said:

In reply to J.A. Ackley :

Alternatively, it could be argued as the fastest mass-produced production car from a US manufacturer... And perhaps of any manufacturer? Which is the most important aspect of this in my opinion. Of particular note, they're not even putting any limit on how much of Corvette production is ZR1's. They'll build as many as people check that box on the option list.

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

I like how they note aluminum wheels and standard aero package which makes me believe that there will be some z07 style packages because you can get a Z06 with carbon fiber wheels and some extra stuff. 

other random fun fact, I have gotten a ride in one of these ZR1 prototypes, its unreal.

In reply to NickD :

jeez i hadn't heard that. zoinks

 To resume my armchair engineering, my question is this:

We asked Reuss if he thought a change in gearing would eke out another few miles per hour, but he assured us it had "nothing left in it."

That means its using roughly the full 1064hp to hit 233.  The CdA posted on page 1 and some rough math indicates that it wouldn't take anywhere close to 1000hp to hit that speed.
See also, numerous supercars with CdA that isn't that different hitting faster speeds with less power.  Did it really take >1000hp to hit 233?

I'm curious what the CdA is on the Callaway Sledgehammer that did 255mph with 880hp back in 1988

GM finally got to where the Jaguar XJ220 was in 1992 (they used a 500 bhp twin turbo V6)