The C8 ZR1’s Top Speed Is 21 MPH Faster Than the C7’s

With honking twin turbochargers and more than 1000 hp, the C8 Corvette ZR1’s LT7 twin-turbo V-8 was sure to be capable of propelling the new king of the castle to some absurd speeds. But even we didn’t see this one coming: At a high-speed oval test track in Papenburg, Germany, GM president Mark Reuss pushed the ZR1 to a top speed of 233 mph.

Two hundred and thirty-three miles per hour.

That figure secures several accolades for the C8-generation Corvette ZR1, including the fastest car GM has ever produced, the fastest car priced under $1M, and the fastest series-production car produced by an American auto manufacturer. (You can quibble in the comments over whether Hennessey’s Venom F5 or the SSC Tuatara are worthy of a caveat on that last one.)

Best of all, the record-setting car was just a standard chassis and aero package, with a standard spoiler, carbon-fiber ground effects, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, and aluminum wheels. That two-way average pulled by Reuss and the development engineer riding shotgun wasn’t a one-off, either. Chevy says that five engineers and both development cars on site cracked the 230-mph mark across multiple runs.

According to Chevy, the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg facility is ideal for these types of runs, thanks to its goldilocks air density and temperature readings. The C6– and C7-gen Corvette ZR1s set their top-speed figures—205 and 212 mph, respectively—there, as did the sixth-generation Camaro ZL1 (198 mph).

Check out the video below to get the low-down on this staggering feat.