Stock 2025 Corvette ZR1 Hits 233 Miles Per Hour

I have to admit I tensed up a bit when I heard GM President Mark Reuss was going to drive the 2025 Corvette on a test track to see what top speed was.  The last time we saw Mark in a Corvette, it wasn’t pretty.  If you missed it, take a look at this 1-minute account from ESPN.  - Car Pro Show Host Jerry Reynolds

Wow do we wish we'd been there to see this! The 2025 Corvette ZR1 setting a top speed record with General Motors President Mark Reuss at the wheel! 

Reuss recently drove a stock a 2025 Corvette ZR1 233 miles per hour at a test track in Germany. Chevrolet says it set a top speed record that's unrivalled by any current production car priced under $1 million. Back in July when Chevy revealed the new ZR1,  the automaker said "Corvette ZR1 boasts a GM-estimated top speed of over 215 mph on the racetrack".

Chevy says 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 GM President Mark 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.”

Members of the Corvette team, including GM President Mark Reuss on the track in Papenburg, Germany. Preproduction models shown. Actual production model may vary. Credit: Chevrolet.

The 2025 ZR1 is equipped with the most powerful V8 engine ever produced in America by an auto manufacturer. It's the first ZR1 of the new-generation, mid-engine Corvette that launched in 2020.

Chevrolet says its 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.

The 2025 Corvette ZR1 has the following features:

• A 5.5L, twin-turbocharged LT7 DOHC flat-plane crank V8 engine
• 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm, per SAE guidelines — the most power ever from a factory Corvette and the most powerful V8 ever produced in America from an auto manufacturer
• A GM-estimated sub-10-second quarter mile time¹
• Purposeful carbon fiber aero package creating over 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed
• A revival of one of the most iconic styles in Corvette history: the split rear window

You can check out a five-minute mini documentary on Chevrolet's YouTube channel.

Photo Credit:  Chevrolet.