2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Sets American Speed Record

The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is already celebrating a new record. At a test track in Papenburg, Germany, the car set a two-way average top speed of 233 mph (374.9 km/h), making it the fastest Corvette ever. Not only that, it is also the fastest production vehicle to ever wear the Chevy bowtie, and the fastest production vehicle ever built by an American automaker.

The feat, though impressive, is not a huge surprise, since the Corvette ZR1 is powered by the most powerful V8 engine ever produced by one of Detroit's big three. The car’s 5.5 L, twin-turbocharged, flat-plane crank V8 makes 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. Although there are cars that can go faster, Chevrolet points out that none costs less than a million dollars.

What is surprising is that the test driver at the wheel of the Corvette ZR1 when it set its speed record was none other than General Motors President Mark Reuss. Although other test drivers at the track were able to drive the Corvette at speeds in excess of 230 mph (370 km/h), Reuss was given the honour of setting the two-way record, which sees the vehicle drive a track in both directions, to negate any assistance wind or slight elevation changes might provide.

“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.”

Chevrolet did not modify the ZR1 to set this record, but its engineers chose the lower-drag base model version to complete this high-speed run (a higher downforce version with a big wing is also available for drivers who prefer lap times to high-speed records). Reuss also made use of the Top Speed Mode, which was designed for closed course use and adjusts the chassis control systems to maximize the ZR1’s performance at high speeds.

Pricing for the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has not yet been announced, but production is set to begin next year.