Chevy Gets Triggered by Ford GT's VIR Record, Sets New One in Corvette ZR1
The Ford GT recently set a lap record for production cars at the demanding Virginia International Raceway in the hands of a Car and Driver magazine hotshoe.
The GT’s VIR lap record, which stood at 2:43.00, was enough to dethrone the $1 million Porsche 918 Spyder as the king of the rural American circuit. It stirred up some commotion on the internet, with enthusiasts singing the Ford GT’s praises as the be all end all of raw, track-ready performance cars.
That was until General Motors got word of the record. Chevrolet, filled with disdain for its crosstown rivals in Dearborn, brought a Corvette ZR1 out to VIR this past week and absolutely smashed the Ford GT’s lap record, turning in a time of 2:37.25. The car had vehicle dynamics engineer Jim Mero at the helm, a man who practically lives in Corvettes and has logged more track time than anyone short of a professional racing driver. Mero is definitely faster than Car and Driver’s personal hotshoe, but the ZR1 also has more power than the GT, along with downforce levels that rival the mid-engine Ford.
SEE ALSO: So a Ford GT, Fiesta ST, Some Mustangs and a Raptor Walk into a Bar…
The Team Chevy guys also brought a seven-speed manual Corvette Z06 out to VIR, which Mero hustled for a quick 2:39.77 lap. We’d be curious to see how fast Mero could get a Ford GT around VIR, but we get the feeling his GM overlords won’t be letting him behind the wheel of the Blue Oval’s mid-engine supercar anytime soon.
You can see the onboard video from the ZR1’s VIR lap record embedded below.
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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