2025 Corvette ZR1 Blazes To Record 233 MPH With GM's President Behind The Wheel

Hot dang, General Motors has gone and done it! What is "it," you ask? The automaker recently took a couple of its 1,064-horsepower 2025 C8 Corvette ZR1s to the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany and clocked a max velocity of 233 mph, something that the development team wasn't expecting. Moreover, the impressive record run was made with GM's President Mark Reuss at the helm, who as many know, is a big car guy, but not a professional test driver.

We finally know how fast the 2025 Corvette ZR1 can go. With 1,064 hp on tap, the ZR1 has the cojones to match (and exceed) many hypercars in the unobtanium spectrum. Chevrolet recently took a pair of ZR1s to Germany's ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg, which is a 7.8-mile oval test track to see how fast they could go, and wow—did they surprise everyone there.

In the video above, you can see GM President Mark Reuss behind the wheel taking the ZR1 to an average of 233 mph. The top-speed runs were made in both directions to account for wind plus elevation changes on the track. For further drag reduction, the cars sported the smaller of two spoilers available and the shorter front wicker bill. The suspension was reported stock, riding on  Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires with aluminum wheels.


According to Reuss and development engineer Chris Barber, the ZR1 was super easy to get to 230 mph, feeling stable and relaxed throughout the process. Barber said that he and and his team didn't think that "233 was in the cards" until they saw how almost casually the car reached 230 mph on its runs. When the ZR1 was first announced, top speed was expected to be 215 mph, but upon further testing, GM said that the powerful 1,064 hp LT7 engine could top 230 mph. 

Reuss' run wasn't a one-hit wonder either. Reuss was able to take the Corvette to 230 mph in a separate attempt, which speaks volumes to the capabilities of the car, but also to its fairly easy driving nature. Neither Reuss nor Barber are professional drivers, so that bodes well for future owners as a get-up-and-go machine. Nonetheless, we should stress that future owners should also test the performance of the cars in controlled environments such as drag strips or race tracks.

The 2025 Corvette ZR1 is expected to start at $180,000, with first orders to arrive early 2025.

Photo credits: Chevrolet