From the March/April 2026 issue of Car and Driver.
Lap Time: 2:34.2
Class: LL4 | Base: $216,380 | As Tested: $238,695
Power and Weight: 1064 hp • 3899 lb • 3.7 lb/hp
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ZP
F: 275/30ZR-20 (97Y) TPC Spec 3124
R: 345/25ZR-21 (104Y) TPC Spec 4033
The only thing you think about when booking it down the Front Straight on your way to 179.0 mph (a new record) in the Corvette ZR1 is when you'll brake. The 1064-hp monster makes the section from Hog Pen through Horse Shoe feel like one giant arc, with sidestepping through the kink in the Front Straight suddenly a 1.04-g event. It's followed by a sustained 1.50 g's of braking into Turn 1, just shy of the 5 marker. Strap the eff in if you want to go ten-tenths in a ZR1, because it's so fast that it changes the track by shrinking it.
Despite the low grip in Turn 1 (a 2026 anomaly), the ZR1 makes use of its power so effectively out of Turn 1 that we hit 118.9 mph before squeezing the brakes at the apex of Turn 2 to prepare for the sweeping NASCAR Bend left-hander. Performance Traction Management's Race 2 mode nurtures right-foot confidence with every lap. We did not explore the new PTM Pro mode because it fully deactivates stability and traction control. With a 1064-hp rear-driver? That's more fun than fast.
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The second big-speed zone is at the entrance to the Climbing Esses. Finding the courage to turn into the four-corner shimmy flat at 166.2 mph came at the cost of one destroyed carbon-fiber front wheel ($6060 at the parts counter) when we clipped the curbing's leading edge. When we got it right, the ZR1 clobbered the Climbing Esses record, averaging 141.2 mph, 5.2 mph better than the Porsche GT3 RS from two years ago.
The Back Straight brings up 172.0 mph, which calls for a big braking event before the tight right dubbed Bitch. The braking zone is fraught with complications, and the ZR1's brakes are a bit uncommunicative, which erodes trust. This is a gripe consistent with other electro hydraulically boosted brake systems and just about our only dynamic complaint with this Corvette. We would also prefer a stiffer bucket seat that's mounted lower, a circular steering wheel, and rearward visibility objectively better than "legal."
Going this fast requires some preparation. It starts with putting the wheels and tires into a kerosene oven to preheat them. Not having to heat up the tires on track keeps the ZR1's powertrain temperatures relatively low—Chevy engineers suggested we keep boost below 6 psi on our out lap. If you want to set more than one qualifying-pace lap in short order, the engine needs time to cool. In the paddock between runs, the Chevy engineers supporting Lightning Lap manually activated the electric water pump and affixed fans to blow on all the heat exchangers. It takes about 15 minutes between runs to get the engine coolant "back to ambient," saving hours.
After the hairpin right off the Back Straight, the rest of the lap is less harrowing by comparison. The ZR1's average speed before that corner is 102 mph, and after it's 88 mph. With the big-speed events behind us, the rest of the lap becomes a series of apexes to connect, if in very rapid succession. The ZR1 crosses the finish line with a 2:34.2, which is 0.7 second faster than the McLaren Senna and a new Lightning Lap record. We're already thinking about the braking points for next year's 1250-hp ZR1X.
Hot and Tire(d)
Anyone who questions GM's commitment to winning Lightning Lap should look no further than the tire budget for its two cars. Eleven sets of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs were on hand. Retail value: $28K. And that doesn't include the cost of the custom kerosene oven, which is preferred to traditional blanket warmers because the wheels and tires are heated, not just the tires.
C/D Is Dropping Records
We knew the ZR1 had a good chance at toppling the McLaren Senna's 2:34.9 lap from seven years ago, but we weren't sure exactly how it would do it. The Senna is 869 pounds lighter and has active aero. Despite this, and the cars' similar pounds-per-horsepower quotients (3.7 for the ZR1, 3.8 for the Senna), the ZR1 was 6.1 mph faster on the Front Straight. The new LL record isn't due solely to straight-line speed, though; the ZR1's high-speed handling earned it top honors in the Climbing Esses too.
High Five
The Corvette ZR1 hit 179.0 mph, unseating the McLaren 765LT for highest observed speed at Lightning Lap. The Lamborghini Temerario had a good showing too, its 173.6 mph nabbing third overall. Still, McLarens dominate the top-five list.
- 179.0 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
- 174.6 McLaren 765LT
- 173.6 Lamborghini Temerario
- 172.9 McLaren Senna
- 171.7 McLaren 720S
K.C. Colwell, the executive editor at Car and Driver, is a seasoned professional with a deep-rooted passion for new cars and technology. His journey into the world of automotive journalism began at an early age when his grandmother gifted him a subscription to Car and Driver for his 10th birthday. This gift sparked a lifelong love for the industry, and he read every issue between then and his first day of employment. He started his Car and Driver career as a technical assistant in the fall of 2004. In 2007, he was promoted to assistant technical editor. In addition to testing, evaluating, and writing about cars, technology, and tires, K.C. also set the production-car lap record at Virginia International Raceway for C/D's annual Lightning Lap track test and was just the sixth person to drive the Hendrick Motorsport Garage 56 Camaro. In 2017, he took over as testing director until 2022, when was promoted to executive editor and has led the brand to be one of the top automotive magazines in the country. When he’s not thinking about cars, he likes playing hockey in the winter and golf in the summer and doing his best to pass his good car sense and love of '90s German sedans to his daughter. He might be the only Car and Driver editor to own a Bobcat: the skidsteer, not the feline. Though, if you have a bobcat guy, reach out. K.C. resides in Chelsea, Michigan, with his family.
