The Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1 is, arguably, an instant classic because it marks the end of an era for the Corvette brand being the last of the front-engined models to sport this famous badge. While we're waiting impatiently for the go-fast versions of the latest, mid-engined 'Vette, let's all take a moment to remember just how fast the C7 ZR1 really was.

Is 214 mph fast enough for you?

Modern supercars are bestowed with staggering amounts of power that translate to jaw-dropping figures such as sub-three-second 0-60 times, top speeds in excess of 210 or even 220 mph, and fighter jet-like quarter-mile times. It's all being done in utmost serenity as today's league of mind-numbingly fast machines are light years away from the flimsy supercars of yesteryear that were haphazardly put together to the point that you'd expect bits to fall off as you drive along.

In short, the current breed of rapid-fire tarmac eaters prove that going really fast doesn't have to be scary.

Most sane people would argue that it's a waste of time to even conceive a car able of reaching such speeds when you can't go faster than 70 mph on most highways and even Germany's once-unlimited autobahn is nowadays riddled by heavy traffic and speed cameras. But everyone loves the bragging rights that are part of the deal when you build a fast car and speed is one of those few eye-catching metrics which is why you can't have something like a Corvette, America's answer to the Ferraris, Jaguars, and Porsches of the world, not be up there in the speed war.

It is, then, easy to see why the latest ZR1 is an incredibly fast car despite it being designed with track days in mind - hence the wing in the back and that ultra-aggressive splitter in the front.

Developing 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque, it is the most powerful engine ever fitted to a Corvette and it allows the C7 ZR1 to go from naught to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds while the quarter-mile is covered in just 10.6 seconds, at which point a ZR1 has already reached 134 mph.

Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1 specifications

Type:

LT5 6.2L Supercharged V-8 with direct and port injection

Bore & stroke (in / mm)

4.06 x 3.62 / 103.25 x 92

Horsepower

755 HP @ 6,300 RPM (SAE certified)

Torque

715 LB-FT @ 4,400 RPM (SAE certified)

0 to 60 mph

2.9 seconds

Quarter mile time

10.6 seconds

Quarter mile speed

134 mph

Top Speed

214 mph


The fact that the C7 ZR1 can actually reach the manufacturer-submitted top speed has been proven in the past but, just for the sake of it, the guys at Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds put a C7 ZR1 to the test once more. As you'd expect, you need quite a lot of open space to try something like this and the airstrip at the proving grounds sure come in handy when you try to see just how fast a car goes.

Watch the video to see just how much airstrip you need to get to little over 210 mph in a C7 ZR1 as well as to see how much time it takes to pull it off (spoiler: you probably take longer to brush your teeth).