The Nürburgring Nordschleife has the tendency of putting the egos of unsuspecting drivers in check. Those with years of experience know even better that you can't find every nuance in every one of the 154 turns. Keeping the car clean over 12.9 miles is a grueling test of both endurance and consistency.
Misha Charoudin, long-time Nürburgring resident, has more Nordschliefe experience than most could ever dream. He recently got the chance to drive the unicorn (to Europe) known as the C8 Corvette. He covers his full experience of two blazing laps via his YouTube channel.
Expectations Meet Reality
In Europe, there is a lot hype surrounding the new mid-engine supercar killer from Chevy. Most people will never see one driving around in traffic, if ever. The new Corvette only started making its way to Europe in October of 2021, so it's safe to say they are rare to find.
Thus, there are a lot of unknowns and speculation attached with the C8 Corvette for good reason. If you've never seen one how can you make a fair assessment? Lucky enough, this C8 Corvette found its way to the mecca of automotive testing: the Nürburgring.
For those curious about the details of the European-spec C8, the Z51 Performance Package and 2LT trim level come standard. The performance pack means better braking, tires, exhaust, aero, and shorter gearing. All will help go quicker around the 'Ring. The 2LT trim offers much deserved interior creature comforts, but doesn't affect performance. As far as non-OEM modifications go, the owner has upgraded brake pads, but nothing more.
Hitting the Green Hell
This is Charoudin's first time in a Corvette of any kind. The first statement he makes as he gets into the car is "as someone who has no prior experience with Corvettes, I really really like it." Approaching the track entrance, they adjust the drive mode to track and turn DSC off. For mid-engine cars Charoudin claims he doesn't turn DSC off. Yet, he justified this time by saying its a "top down, just enjoy it"-type lap first time out. We will soon see it was far from chill.
As he took the Corvette from the bottom of first to the top of 5th on the first front straight, it looked like a timed lap. Coming into the first tight corning section, the lateral grip and feel stunned him. You could tell that he was immediately comfortable with the way the car drives.
Charoudin focused in as he hit 153 MPH on the "straight" section of Kottenborn corner. Within the first two minutes of the lap, he had already passed almost two dozen other cars with ease. Porsche GT3s, club race cars, you name it.
His first comment after several minutes of focused driving? "It's really really good." The owner replies, "Are the brakes okay?" To which Charoudin responded, "Yup" as he continued flying through the corners.
The Performer
Finally finishing up his first 12.9 mile lap, Charoudin states,
Why? There is an immediate sense of trust established when driving the car on track. Few cars can say this. The brakes had no fade even on stock fluid over the course of back to back laps. Engine and coolant temperature were in check all the way through.
Charoudin claims the suspension is near perfect. "I was doing corner speeds through certain corners that I wouldn't do in other cars. That I didn't do today in the GTR, for example." Looks like Chevy made the right choice developing and testing the C8 at the Nürburgring. If you are debating the performance package that is the C8, is there that much more to think about?