Still think Corvettes don’t belong in the supercar club? Well, the new C8-generation ZR1 just clocked a jaw-dropping 375 km/h at the High Speed Oval in Papenburg, Germany. That’s enough to make even the snobbiest of supercar purists rethink their stance. In fact, that top speed leapfrogs icons like the Gordon Murray T.50 and Pagani Utopia. 

Behind the wheel for this milestone? None other than General Motors president Mark Reuss, with four-time NASCAR champ Jeff Gordon along for the ride. Because let’s face it, even seasoned executives need a bit of moral support when flirting with speeds like that.

And what a car it is. The ZR1 boasts Chevy’s most powerful engine to date: a monstrous 1,064 bhp (793 kW) and 1,122 Nm flat-plane V8, known as the ‘LT7’. It’s a fire-breathing beast that spins up to 7,000 rpm, sharing some DNA with the LT6, but featuring upgrades like larger ports, a bigger combustion chamber, and optimized valve timing.

For this top-speed run, Chevy’s engineers dialed in a bespoke ‘Top Speed Mode’ to fine-tune the chassis for maximum velocity. Wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and rocking a smaller, aero-optimized rear wing, the ZR1 was primed for this record-breaking moment. Looks like Chevy just silenced the critics.