Corvettes are American supercars that love to draw attention. Many people think that because they are American built, they are somehow slower than European supercars. However, that is definitely not the case, and it’s worth taking a look at which Corvette is the fastest.
The fastest Corvette ever built so far is the 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray. The C8 is the first mid-engine Corvette, and it can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. It has a top speed of just under 200 mph, despite having less horsepower than most modern supercars.
Corvettes are incredible machines that always push the limits of engineering. The basic versions receive updated special editions which feature multiple upgrades and enhancements to make the Corvette even faster. Below, we’ll discuss the fastest Corvettes, and the Corvettes of the future.
Are Corvettes Fast?
Corvettes are some fastest supercars around. Despite being designed and built in the United States, the Corvette is one of the most feared supercars to go up against regardless of what you’re driving. The Corvette can take on some of the best European supercars and still beat them in races.
Modern Corvettes are often used in street races and in professional circuit races. While the rules equalize the cars in modern circuit racing, Chevrolet have always been extremely competitive with their racing cars.
Your average Corvette can easily keep up with just about any other supercar. With 495 horsepower, a top speed of 194 mph, and 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds, the Corvette is up there with the best. In comparison, a Lamborghini Huracan has 631 horsepower with a top speed of 202 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds.
Handling Adjustments
The Corvette has always had a natural ‘problem’ with its handling in that the cars were always extremely ‘tail-happy’. This was caused by the car being front-engine and rear wheel drive. With a huge amount of torque being pushed through the rear wheels and no weight on top of it, the Corvette was known to be difficult to handle, especially while under heavy acceleration.
This problem has mostly been resolved since the latest C8 middle has been built with as a mid-engine arrangement. This places the weight in the center of the car and keeps it well balanced.
Classic Corvettes (1950s to 1980)
Corvettes of the early days were as slow as any other cars of the time period when compared to modern supercars. However, the Corvette C3 Stingray was the fastest model built by the American manufacturers during this time. These models produced 370 horsepower, a top speed of 134 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds.
At the time this was one of the fastest cars on the market, beating Ferraris and Mustangs, putting Chevrolet firmly on the map as a supercar-producing manufacturer.
Corvette (1980-2000)
The 1980s and 1990s brought about a new dawn for the Chevrolet Corvette. It saw the release of some of their most successful cars. The Corvettes built by Chevrolet during these years have been remembered fondly by many petrol heads.
The most successful Corvette of this era was the 1990 ZR1. The ZR1 had 380 horsepower in the bank with a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 175 mph. For comparison, the Legendary Ferrari F50 of 1990 had 512 horsepower, could go from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and had a top speed of 201 mph.
The Corvette did slip down a bit in terms of performance during this time period, but it was still a contender against famous supercars. While it couldn’t take on the European giants this time around, it was still a force to be reckoned with.
Corvette (2000-2010)
The 2009 Corvette ZR1 is simply one of the greatest Corvette cars ever to be built. This car is one of the most recognizable in its history, and if you’re talking about a Corvette, chances are people are thinking about this iconic model.
The 2009 ZR1 was a real rocket ship. It had an enormous supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that packed 638 horsepower. This ZR1 launched from 0-60 mph in a whopping 3.5 seconds, and could hit a top speed of just over 200 mph. It was also the most expensive Corvette yet.
Unfortunately for Chevrolet, they weren’t the only ones that produced a mega car that year. 2009 also saw the likes of the Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini LP670-4 Superveloce, Koenigsegg CCX, and the Nissan GTR hit the market.
Fast And Relatively Affordable
These 4 cars are the only models built in 2009 that were faster than the Corvette, making it one of the fastest American cars ever built (at the time). The price tag also wasn’t too bad for the amount of car that you got either, with only the Nissan GTR ($76,840) being cheaper than the Corvette ($106,520) in 2009’s supercar list.
The Nissan GTR stole the show in 2009 though, and much of the attention was drawn away from the mighty car that Chevrolet had built. While the Corvette was almost as quick, the GTR was praised for its extremely cheap price tag and incredible handling ability on a racetrack, which was something that the Corvette didn’t get right just yet.
Modern Corvettes (2010-2021)
The 2020 Corvette Stingray is the model that finally led the American supercar giant to building a mid-engine car. It certainly paid off as well. The 2020 C8 Corvette Stingray packs 495 horsepower in its engine, which when you compare it to other current supercars may not sound like much.
But when you dive deeper into the numbers you can get a better idea of just how fast this machine really is. It can launch from 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, and with less horsepower than its predecessors.
It has a top speed of just under 200 mph, which again, is not the fastest, but is still very fast! It’s the handling model that really brings the new Corvette into the fight though. The mid-engine set up helps to balance the car and gives it a lot more mechanical grip, making it much faster around a racetrack than some faster-on-paper supercars.
Its specs put it somewhat close to legendary European supercars such as the McLaren Senna and the Ferrari F8. However, trying to find reliable lap time data for these cars to compare them can be tough, and so it’s tough to call which would be fastest on a circuit.
4 Fastest Corvettes Compared
1. 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (With Z51 Package)
0-60 mph – 2.9 s
Top Speed – 194
Power – 490-495 BHP
2. 2009 Corvette ZR1
0-60 mph – 3.5
Top Speed – 205 mph
Power – 638 BHP
3. 1990 Corvette ZR1
0-60 mph – 4.5 s
Top Speed – 175 mph
Power – 380 BHP
4. Corvette C3 Stingray
0-60 mph – 5.9 s
Top Speed – 134 mph
Power – 370 BHP
Future Corvettes
The future looks very exciting for Corvette. They have a massive line up for the next couple of years, featuring famous models such as the ZR1, Z06 and a Corvette Zora planned for 2025.
The Zora will be one of the first Corvettes to use an electric motor to aid the combustion engine. Chevrolet is predicting this to be the fastest Corvette ever built. The estimated specs speak for themselves. With 1000 horsepower, 200+ mph and a 0-60 mph time of 2.0 seconds, the Zora will become one of the fastest cars in the world, and by far the fastest American-built car in the world.
A Lot Of Car For The Price
Despite all of that power and the impressive estimated stats, the Zora will also come with a cheaper price tag than an equivalent performing Ferrari or Lamborghini. With an estimated price of $150,000, picking up a car like the Zora will be a bargain.
It’s fair to say that Corvette fans are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Zora. However, it will be a while before we see it breaking cover. While it is planned to release in 2025, Corvette have a bad habit of delaying the release of their new cars, which has happened numerous times in the past.
With the Zora using all new technology and materials, Corvette will need to work extra hard to have it ready in time. Hopefully, they can deliver on their promises and have the Zora out on public roads by 2025.
Final Thoughts
While Corvettes were never at the top of the list in terms of raw speed and acceleration, they were always close behind the leaders. Chevrolet have consistently produced fast cars that can take on European giants. The future looks to hold good things for fans of the Corvette, and time will tell just how fast the next Corvettes will be.