2016 Corvette Z06’s Rumored Nurburgring Time: 7:08

By Manuel Carrillo III - July 7, 2015

Seven minutes, eight seconds. I had to long-form that Nürburgring time, for it is a number so sweet. As far as the story goes right now, that’s the Corvette Z06’s rumored Nurburgring time according to Autoweek. If that rumored Nürburgring time is true, it must be savored multiple ways. If your head hasn’t jettisoned off your spinal column from the excruciating pain of having to wait so long for the C7 Corvette Z06’s official Nurburgring time, then please join us in celebrating a new milestone in Corvette performance … even if it is just a rumor. Headless people need not apply.

If this rumor is true, this is definitely a Christmas morning moment for Corvette fans. Let’s take a look at some other performance car ‘Ring times and see where the C7 Z06 falls.

Yep, (if this rumor is true) it’s beaten the Nissan GT-R NISMO (again), and that feels pretty good to you right about now, doesn’t it? It feels good to me, too (if this rumor is true).

While the wait for this info has been uncomfortably long, this Nurburgring time (if true), and the Corvette’s resultant victory over the GT-R NISMO is all that much sweeter for the wait, especially when you consider the four reasons why we’ve had to wait for so long.

First consider that back in May in our “Ask Tadge” section, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said, “We were finally able to confirm the performance of the car on a continuous lap of the Nurburgring. We are putting together the press release and will have the lap time and video out shortly. I can tell you we were more than satisfied with the results.”

And then consider that right about when Chevy was ready to release the official time, news came out that the Nurburgring was banning official record attempts.

Here’s the third thing to consider: In Corvette Forum’s “Ask Tadge” section, Corvette Vehicle Dynamics Engineer Jim Mero has told us, “Opportunities for exclusive track time have been diminishing over the past few years.” Speaking with our sister outlet Motor Authority, Corvette spokesman Monte Doran added, “There are only very small windows of time when manufacturers can record a lap on video. During industry pool days, all video and photography equipment is banned from the track, as there are multiple manufacturers testing confidential vehicles. The windows available for ‘exclusive’ use for video are very small, and sell out fast.”

The fourth and final thing to consider is the weather at the Nürburgring isn’t exactly conducive for driving all year long, let alone all day long. “In 2013 with the C7 Z51, we had several ‘last lap of the day’ opportunities,” Jim Mero said about laying down a ‘Ring time for the Stingray. “Rain prohibited every one of those attempts. One of these laps, I started about three to four minutes behind the Z/28. This was the lap the Z/28 recorded the 7:37 finishing in the rain. When I encountered the rain, the track was more saturated than what Adam Dean (the Camaro driver) had encountered. I aborted the attempt after an 80-mph drift as the track transitioned from dry to wet. Also, our objective for the Z51 was to obtain a lower time than the 7:37.9 of the Carrera S, and I knew completing the lap for a time in the wet would put the car at risk as we still had work left to do.”

As you can see, it’s a hell of a job to set an official ‘Ring time, but Chevy may have finally done it with the Z06. The supercar-spec Corvette has proven itself once again a formidable player in fast company (if this rumor is true). May you sleep with a smile tonight (if this rumor is true).