C8 Corvette ZR1 spied charging ’round the ‘Ring with mega wing

Spy Photographers have captured images of what appears to be a C8 Corvette ZR1 development mule undergoing dynamic testing at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe in Eifel, Germany.

Holy wing, batman.

The ZR1 will be the gnarliest C8 yet, wilder than either the razor-sharp Z06 or the future-focused hybrid Corvette E-Ray. The photographers claim that the ZR1 was testing two different rear wing configurations, but we only see one in this gallery. That said, we did see another ZR1 mule earlier this year that definitely has a smaller wing on it, so we’ll roll with their claim.

There’s precedent for two different wings. The C7 ZR1 offered two different aero packages—the base one and a much more aggressive ZTK package which was capable of producing 1000 lbs of downforce. Expect a similarly bonkers number for the wilder of the two packages on the C8 ZR1, assuming that we will get two variants. Heck, there might even be active aero, a-la the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

Aside from the rear wing, there are a few other bodywork tweaks that stick out. First, those vents on the hood: The ZR1 will, predictably, build huge amounts of heat from any number of high-performance engineering components. Those openings are likely heat extractors to help manage temps on the front brakes, or perhaps as an exit for the air flowing over one of the ZR1’s many, many heat exchangers.

Second: There are two little vents just behind the main intake channels on the sides of the car. We’ll speculate here: The ZR1 is expected to use an upgraded, twin-turbo variant of the LT6 DOHC V-8 engine that powers the Z06. In the ZR1, it’s rumored that this engine will be called the LT7 and could pump out nearly 800–850 hp. Perhaps those openings are separate intakes directly ramming air into the turbos? Maybe they’re new channels to blast ambient air onto the dual-clutch automatic transmission that’s going to be banging off gear shifts at a frantic pace? Cooling ducts for the rear brakes, which look extremely large? Whatever they’re for, we dig ’em.

As far as shoes go, the mule seen here has some ridiculously wide rear wheels, likely necessary to cope with all the power that this beast is going to be putting down. The fronts aren’t exactly svelte either, and the sticky rubber that’s sure to come standard here should make for exceptionally deft handling traits. (GM engineers are kind of wizards when it comes to that stuff.)

It’s unlikely that we’ll see any sort of hybridization in the ZR1—that honor will likely be reserved for the Zora, an even wilder version of the C8 that’s supposedly also in the works. If that’s true, the C8 ZR1 could be the final pure-ICE Corvette ever, a milestone that will certainly carry weight with collectors and enthusiasts down the road.

If the thing drives as menacing as it looks, it might be time for tracks everywhere to dust off those lap record boards. The new king of the Corvettes is coming.

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