Call it whatever you like: a sports car, a muscle car, or a supercar. The legacy of the Chevrolet Corvette remains the same. Plus, the incredibly long and rich history that it possesses is almost completely unparalleled in the automotive world. The Corvette is one of the few nameplates that's stood the test of time, constantly winning over new fans while continuing to (mostly) satisfy the purists.
A few missteps notwithstanding, the Corvette has grown more competitive with each successive generation. And in its current iteration, it isn't just the fastest production car to ever come from General Motors. It's also one of the fastest cars in the world. While it has seen its share of competition from its Detroit rivals over the years, Chevrolet has spared no expense to ensure that its performance car is first and foremost a global contender — and we wouldn't want it any other way.
But with Corvettes getting faster by the year, and a number of special edition models muddying the waters, it's no small task figuring out which cars are the fastest of all-time. So we crunched the numbers and we came up with a list of the 10 quickest Corvettes, ranked by acceleration time from zero to 60 miles per hour. We've excluded modified models, concepts, and racing-spec cars (including the Z06-R, C7.R, and others), and stuck with production models. So without further ado, here are the 10 fastest Chevrolet Corvettes of all time.
10. 2009 Corvette ZHZ
You couldn't just run out and buy a ZHZ. It was a special edition made for Hertz's Rent-A-Car. But this rental-only model manages to crack the top 10 with good reason. The ZHZ came loaded with a 6.2 liter and a 436-horsepower V8 engine, and it could dash to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds. Just 500 ZHZ models were produced for 2008, all sporting the distinctive yellow paint job and black stripe.
9. 2013 Corvette Grand Sport
The sixth-generation Corvette Grand Sport could make the trip from zero to 60 in four seconds flat. With a 6.2 liter V8 engine under the hood, it could crank out a whopping 430 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque. If that isn't enough to get you excited, it could also reach a top speed of 190 miles per hour.
8. 2016 Corvette Stingray Z51
The current Corvette Stingray is a prime example of why many people believe this is the best Corvette ever. The 2016 seventh-generation car marked the return of the Stingray name, and this road-destroyer sure lived up to it. Zero to 60 came in at 3.8 seconds; it had 455 horsepower on tap; and top speed was 190 miles per hour, courtesy of the 6.2 liter V8 engine. It was also a performance car bargain, with prices starting at just over $50,000. Who says a supercar can't be within your price range?
7. 2013 Corvette 427
Edging out the similar 2013 Grand Sport is the Corvette 427. Chevy's 60th anniversary model, the 427 was far more than the sum of its parts, which were largely borrowed from other special edition Corvettes. It utilized a 7.0 liter V8 engine to generate 505 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. And as far as speed goes, the 427 could tackle the zero to 60 sprint in 3.8 seconds, making it on par with the current Stingray.
6. 2012 Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition
In 2012, the Corvette Z06 Centennial Edition was released to celebrate Chevy's 100th birthday, and it had a six-figure price tag to match. The Centennial Edition could blast from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds, and tackle the quarter mile in 11.9 seconds, utilizing the 7.0 liter, 505-horsepower V8 engine that topped the General Motors engine range.
5. 2009 Corvette GT1 Championship Edition
A limited edition model to celebrate the Corvette GT1's success in the American Le Mans Series, the GT1 Championship Edition could do some real damage on the track. This special edition Corvette could make it to 60 miles per hour from rest in 3.7 seconds on the strength of its 7.0 liter V8 engine. When it came to the Corvette's sixth generation, this version was near the top of the line.
4. 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon
Another Z06 variant, the 2011 Carbon, could make the jump to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds. With a 505-horsepower, 7.0 liter V8 engine, the Z06 Carbon left a mark on the Chevy record books — for a few years, that is. Though not as powerful as some of its counterparts, the Carbon used some nifty tricks to better distribute its weight, which gave it an edge in quickness and agility.
"For track use, the Z06 Carbon is the best balanced Corvette yet. It combines the lightweight and naturally-aspirated Z06 engine with the road-holding and braking of the ZR1," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette's chief engineer, in a General Motors press release. "For technical tracks like Laguna Seca, the Z06 Carbon could shave up to three seconds off the Z06 lap time."
3. 2017 Corvette Grand Sport
It may not be the fastest Corvette you can buy today, but in our opinion, the new Grand Sport has the most bang for your buck. Sharing its 460 horsepower 6.2 liter V8 engine with the base Stingray — and benefiting from a revised suspension and aerodynamics from the top-dog Z06 (more on that car in a minute) — the Grand Sport balances the roles of daily driver and track toy better than any Corvette before it. Zero to 60 comes in at 3.6 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 175 miles per hour.
2. 2013 Corvette ZR1
Coming in close, but not close enough to the title of fastest Corvette is the sixth generation ZR1. The 2013 Corvette ZR1 was truly a monster. It could blast through the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds and scream from a dead stop to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds. Those numbers came with a hefty price tag, too — right around $100,000 when it hit the market. As far as top speed, the ZR1 topped out at 205 miles per hour, thanks to its 638 horsepower, 6.2 liter V8 engine. It held the throne of General Motors fastest production car until 2015, when the Corvette topped itself yet again.
1. 2015 Corvette Z06
For Corvette fans, there's never been a better time to be alive. That's because the 2015 Corvette Z06 is the fastest Corvette — and fastest production car — to ever roll off a General Motors assembly line. The Z06 rockets through the zero to 60 time trial, clocking in at an amazing 2.95 seconds. It sports a 6.2-liter V8 engine that's good for an incredible 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, leaving virtually everything else on the road in the dust.
"The Corvette has long been known as America's sports car," Mark Reuss, General Motors' executive vice president, said in a statement. "With the capability of the new Z06 rivaling the best performance cars in the world, we will also be America's Supercar."
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