Nurburgring is a name that evokes strong feelings in any motorsports enthusiast and a place where racing history has been made and rewritten time and again.
The Nurburgring test track is the holy grounds of automakers from Nissan to Aston Martin - as they bring their performance cars from the all corners of the globe to undergo vital performance tuning at the 20.8km long and enduring circuit.
Most automakers like to boast a recorded lap time around the ring, and much like an award winning artist, it adds a little credibility (and ego boost) to a sports car.
This legendary circuit is where the European model of the seventh generation Corvette Stingray coupe is currently being tested, a few months prior to the start of sales in Europe. The testing procedures are part of the GM standard quality control program which is conducted for each new Chevrolet model before it goes on sale in Europe.
"Nurburgring is renowned for its demanding race track and it is perfectly suited for our purpose, which is to fine-tune the ride and handling characteristics of the European Corvette Stingray. We are paying particular attention to the suspension set up and the steering at Nurburgring. European roads are quite distinct and different from those in the U.S. and so are driving habits," said Jim Mero, Vehicle Dynamics Engineer at General Motors.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray is powered by a highly advanced 6.2-litre V8 engine delivers the rear wheels with 450bhp and 610Nm of torque via a six-speed paddle shift automatic transmission or an industry exclusive seven-speed manual with Active Rev Matching. It propels the coupe to a 100km/h in less than four seconds. Performance figures aside, the all new Corvette is also expected to be the most fuel efficient, thanks in part to cylinder deactivation technology that allows the Stingray to cruise in a 'V4 mode'.
The Nurburgring test track is the holy grounds of automakers from Nissan to Aston Martin - as they bring their performance cars from the all corners of the globe to undergo vital performance tuning at the 20.8km long and enduring circuit.
Most automakers like to boast a recorded lap time around the ring, and much like an award winning artist, it adds a little credibility (and ego boost) to a sports car.
This legendary circuit is where the European model of the seventh generation Corvette Stingray coupe is currently being tested, a few months prior to the start of sales in Europe. The testing procedures are part of the GM standard quality control program which is conducted for each new Chevrolet model before it goes on sale in Europe.
"Nurburgring is renowned for its demanding race track and it is perfectly suited for our purpose, which is to fine-tune the ride and handling characteristics of the European Corvette Stingray. We are paying particular attention to the suspension set up and the steering at Nurburgring. European roads are quite distinct and different from those in the U.S. and so are driving habits," said Jim Mero, Vehicle Dynamics Engineer at General Motors.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray is powered by a highly advanced 6.2-litre V8 engine delivers the rear wheels with 450bhp and 610Nm of torque via a six-speed paddle shift automatic transmission or an industry exclusive seven-speed manual with Active Rev Matching. It propels the coupe to a 100km/h in less than four seconds. Performance figures aside, the all new Corvette is also expected to be the most fuel efficient, thanks in part to cylinder deactivation technology that allows the Stingray to cruise in a 'V4 mode'.
