Porsche and Mercedes have spent years treating the Nürburgring like their private proving ground. Record times at the Green Hell are no longer just about bragging rights, but about proving which carmaker builds the ultimate driver’s car. For now, Chevrolet can say it has the fastest American production car at the ’Ring, with the Corvette ZR1X laying down a 6:49.275 lap.
That run was done not by pro drivers but by GM engineers, which makes it even more impressive. But lap times never stand still. Both Porsche and Mercedes have made it clear that their upcoming projects are designed to push the benchmark lower, potentially knocking the Corvette out of the Nürburgring’s top five list of fastest production cars. Chevrolet knows they’re not the only ones watching closely. Another homegrown rival has its eye on the leaderboard, too.
Spy shots out of the Nürburgring show a camouflaged 992.2-generation Porsche 911 GT2 RS testing at full tilt, complete with a towering active rear wing and aggressive aero package. This isn’t just another facelift mule. It looks like Porsche’s next Nürburgring weapon.
Autocar UK reports the 992.2 911 GT2 RS is expected to use a hybrid-assisted version of Porsche’s twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six. Power figures remain unconfirmed, but insiders suggest a target between 750 and 800+ hp. That would make it the most powerful 911 road car to date, and the hybrid system could also improve torque delivery out of slower corners.
The aero package is equally important, and the test car wears a motorsport-inspired rear wing with a Drag Reduction System-style flap, hinting at Formula 1 trickery applied to a road car. Combine that with revised active aerodynamics across the body, and Porsche is clearly chasing lap-time efficiency, not just peak power.
The benchmark is already brutal. In 2021, a 991.2 GT2 RS fitted with Manthey’s Performance Kit set a 6:43.300 lap around the Nordschleife. The standard GT2 RS managed 6:51.45 in 2017. To justify the hybrid complexity, the new GT2 RS needs to land somewhere in between or quicker. If it dips under 6:40, it would put pressure on both Porsche’s own Manthey cars and rivals across the Atlantic.
That rival is Chevrolet. The Corvette ZR1 and its hardcore sibling, the ZR1X, have already set official Nürburgring lap times, putting them directly in Porsche’s crosshairs. GM has taken the fight seriously and the ZR1 and ZR1X push well past 800 hp (into the 1,000 hp range), while the track-focused ZR1X shaves seconds with more aero and chassis upgrades. Their times now serve as the benchmark Porsche must beat.
What’s clear is that Porsche is building the next GT2 RS to out-hustle the most powerful Corvette ever made using the stopwatch and reset the standard for production-car performance at the Nürburgring.
In July 2025, Mercedes-AMG dropped a teaser with a clear message: Affalterbach is building another track weapon, and it carries the working name Concept AMG GT Track Sport. The car is pitched as an uncompromising V8 special designed to set lap records. If that description sounds familiar, it should. It echoes the formula of the 2020 AMG GT Black Series, which still holds the third-fastest lap time at the Nürburgring at 6:48.047.
That old record makes AMG’s intent obvious. This isn’t about another trim level or collector’s edition. It’s about pushing the AMG GT platform to its absolute limits, again. Autocar UK reports the car is expected to use the twin-turbo 4.0-liter AMG V8 in an uprated form, but exact specs remain under wraps. The outgoing Black Series made 720 hp and 590 lb-ft, so anything less than that would be a step backward. Expect AMG to aim higher while keeping weight in check, since track time is the only metric that matters here.
The timing isn’t accidental either. Chevrolet has just put down Nürburgring lap times with the new Corvette ZR1 and its more extreme ZR1X sibling. Those runs show that Americans supercars can now compete directly with Porsche and AMG on their home soil. What used to be a two-way rivalry has widened, and GM has built the fastest cars to ever come from the United States. The rivalry isn’t just Porsche versus AMG anymore. It now includes the fastest American car Nürburgring challengers, with GM putting serious engineering behind its halo sports cars.
The 6:29.090 Mercedes-AMG One holds the outright Nürburgring lap record. AMG’s job is twofold with the next GT Black Series. First, defend its reputation against Porsche, which never sits idle at the Ring. Second, show American buyers that Germany still knows how to build the sharper tool. A 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series positioned against both the Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X would give enthusiasts a direct comparison between German precision and American brute force. For Affalterbach, that’s a fight worth picking.
Chevrolet did not just show up at the Nürburgring. They threw down numbers that changed the American sports car conversation. The Corvette ZR1X clocked a 6:49.275 lap, while the standard ZR1 followed closely with 6:50.763. Both laps were set by GM’s own engineers, not pro racing drivers, which makes the achievement even more impressive, but also suggests there is still room for improvement.
In February 2025, the Mustang GTD beat several supercars around the Nurburgring when it set a lap time of 6:52.072. After Chevrolet’s announcement of its record lap times that beat the Mustang GTD, it got Ford’s attention as well
Ford’s CEO Jim Farley made sure the rivalry stayed entertaining. On Instagram, he commented under the Corvette announcement: “Congrats to the @Corvette team. Game on!” Chevrolet fired right back: “@jimfarley98 We’re ready! 🔥.” This kind of back-and-forth keeps the battle alive and signals that Ford is not done chasing the crown of the fastest American car around the Nürburgring.
Rank
Model
Lap time
1
Mercedes AMG One
06:29.090
2
Porsche 911 GT2 RS Manthey Performance Kit
06:43.300
3
Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR 991
06:44.749
4
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
06:48.047
5
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
06:49.275
6
Porsche 911 GT3 RS
06:49.328
7
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
06:50.763
8
Ford Mustang GTD
06:52.072
Today, the Corvette ZR1X sits at number five on the overall Nürburgring leaderboard, with the ZR1 holding seventh. That means the only cars ahead are European heavyweights. The next Porsche 911 GT2 RS, expected for 2026, will likely push beyond 720 hp with hybrid assistance and a curb weight targeting just over 3,200 lbs. If Porsche keeps its reputation for chassis balance, it will be the Corvette’s biggest threat.
On the other front, Mercedes is readying the AMG GT Black Series successor, rumored to pack close to 800 hp from its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 while shaving weight compared to the current model’s 3,700 lbs. Both cars exist for one reason: Nürburgring lap records. Which means the Corvette ZR1X’s top-five standing is anything but safe.
Chevrolet documented the entire Nürburgring program in a short film that shows just how methodical the ZR1X effort was. From test laps to engineering tweaks, the team treated the Green Hell as the final exam for America’s most serious sports car.
The Nürburgring remains the great equalizer. Right now, the Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X Nürburgring lap time records prove that an American car can stand with the world’s best. But Porsche and Mercedes are circling, and Ford wants a rematch. The next twelve months will decide if Corvette keeps the title of fastest American car at the Nürburgring, and how the leaderboard reshuffles again.
Sources: Autocar UK, Chevrolet, Mercedes-AMG, Nurburgring, Instagram, Porsche
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