Hib Halverson
Technical Writer for Internet & Print Media
The World Record Run
As the 20th anniversary of the 2nd gen ZR-1's breaking the 24-Hour World Land Speed Record is coming up, in preparation for a new magazine story I'm writing on the subject, I've been doing a little research.
As some might know the ZR-1s record was finally broken in 2001 by Volkswagen.
interestingly, the VW guys actually broke it twice, once in late '01 at 183 mph and again in early '02 at a hair over 200 mph., but...the car used was a prototype "W12 Nardo" which began life in 1997 as a concept car and never went to production. Further, the specific W12 used to break the record had a unique carbon fiber body.
That makes the 1990 ZR-1, which set three, outright World Records, 5000-km, 24-hr and 5000-mi on 2 March 1990 at Ft. Stockton TX, the ONLY production car to ever hold those records.
Back in 1940, first car to hold it, the Mormon Meteor III was a purpose-built, single-seat race car. The only other car besides the ZR-1 to hold it was a CF-bodied, quasi-racecar prototype which never was approved for production.
Could the new, 3rd-gen ZR-1 break the record?
Great question.
The FIA requires a 3% margin to reset a record so the C6 ZR-1 would have to *average* over 206 mph to do it.
What do CAC members think would be required for a successful try at the "24" by the new ZR-1?
As the 20th anniversary of the 2nd gen ZR-1's breaking the 24-Hour World Land Speed Record is coming up, in preparation for a new magazine story I'm writing on the subject, I've been doing a little research.
As some might know the ZR-1s record was finally broken in 2001 by Volkswagen.
interestingly, the VW guys actually broke it twice, once in late '01 at 183 mph and again in early '02 at a hair over 200 mph., but...the car used was a prototype "W12 Nardo" which began life in 1997 as a concept car and never went to production. Further, the specific W12 used to break the record had a unique carbon fiber body.
That makes the 1990 ZR-1, which set three, outright World Records, 5000-km, 24-hr and 5000-mi on 2 March 1990 at Ft. Stockton TX, the ONLY production car to ever hold those records.
Back in 1940, first car to hold it, the Mormon Meteor III was a purpose-built, single-seat race car. The only other car besides the ZR-1 to hold it was a CF-bodied, quasi-racecar prototype which never was approved for production.
Could the new, 3rd-gen ZR-1 break the record?
Great question.
The FIA requires a 3% margin to reset a record so the C6 ZR-1 would have to *average* over 206 mph to do it.
What do CAC members think would be required for a successful try at the "24" by the new ZR-1?
), one short of the record. 
Jason
