Since we started Lightning Lap in 2006, the LL3 price class has always been the best performance point, the best value for money. LL2 often has more contestants, but lacks the firepower of LL3: German, Japanese and American cars that seat two, four or five. Cups. SUV sedans LL3 has it all. And now LL3 has a new high mark in the form of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and its 2:38.6 lap.
We say best price because European and Japanese cars have to compete with American metal that almost always undercuts the competition overseas. Corvettes compete with Camaros, Ford Mustang GT500s, Cadillac Vs, some AMG 63s, BMW Ms and more. This year we adjusted the class distributions so that LL3 now covers cars with a base price between $75,000 and $139,999. And no, we didn’t set that upper limit based on Z06 pricing. (Reminder, when we talk about the base price in Lightning Lap stories, that price includes options to improve performance.)
An American has always held the crown of LL3 champion. A C6 Z06 was the first (2006 model) and second (2007 model) LL3 champion, with Lightning Lap 1 and 2 times of 3:01.1 and 2:58.6, respectively. Next to hold the belt was a Dodge Viper SRT10 in a unique test where it dropped the LL3 time by 1.2 seconds.
But then came the third installment of Lightning Lap. If you don’t know it, check it out. There were some heavy hitters, including the Nissan GT-R (LL3), the Ferrari 430 Scuderia (LL5), the Mosler MT900S (LL5) and the second-generation Cadillac CTS-V (LL2). Also in the group was the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR (LL3) which lapped in 2:48.6, a 10.0 second improvement over the LL3 cars. A sub 2:50 at the time was pretty crazy and the only one faster was Mosler (2:45.9).
Partly because it was such a big jump, the ACR remained LL3’s target until the ninth Lightning lap, where the 650-hp Corvette Z06 (in C7) lapped in 2:44.6. On lap 14 of the Lightning, a Mustang Shelby GT500 would match it exactly.
Which brings us back to the incredible turn the new Corvette Z06 has taken. The Corvette had a mid-engine design so it could perform better on racetracks. His 2:38.6 isn’t just a new LL3 record, it’s the fastest lap by a naturally aspirated car and the fifth fastest in Lightning Lap history. Everything else faster is in the LL5 class and costs at least twice as much. That alone is enough for celebration.
