Since William C. Durant established General Motors in 1908, the company has played a key role in the American auto industry. Through brands like Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Saturn, and Pontiac, GM has built many fantastic models, which is why it's widely considered to be one of the biggest automotive brands not only in the US but also the rest of the world.
GM is not known for making fast cars, as many of its most popular models are pick-up trucks, SUVs, and family cars for budget-minded individuals. However, not all GM cars are boring and slow. In fact, the automaker has built several models over the years that can achieve crazy speeds, ten of which include the following.
10 2013 Corvette 427 - 190 Mph
In 2013, Chevrolet was celebrating the Corvette's 60th anniversary, so it decided to build a special car to mark the occasion. The result was the 427, which blended several elements of the C6 Z06 and ZR-1 models.
The first thing Chevy got right was the design - the 427 is one of the most beautiful convertibles you can buy. The 427 also has excellent performance, thanks to its Z06-sourced 7.0-liter LS7 engine, generating 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque.
9 2011 Corvette C6 Z06 Carbon Edition - 190 Mph
In 1960, Chevrolet entered the Corvette into the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans competition for the first time. Although the Vette didn't win anything, it was still a special moment for Chevy and the nameplate.
50 years later, Chevy wanted to celebrate the moment, so it built a special car - the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition. With its 505-hp 7.0-liter V8, the Z06 Carbon Edition was slightly slower than the ZR-1 of the day, but many gearheads consider it to be a better track day car as it's lighter and better balanced.
8 2020 Corvette C8 - 194 Mph
The eighth-generation Corvette debuted in 2020 with several changes, most notably a switch to a mid-engined layout. While some gearheads were skeptical of such a big change, the C8 Corvette turned out to be a huge hit, as it's arguably more fun to drive than the rear-engined Corvettes that preceded it.
The C8 Vette also received a lot of praise for its powerful engine - a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated LT2 V8 cranking out 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque.
7 2009 Corvette GT1 Championship Edition - 198 Mph
In 2009, Chevrolet entered the Corvette C6.R into the GT1 Class of ALMS. To celebrate, Chevy introduced a new optional package called the GT1 Championship Edition, which could be equipped on either a 4LT Convertible, 4LT-equipped Targa top, or high-performance Z06.
This car has a unique paint job to make it stand out and comes with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine producing 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It has a top speed of 198 mph, which is the same as the Z06 it's based on.
6 2006 Corvette Z06 - 198 Mph
In 2006, Chevy introduced the first performance-oriented version of the C6 Corvette - the Z06. The Z06 was the lightest Corvette model at introduction, thanks to weight-saving measures like an aluminum frame instead of steel, a magnesium alloy engine cradle, and carbon fiber composite floors.
Chevrolet also equipped the Z06 with the largest-displacement small-block V8 engine ever built - a new 7.0-liter LS7 V8 blurting out 505 horses. A 0-60 of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph made the Z06 one of the fastest American cars of the 2000s.
5 2019 Cadillac CTS-V - 200 Mph
In the early 2000s, Cadillac introduced the CTS, aiming to take on the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the compact luxury sedan market. The CTS was a great car, but many gearheads complained that it was underpowered. So two years after introducing the CTS, Cadillac went back to the drawing board and developed a high-performance variant - the CTS-V.
The CTS-V was a huge success and was produced for three generations before being discontinued in 2019. The last CTS-V was powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 engine producing 640 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the fastest four-door sedans ever.
4 2019 Cadillac CT6-V Blackwing - 200 Mph
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Introduced in 2015, the CT6 is a full-size luxury car that wowed gearheads with its fantastic design and luxurious interior. The CT6 was the first car to adopt Cadillac's new naming strategy, and also the first rear-wheel-drive full-size Cadillac sedan since 1966.
Unfortunately, the CT6 had poor sales figures, which is why Cadillac introduced the high-performance CT6-V Blackwing in 2018. The CT6-V Blackwing comes with a newly developed twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 550 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque, making it super fast.
3 2019 Camaro ZL1 1LE - 202 Mph
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When Chevrolet introduced the high-performance version of the sixth-generation Camaro SS - the ZL1 - in 2017, every gearhead was impressed. The ZL1 had several upgrades, including a lower grille opening to improve cooling, a new front splitter, unique rockers, Magnetic Ride suspension, and wider front fenders.
With a top speed of 198 mph, the ZL1 was already one of the fastest muscle cars ever. However, those who wanted more speed could get the optional 1LE package which added features like Multimatic spool-valve shocks, a huge rear wing, and Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. These upgrades pushed the 1LE's top speed past 200 mph.
2 2007 Corvette ZR-1 - 205 Mph
Chevrolet first used the ZR-1 designation in the high-performance version of the C4 Corvette in 1989. Almost two decades later, Chevrolet introduced yet another high-performance Corvette bearing the ZR-1 name.
The 2007 ZR-1 was positioned above the C6 Z06 and was equipped with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine producing 638 hp and 604 lb-ft of torque, making it incredibly fast.
1 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 - 212 Mph
After two successful ZR-1s, Chevrolet knew that the third one had to be a winner. When Chevy finally unveiled the C7 ZR-1 at the 2019 Dubai Motor Show, everyone was impressed. For one, the 2019 ZR-1 had a sleek design with a menacing front end that looked cool.
Things got a lot more interesting under the hood. The ZR-1 had a new 6.2-liter pushrod LT5 V8 equipped with a 2.6-liter Eaton supercharger. With an output of 755 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque, the 2019 ZR-1 is still the most powerful Corvette ever built and also the fastest with its 214-mph top speed.