Some of the details that motorists look at when purchasing a car are its engine power (horsepower and torque) and top speed. Nonetheless, the chance to find out the car’s real-world top speed is rare when actually driving. A 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport managed to find out it real-world top speed after driving 2.7 miles at Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds (JBPG).
Chevy Sports Car Capable Of Hitting 181 MPH
The subject car is a Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport from the 2017 model year. While it is not really a Z06, it is underpinned by the same chassis, featuring body work similar to that of the Z06 sans the tall hood. Furthermore, the Corvette Grand Sport shares suspension, wheels and tires with the Z06 of its generation.
Under its hood is a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that is tuned to deliver 460 hp of max output and 465 lb-ft of torque, as mated to a seven-speed manual transmission. It is a bit wider than a standard Corvette. As per Chevrolet, the 3,487-lb Corvette Grand Sport could zoom from nil to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 181 mph.
From Shuttle Landing To Top Speed Testing
After around five months of hiatus at its YouTube Channel, JBPG has finally uploaded a new dynamic video. This time around, JPBG engaged a blue 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport to run around 2.7 miles of traffic-free concrete to determine if the sports car’s claimed top speed check out with real-world numbers.
To do this, JBPG conducts Straight Line Aerodynamic Testing at a 3.33-mile long, 100-yard wide runway on Merritt Island in Florida. This runway was actually a shuttle landing facility employed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for its Space Shuttle Program. Now, JBPG is using the facility for its test programs, as it allows subject cars to be tested for up to 2.7 miles without worrying about oncoming traffic.
Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Breaches 172 MPH
The 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport made two 2.7-mile runs (morning and afternoon) on the JBPG runway, both going from north to south. The wind, however, was blowing on different directions on each run. In the video, the sports car was able to breach the 170-mph mark. As calculated, JBPG determined that the Corvette Grand Sport went as fast as 172.89 mph.
This 2.7-mile number is just around 8 mph short of reaching the one published by Corvette, which may mean that the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport is really fast as advertised.
Source: Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds on YouTube