Watch A Manual Corvette Z06 Nearly Best A Mercedes-AMG GT R On Track

Few road-legal, track-focused cars are as capable as the AMG GT R, which is what makes this manual Corvette's lap time at Hockenheim so impressive

Matt Robinson

18 Sep 2017

What we have here is a fascinating track battle. Yes, the Mercedes-AMG GT R is 73bhp down on the output of the Corvette Z06’s mighty LT4 supercharged V8, but the Chevrolet has the ‘handicap’ of having a manual gearbox versus the German’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Also, as far as track-focused sports cars go, the GT R is one of the quickest out there - take its Nurburgring lap time for instance, which is bested only by the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder, Lamborghini Huracan Performante and - another American - the Dodge Viper ACR.

With Sport Auto’s Christian Gebhardt (the same guy responsible for the GT R’s ‘Ring time) at the wheel, the Mercedes still wins the day, but only just.

We also can’t help but think the Corvette wins the prize for best noise…

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

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That’s why you LS Swap RX-7s

grabs popcorn and coke for butthurt arguments

I’m not getting involved in this

LS =/= LT4

INB4 the automatic fanboys

[DELETED]

This doesn’t show that manual is better than auto or anything. It just shows that the Z06 is REALLY FREAKING FAST!

Haiyay des

Now just imagine how much faster the new ZR1 will be…..

Wow. He really did it for dale

I see you’re a man of culture as well

He let those bald eagles rip

Let’s sing it together now!
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming, Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bomb bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l’Italia chiamò.
Stringiamci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l’Italia chiamò! SI!!