American supercar too expensive to produce?

If rumours are to be believed, the eagerly anticipated Corvette ZR1 - the supercar which ripped the Nurburgring a new one earlier this year - may never hit showrooms. DigitalCorvettes.com claims that production has been suspended on the ZR1.

The reason? The ZR1 is nowhere near as profitable as the cheaper Corvette Z06 coupe, and so cash-strapped General Motors has decided to shelve the former and turn out more of the latter in a bid to cut costs. Seems like the ZR1 was the right car for GM, but at the wrong time.

America’s hottest new supercar sets production-car lap record

After the jump, we ask that you relax, press play, and enjoy in-car footage of Corvette’s awesome new supercar, the ZR1 (pictured), setting a new lap record for production cars at the Nurburgring. The ZR1 set a time of 7:26.4, faster than both the Pagani Zonda F and the Porsche Carrera GT.

The car set the lap time with a bog-standard set-up, aside from necessary alterations to comms and safety equipment. It used the same Michelin Pilot tyres that the car will sport when it goes on sale later this year, and its suspension, including ride height and damping, was not altered.

It’s a remarkable performance, and one that sends out a defiant message to European and Japanese manufacturers - after a long time in the doldrums, the USA is back, baby!

Watch the record-breaking video below: