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Chevrolet Corvette and Performance Cars Executive Chief Engineer Tony Roma says GM is not planning a Nürburgring return just to answer Ford’s latest lap. Roma says the Corvette team will go back only when it has a project and story that make sense; this year, Chevrolet chose to showcase its cars at Pikes Peak instead.
Chevrolet is not planning a Nürburgring rematch just to answer Ford’s latest lap record, Tony Roma, GM’s executive chief engineer for Corvette and performance cars, told The Drive. Roma said the team will return only when it has a project and story worth pursuing, rather than making a tit-for-tat attempt to beat the Mustang GTD Competition.
Roma made the comments on an episode of The Drivecast, responding to whether Chevrolet would go back to Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife and try to take the American-car lap record back from Ford. He said that is not the team’s current plan. His remarks concern a repeat record attempt, not a decision to stop using the circuit for vehicle development.
Roma said Chevrolet had planned its Nürburgring trip before knowing Ford’s lap time. The company had not released a Nürburgring time in more than a decade, he said, although its engineers had continued to use the track for development. Chevrolet wanted to run the effort with its own drivers and show the capabilities of the broader team, he explained.
He described the Corvette lap as an achievement the team remains proud of, noting that it was, at the time, the fastest American car around the Nürburgring and had gone under seven minutes with Chevrolet’s development drivers. Roma also praised Ford’s response in the rivalry. Chevrolet’s focus this year was Pikes Peak, he said, rather than another Nürburgring record attempt.
A Record Rivalry Without a Rematch
The decision leaves Ford’s latest Nürburgring performance unanswered by Chevrolet for now, tempering expectations that the two manufacturers will immediately trade lap times. For enthusiasts, the record contest is a public measure of how far each company can push its performance cars, but Roma’s comments make clear that Chevrolet does not see a direct response as a sufficient reason to commit to another run.
His explanation also frames the Corvette effort as a team showcase, not simply a chase for a number. A Nürburgring lap involves drivers, vehicle development, tire expertise and analysis; Roma said Chevrolet wanted to demonstrate those capabilities together. The approach means the next high-profile Corvette motorsport outing may be chosen for its own identity and value, rather than as a reply to Ford.
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How Chevrolet Chose Its Nürburgring Run
Roma said Chevrolet’s previous public Nürburgring time was more than a decade old, while development work at the circuit continued. During the final development trip for the ZR1, he said, he discussed a public lap effort with senior GM leaders, including Ken Morris and Mark Reuss. The plan was to use Chevrolet’s own drivers and present the run as evidence of the team’s capabilities.
That approach differed, in Roma’s account, from hiring a Nürburgring specialist and assembling a group of racers for a record-focused attempt. He said Chevrolet’s team included Michelin engineers, some of whom work on the company’s racing tires, and an analysis group that studied how to get the most from the car’s battery pack. Roma said Ford’s subsequent response was an “epic” part of the rivalry, while maintaining that Chevrolet had not designed its own outing as a reaction to Ford.
For its next showcase, Chevrolet chose Pikes Peak, a long-running American hill-climb event. Roma linked the choice to Corvette history, saying the team found photographs of Zora Duntov racing a prototype Corvette there in the 1950s. He said Chevrolet had already planned to go to Pikes Peak by the time Ford returned to the Nürburgring.
“I’m not planning on running back and tit-for-tat ‘look at what we can do’ to answer what they did.”
— Tony Roma, GM executive chief engineer for Corvette and performance cars, speaking to The Drive on The Drivecast
No Date Set for a Corvette Return
Roma did not rule out another Chevrolet Nürburgring effort. He said the company would act when it has a suitable project and a story worth telling, but gave no date, car or performance target for a return. It is also unclear whether Chevrolet will release a future lap time from the circuit or continue to keep its public focus on other events.
The comments do not establish whether GM might conduct a Nürburgring run for development purposes; Roma said the company has used the track for development even when it was not releasing lap times. Nor did he provide details in the cited remarks about Ford’s latest lap, beyond discussing it as the trigger for questions about a Chevrolet response.
Chevrolet’s Next Public Showcase
Roma pointed to Pikes Peak as Chevrolet’s chosen motorsport showcase for this year, but the report does not specify a future Nürburgring date or a next record attempt. For now, the confirmed position is that GM will not return simply to trade lap times with Ford. Any renewed Corvette push at the circuit would depend on a later program that Chevrolet considers worthwhile.
Key Questions
Is Chevrolet planning to beat Ford’s Nürburgring time?
Not as a direct response, according to Tony Roma. He said Chevrolet is not planning a tit-for-tat run aimed at answering Ford’s lap.
Has Chevrolet ruled out returning to the Nürburgring?
No. Roma said Chevrolet may return when it has a project and story worth pursuing, but he announced no date or specific plan.
Why did Chevrolet choose Pikes Peak this year?
Roma said Chevrolet had already planned its Pikes Peak event and wanted to showcase the car at a major American motorsport venue with a connection to Corvette history.
What did Chevrolet say about its previous Nürburgring lap?
Roma said the lap was under seven minutes, was completed with Chevrolet development drivers and was, at the time, the fastest lap around the track by an American car.
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