Corvette Boss Downplays ZR1's Chances Of Beating AMG ONE Record
But according to someone who works at GM right now, specifically Tony Roma, who replaced the legendary Tadge Juechter as executive chief engineer for the global Corvette and performance cars team, that may be a bridge too far. Speaking with CarBuzz, he said, "I wish the car was that fast. I've seen so many things online, but just stay tuned."
Car enthusiasts love to form a good conspiracy, and automakers (particularly American ones) love to hide Easter eggs in announcements, so when Chevrolet teased news from the Green Hell on June 28 (6/28), it naturally led to speculation that this was a coded message indicating a time below that of the AMG ONE (6 minutes, 29 seconds). But just as Ford downplayed the Mustang GTD's chances on the Nordschleife before setting the first sub-7-minute time for an American manufacturer, Roma reminds us that this is a unique place at which to seek a record, with numerous complexities.
"It's more difficult than it's [ever] been to set a record at the 'Ring. They charge you a lot of money to talk about it, and they want to have certified timing and scoring," said Roma. "You have to rent the track, get the safety marshals, pay the licensing fee, pay the filming fee. And if your day rains, oh well. We are not based in Stuttgart [where Mercedes is], so we can't just go back next week. That's why you haven't seen us set a lap record attempt."
Related: Can't Get A ZR1? This Tuner Has A Solution For Any C8 Corvette
These issues are all pertinent. While we would all love to see a plucky, twin-turbo, V8 supercar with a six-figure asking price be an American David to the German Goliath of a multi-million-dollar hypercar built by the might of Mercedes with the powertrain and expertise of a Formula One dynasty behind it, the reality is that mastering the Nürburgring with minimal real-world practice is a feat in itself. However, Roma suggests that the ZR1 should comfortably improve on the front-engine GTD's time.
"You can see the effort Ford had to put into the GTD. And they had to go back twice to get decent weather," said Roma, possibly suggesting the ZR1 could outpace the GTD even in less-than-ideal conditions. "All I can say is, stay tuned. We did go and drive around the Green Hell, and we're pretty proud of how the car did. And so, we're going to release more details when the time's right. Very soon, very soon." Corvettes wearing Stingray, Z06, and ZR1 badges have been spied on the Nürburgring, so perhaps multiple announcements will be made at once...
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
9 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
'The dream is still very much alive': IndyCar interest gives Linus Lundqvist belief he'll return
Linus Lundqvist has attended nearly every IndyCar race in 2025, despite not having a ride, in hopes of remaining on teams' radars for 2026. TORONTO — It's been a painful 10 weeks for Linus Lundqvist, spending nearly every weekend watching Indy cars race around the Midwest from the sidelines. But it's a purposeful agony he's chosen, and the 2024 IndyCar Rookie of the Year is hoping the emotional scars he talks over with his therapist will before long pave the road back to the cockpit of the only job he's ever wanted. 'It's hard, because my passion is driving and winning, and it hurts to be at a racetrack and watching everybody else do it and not me,' Lundqvist told IndyStar while serving as a reserve driver for Arrow McLaren, a one-off opportunity spurred by the mild concussion Nolan Siegel suffered last weekend at Iowa Speedway. Lundqvist, who has 20 IndyCar starts under his belt with a resume that includes a pair of podiums, a pole and a 16th-place finish in the championship as a rookie with Chip Ganassi Racing a year ago, was tabbed to be on standby this week and weekend in case the team's full-time driver of the No. 6 wasn't cleared to return. Lundqvist actually traveled with the team Thursday morning with Siegel back in Indianapolis awaiting clearance – a call the young American driver eventually received, meaning the 26-year-old Swede will roam the IndyCar paddock this weekend in a papaya uniform instead of plain clothes, his seat marginally different while on the timing stand instead of the grandstands. Ultimately, Sunday was largely the same. 'I'm very up front about the fact that in this sense, it sucks, but I also know that it's my best shot at being back at a track and driving next year is being here and going through all of that and being ready,' Lundqvist continued. 'It's like, yeah, it's pain, but pain I'm willing to go through to hopefully be on the grid next year.' Days ahead of this season's IndyCar opener at St. Pete, Lundqvist announced he wouldn't be on the grid full time in 2025, noting he'd been 'formally notified' by CGR in January that what he described as a 'multi-year agreement' had been terminated after just one year. The writing appeared to have been on the wall for some time, with his former home announcing back in October that its roster for 2025 was set and seats elsewhere around the paddock largely having been almost entirely set for months. Whereas his former teammate Marcus Armstrong, who similarly had inked a multi-year deal with CGR, had been loaned out to Meyer Shank Racing, a team CGR entered into a technical alliance with ahead of this season, Lundqvist felt he'd been left high and dry as IndyCar's newly launched charter system that allows teams to run a maximum of three full-time cars for guaranteed entry into each race forced CGR to scale its lineup back from five cars to three. 'I am hopeful that through the provisions in my CGR agreement, we will be able to reach a resolution that would place me back in a competitive seat,' Lundqvist wrote on social media in February. 'In the meantime, I will continue to pursue other racing options, preferably in IndyCar where I hope to continue my career and build on my open-wheel successes to date.' That pursuit, Lundqvist has explained, has involved attending most IndyCar races within driving distance of his Indianapolis home, taking his helmet and safety equipment with him and preparing as if he was scheduled to be in the car, so that if such an opportunity were to come about, he'd be ready to best prove himself, knowing he may only get one more shot to audition for a second chance. After all, in a short three-race substitute stint for Meyer Shank Racing near the end of the 2023 season coming off his rather dominant 2022 Indy Lights championship run, Lundqvist made his IndyCar debut and took the paddock by storm, starting in the top 12 for all three races and notching a 12th-place finish on the IMS road course in his second career race. Just a couple weeks later, he'd been scooped up by the hottest team on the paddock of late. Siegel energized for Toronto return: 'I have a greater appreciation for what I'm doing.' 'For me, this is very much a no-brainer. (IndyCar) is my Plan A, B, C and D. There's no backup plan,' he said. 'I'm very determined to make this work somehow, and the only thing I know is to be here, ready and available and staying sharp, because I know that if you're at home feeling sorry for yourself, nothing's going to come of it. 'So every race I can be at, the best thing I can do for myself is to be here, be ready, and when I got the call from Arrow McLaren, it was, 'OK, I must be doing something right. I'm still in the ballpark to be considered in case something were to happen.'' When at the track, Lundqvist can be frequently seen chatting up various team owners and officials, doing his best to ensure he's top of mind for anyone who may have an opening, whether that's a short-term one like Arrow McLaren this weekend, or a full-time shot for 2026 and beyond as IndyCar's silly season begins to kick into high gear in the coming weeks. 'I'm still quite positive about my chances of being on the grid next year. Obviously, this is IndyCar and motor racing, and you never know until something is done, but I also think if those conversations I've been having with teams were, 'No, we're not interested,' then I'd probably at some point stop showing up to races and say, 'OK, this isn't going to work,'' Lundqvist said. 'But I keep showing up because people keep saying they're interested and that there might be opportunities, so that's what I live on right now, that the dream is still very much alive.'
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
BYD Stock (BYDDF) Shines as ‘China Discount' Pays Dividends
Chinese EV giant BYD (BYDDF), also tracking under the ticker (BYDDY) via the TipRanks platform, presents one of the most compelling return opportunities on the U.S. stock market, mainly due to its significant undervaluation stemming from the well-known 'China discount.' While macroeconomic and geopolitical risks associated with investing in China are real, they appear to be already factored into the stock price. Even a modest improvement in sentiment—such as progress in improving U.S.-China relations—could unlock substantial upside. Given this dynamic, I remain confidently Bullish on BYD. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. BYD Stock is a Textbook Value Investment For investors seeking stocks with raised exposure to macroeconomic themes, while attaining high market-beating returns, BYD ticks almost every box. The stock's forward P/E ratio is 18.5, compared to 17.5 for the sector, yet BYD's forward diluted earnings per share growth is 36% compared to just 6.5% for the sector. That indicates a massive undervaluation. All of that extra earnings growth for essentially the same P/E multiple is nothing other than a bargain. The geopolitical dynamics driving BYD's discount reflect broader uncertainty around global trade policy and shifting political influence. However, any aggressive moves by the U.S. are likely to be met with retaliatory measures from China, making it unlikely that American equities will thrive while Chinese equities continue to deteriorate. This mutual vulnerability creates a kind of geopolitical equilibrium, which in turn helps stabilize the long-term return outlook for Chinese stocks like BYD. Over the past five years, BYD stock has delivered a price return of over 400%, with a nearly 60% return in the last year alone. When compared to broader indices like the S&P 500 (SPY), BYD's performance is clearly stellar, notching a 400% surplus over the U.S. average. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, this clearly demonstrates that BYD is rewarding shareholders through powerful financial returns from its pioneering strategies, which enable it to remain at the forefront of electric vehicle technology. BYD stock is cyclical, and it experiences periods of both negative and positive free cash flow. However, this is a natural phenomenon that opens up buying opportunities amid temporarily lower valuations. The company's forward financial projections indicate a substantial likelihood of 30% year-over-year normalized earnings growth in Fiscal 2026, as well as revenue growth of approximately 15% per annum for the next two years. This is somewhat slower than Fiscal 2025's enormous financial returns, but the valuation is low relative to the sector, and such a strong future growth outlook warrants buying now. U.S.-China Relations Must Improve to Lift Sentiment If the Trump administration adopts a more cooperative stance with China, we could see lower risk premiums applied to Chinese equities, such as BYD. Moreover, if the cooperative trade relationship between the U.S. and China remains stable over the long term, there's a strong likelihood that capital flows from Western investors into Chinese stocks will increase significantly. The art of great macro investing is predicting capital flows, and I believe that certain high-class Chinese stocks are currently in a limbo period before a positive sentiment inflection amid more stable geopolitics. However, we should give credence to the counterargument, which is that the current calm between the U.S. and China ends on August 12. If the Trump administration decides to hike tariffs to 100% or higher again, this could indeed mark the start of a more protracted effort for the U.S. to neutralize China. Equity markets on both sides of the divide would likely contract as a result. Even in the event of broad international market volatility stemming from a trade war, China may face gradual long-term setbacks if its access to global markets is increasingly restricted through coordinated efforts by Western allies to contain its economic influence. That said, China controls key rare-earth minerals that are essential for advanced semiconductors and other high-tech applications. Therefore, we cannot expect the U.S. to completely sever its ties with the Eastern superpower. Additionally, if the U.S. pushes its aggressive stance toward China too far on the trade front, China could make a military move against Taiwan, which would send markets into a tailspin. Therefore, the most prudent approach for Donald Trump is to pursue a policy grounded in diplomacy—or at the very least, one that maintains a balanced stance. Re-escalating tensions would be an impractical choice, given the significant long-term risks and the likelihood of heightened short-term market volatility. Given these dynamics, I believe that stronger U.S.-China relations are likely in the short to medium term. As a result, I expect Chinese equities to begin thriving more than they have in the past. A valuation re-rating based on heightened international inflows into BYD stock is the foundation of my bullish stance on the stock. Is BYD Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold? On Wall Street, BYD stock has a consensus Strong Buy rating based on nine Buys, zero Holds, and zero Sells. The average BYDDF stock price target of $23.13 indicates almost 36% upside potential over the next 12 months. This presents a strong return opportunity and aligns with my proprietary view that BYD offers a compelling combination of robust financial growth potential and an attractive, undervalued entry point for investors. BYD Stock Positioned for Upside via Geopolitical Rebound BYD stands out as a compelling investment opportunity, demonstrating strong fundamentals and effective competitiveness in a saturated electric vehicle market. At its current valuation, the stock is well-positioned to benefit from any positive shift in global investor sentiment toward China, potentially resulting in outsized returns. Given these dynamics, BYD presents a strong case for medium- to long-term investment, contingent on continued financial performance and improved geopolitical conditions.
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
CCTV Script 23/07/2025
As the August 1st deadline approaches, the U.S. government is intensifying efforts to reach trade agreements with various countries. On Tuesday local time, progress was made in trade negotiations between the U.S. and Southeast Asian nations. According to the joint statement released by the White House, U.S. tariffs on Indonesia have been reduced from the previously threatened 32% in April to 19%. In return, Indonesia will lower tariffs to 0% on 99% of U.S. exports to Indonesia, covering sectors such as agricultural products, healthcare products, aquatic products, as well as communications technology, automobiles, and chemicals. In terms of tariff rates, the Special Adviser to the Indonesian President on International Trade said in an interview with CNBC that while the original 32% tariff level would have significantly impacted Indonesia's economy, the current 19% tariff is expected to shift the effect on GDP from a negative 0.6% to a positive growth of 0.5%. "We will be able to avoid, hopefully, the potential retrenchment in our labor intensive industries and exports, which have been the worst hit with the 32% tariff." It is worth noting that, according to the joint statement, Indonesia will comprehensively ease non-tariff barriers on U.S. industrial and agricultural products, including localization requirements, certification standards, import permits, and more. Specifically, Indonesia has agreed to exempt U.S.-invested companies and their products of origin from local content requirements. Previously, this policy was seen as a key measure to promote local employment in Indonesia, but it has now been relaxed. Secondly, Indonesia has agreed to adopt for American-made cars exported to Indonesia, which is also a positive development for U.S. automakers. Additionally, Indonesia will lift export restrictions on critical minerals. Moreover, overnight, Trump announced that the U.S. would impose a 19% tariff on the Philippines. This tariff adjustment follows a rise from 17% in April to 20% at the beginning of this month, and has now been reduced to 19%, matching the rate applied to Indonesia. According to U.S. government data, the U.S. trade deficit with the Philippines last year was $4.9 billion, with bilateral trade totaling $23.5 billion. In response to Trump's proposal for the Philippines to open its market to the U.S. and implement zero tariffs, the Philippines has yet to respond. Previously, the Philippines stated that it could not implement zero tariffs on U.S. goods like Vietnam and Indonesia, as it would harm the interests of domestic businesses. The president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation said in a CNBC interview that, based on a survey of local exporters, 10% of respondents reported their buyers were in a wait-and-see mode due to uncertainty about absorbing additional costs. However, most of these orders have already been successfully redirected to other markets. For Southeast Asian countries, they are closely monitoring the progress of trade negotiations between their neighbors and the U.S. This attention underscores the interconnected nature of regional trade dynamics and the potential ripple effects of bilateral agreements on neighboring economies. "We're really worried about the negotiations of our competitors. So sort of especially in the region. Because if what happens to Vietnam happens to the other countries here who have the same products with us, then we have a problem in the US, at least."
