Corvette Engineer Tony Roma Vows Return to Nürburgring After Ford Mustang GTD Sets New Record

The Chevrolet Corvette once held the title of the fastest American production car on the Nürburgring. In August 2025, a 1,250-horsepower ZR1X, piloted by Chevrolet engineers, set a lap time of 6:49.275 on the 12.944-mile circuit, now known as the Green Hell. A standard ZR1, producing 1,064 horsepower, followed closely with a time of 6:50.763.

Ford quickly disrupted that achievement. The Mustang GTD Competition completed the lap in just 6:40.835, reclaiming the record for the Blue Oval.

Tony Roma’s Response: Pride and Future Plans

Tony Roma, GM’s executive chief engineer for Corvette and Performance Cars, expressed pride in the Corvette team’s accomplishment but made it clear that the fight isn’t over. He stated:

“I’m proud of what we did at the Nürburgring. I think we did something a little bit unique with our development drivers, with our homegrown crew. Everything about that was us and our partners at Michelin. And you know, I guess I have nothing else to say. I’m proud of what we did. I think it stands on its own, and I think it was an accomplishment.”

Roma also emphasized his support for Ford’s competitive spirit, saying:

“I love the fact that Ford is out there wanting to do more. I love the fact that Porsche is coming back doing more. We will eventually go back to the ’Ring, not next week, maybe not next month, but when we’ve had time to truly polish a new entry. I don’t feel any undue pressure to run back and set a time.”

He further reflected on the significance of the achievement:

“I advocated very hard to do what we did last year. I had to convince our financial bosses to give us enough money. That’s not a cheap endeavor. If you have a credible car at the Nürburgring, that means something to people all over the world, and I think that’s important. So doing what we did last summer was amazing. As an American, as a representative of General Motors, as a representative of a Corvette team, just as a car enthusiast, right? I get chills just thinking about it.”

Roma’s Deep Connection to the Nürburgring

Roma’s passion for the Nürburgring extends beyond his professional role. He has completed 2,000 laps on the circuit, not just as a tester but as a racer. He shared:

“For me, the ’Ring is such a special place. I’ve been going there for, geez, 27 years now. I’ve had my industry pool certificate, and I have almost 2000 laps. And you know, that’s part of why it was a bucket list dream for me to race there.”

This year, Roma is participating in the Historic race in a BMW 330 CS and co-driving a Jung Motorsport Cupra Leon KL in the 24 Hours—both on his own dime. Despite the personal investment, Roma has proven his skill by securing a class victory in 2025.

“I would love to drive a GT4 car or something, but when you’re on your own finance, when you’ve got to convince your wife that this is a good idea…”