2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 prototype attacks Nurburgring in the snow

The 2019 Corvette ZR1, a high-powered track-ready swansong for the front-engined Corvette, has been spotted testing on Germany’s infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Cars being spotted on the Nordschleife as part of a testing program is completely normal, with the track a favourite proving ground for well suited to testing ride and handling, as well as powertrain capabilities.

What is unusual however, is seeing cars testing in snow. But Chevrolet’s ZR1 Corvette won’t be stopped by some puny snowflakes, with spy snappers capturing the car lapping the Green Hell as snow begins to fall.

Unfortunately the ZR1 won’t be coming to Australia. However, it is rumoured the car’s successor, provisionally dubbed the ‘C8’, will be mid-engined and designed with right hand drive markets in mind.

The ZR1 is likely to be the final iteration of the current generation of Corvette before it makes the mid-ship leap. Powered by a supercharged V8, the ZR1 is expected to make in the ballpark of 521-559kW.

Providing those impressive figures is likely to be a tweaked LT4 - GM’s high-performance 6.2-litre supercharged pushrod V8. Dealing with all that power will be a Tremec seven-speed transaxle manual, with GM’s fresh 10-speed auto as an option.

It’ll need huge rubber under the wide rear haunches to send all that power to the ground, and judging from the spy shots, it’ll come armed with some serious aero to keep it stuck to the pavement and endow it with a serious racecar-esque stance.

The big aero you see here isn’t necessarily representative of the final kit, however, with ZR1 prototypes having been spied testing various size wings in recent months. The current ZR1 has a Z07 Performance Package as an option, which includes more aggressive aerodynamic addenda.

What’s it sound like? Sleet and snow is obviously keeping speeds down in this spy video, but there are still hints of some serious sonic delights.