Edmunds U-Drags is a unique race format that allows the drivers to race down a runway and back, but it’s much more than that. The U-Drags format allows us to see all kinds of performance data that starts with a 0-60 MPH launch and then a quarter mile run. Then there is the hard braking zone and the hard turn-around measures max cornering. Finally, it’s a rolling race back to the finish the line for the final run time.
Both the Corvette Stingray and the Z06 have each participated in the most U-Drags with the Z06 having four races while the Stingray has participated in three U-Drag events. The new Corvette E-Ray just got its first U-Drag race this week against the McLaren 750S. We were also treated early on as the Corvette Stingray and Z06 raced against each other in one of those races which one of the few head-to-head events for the Corvette models.
And finally, one of the first U-Drags featured the Stingray vs a Cadillac CT5. However, because that race was one of the earliest U-Drags and was run on a shorter course, we’re not using those stats because that race isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison like the others and it didn’t have all the performance data listed like the later races.
So what do we know? Right off the bat, all three Corvette models perform exceptionally well in this format and for the most part, it is just seconds or fractions of a second that separate them in each of the performance categories. There are several surprises that really jump out at us. First is that the Corvette Stingray Z51 is a performance bargain compared to the Z06 and E-Ray which start at over $100,000 each. The Stingray finished strong and was just two seconds off the fastest time of the Z06! The second surprise for us was just how good the E-Ray ran the course, beating both other Corvettes in every single metric except the final run time where it finished second to the Z06 by just .4 seconds.
Corvette U-DRAGS Performance Data
We went through each of these races and noted the performance data from each of these seven U-Drag contests which you can see below. We also have the video from each of the model’s best runs which U-Drags uses for their Leaderboard as well.
| MODEL | RACE | 0-60 MPH | QTR MILE | MAX CORNERING | FINAL RACE TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stingray | Z06 | 3.3 sec | 11.4 @ 120.3 MPH | 1.07 G | 33.4 @133.6 MPH |
| Stingray | BMW M2 | 3.5 sec | 11.6 @ 118.4 MPH | 1.16 G | 34.0 @127.9 MPH |
| Z06 | Stingray | 3.1 sec | 10.7 @ 130.5 MPH | 1.05 G | 31.4 @145.2 MPH |
| Z06 | McLaren 765LT | 3.2 sec | 10.9 @ 130.1 MPH | 1.14 G | 31.6 @144.9 MPH |
| Z06 | Shelby GT500 | 3.0 sec | 10.7 @ 131.2 MPH | 1.07 G | 31.3 @145.2 MPH |
| Z06 | Lucid Air | 36. sec | 11.1 @ 127.4 MPH | 1.04 G | 32.0 @144.6 MPH |
| E-Ray | McLaren 750S | 2.8 sec | 10.5 @ 130.6 MPH | 1.41 G | 31.7 @136.6 MPH |
Best Corvette Runs
The U-DRAGS Leaderboard
Final Wrap Up
It really is amazing how well all three Corvette models did in this format, and each of them deserves kudos for their performance. For the Stingray, it’s the performance-to-value equation that shows how well the entry model punches above its weight. For the E-Ray, the AWD drive system provides benefits that allows it to outperform its race-engineered sibling in most instances. The Z06 comes away as the winner with the fastest time on the leaderboard, but just barely. The Z06 may be tops for the Corvette on the U-Drag leaderboard for now, but all it would take is the E-Ray having a .4 second faster run on its next race to take Z06’s title.
Source:
Edmunds U-Drags
Related:
[VIDEO] 2024 Corvette E-Ray vs McLaren 750S in One of the Fastest U-Drags in History
[VIDEO] Edmunds U-Drags the C8 Corvette Z06 Against the C8 Stingray
[VIDEO] 670 HP C8 Corvette Z06 U-Drags the 760-Horse Shelby GT500, America Wins!
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