How does the saying go ... “don't get high on your own supply”?
Ever since it landed in with an enormous US$60,000 thud last July, the all-new mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette C8's performance capabilities have been sat at the very front of the collective motoring psyche. Whether it (and its 6.2-litre V8) can be a true track challenger for the Ferrari 488, McLaren 570S, and others is a point of discussion we won't be able to truely resolve until we get it in our hot little hands.
However, you can only imagine how tempting it would be to put such matters to the test if you happened to spend a lot of time around Chevrolet's latest creation.
Enter the two General Motors engineers that were arrested last week. The pair were stopped by Bowling Green police in Kentucky, USA for allegedly street racing two minty fresh Corvette C8s. The road upon which they were caught featured a 45mph (72km/h) speed limit, and they were clocked exceeding that limit by over 42km/h.
Read more: First new Chevrolet Corvette C8 touches down at Holden headquarters
Specific speeds haven't been formally confirmed, but it's been reported by local TV station WNKY 40 that one of the drivers was caught hurtling down the road at 120mph (193km/h), with the other doing a supposed 100mph (160km/h). The outlet claims a third Corvette was also in tow, but it wasn't hitting the same speed extremes.
It's been reported that Alexander Thim and Mark Derkatz were the engineers in question; one a specialist in induction and exhaust systems and the other an electrical engineer. Both were arrested for excessive speeding, before being released from jail. The cars meanwhile were impounded.
General Motors issued a statement on the incident to US publication Automobile, saying; “We are aware of an incident involving our test vehicles and are currently investigating. Safety remains our overriding priority at General Motors. We have no further comment at this time.”
General Motors has yet to issue any statement around whether the pairing have been booted, but the likely money is on the affirmative. It's somewhat admirable seeing engineers show passion for their work, but it's also definitive stupidity for that passion to occur on public streets.
Closer to home, the first Corvette C8 landed in Australia over the holiday break. There it will undergo testing ahead of the car's proper launch on both sides of the Tasman in right-hand drive.