The new Corvette takes a turn around VIR.

It’s already on tape to be the most powerful “base” Corvette ever produced, and when the seventh-generation ‘Vette hits market over the summer, it will also come in as the fastest, for the first time ever breaking the 4-second mark.

Well, put an asterisk in the record book. It’s the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with the optional Z51 Performance Package that will screech from a standing start to 60 in just 3.8 seconds. It will also hit 1.03 g in cornering and brake from 60 to 0 in just 107 feet, Chevy has announced.

“For the new Stingray, we set out to elevate every aspect of the Corvette’s performance,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “Considered alone, the acceleration, braking and cornering performance of the Corvette Stingray is truly impressive. More significant is how well they work together, resulting in a lap time at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) that places the new Stingray in the upper echelon of all sports cars.”

The Corvette's LT1 V-8 will make 455 hp, and that jumps to 460 with the optional exhaust package.

To round out the first release of performance numbers, Chevy says the new Vette with the Z51 package can clear the quarter-mile from a standing start in 12 seconds, running the trap at 119 mph.

In an industry that is traditionally known for its inability to keep secrets, the Detroit maker has done a decidedly good job of keeping the wraps on the Corvette program – holding the design of the new sports car in its pocket until its well-attended reveal at the Detroit Auto Show last January.

More recently, it announced that the so-called C7 ‘Vette will churn out a full 455 horsepower in base trim, five more than originally anticipated and 20 more than the outgoing C6 model’s 430 hp. With the optional performance exhaust package, that jumps to 460.

(For more on the C7 Corvette’s power and performance, Click Here.)

To turn a VIR lap time of 2:51.78, the Stingray was equipped with the Z51 Performance Package and the Magnetic Ride Control option. The only non-standard modifications included a racing seat and harness, GM noted, and a fire extinguisher system.

“It’s just addictive on the track,” declared Jim Mero, a Corvette vehicle dynamics engineer.

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is expected to reach U.S. showrooms during the third quarter at a starting price of $51,995. The Z51 package adds another $2,800 to the price tag. Equipped for VIR, it would come in at $56,590.

Joe Szczesny contributed to this report.