To ensure customer satisfaction, car manufacturers go to extreme lengths to test their products in every condition imaginable before sending them out into the world. The need to verify correct operation in extreme clients sends engineering teams with preproduction vehicles north of the Arctic Circle in the middle of winter, into the depths of Death Valley in August, and to places like the “highest paved road in America,” Colorado’s Mt. Evans Scenic Byway.

Rising from 8,700 feet above sea level to a crest of 14,240 feet, the Mt. Evans road is frequented by factory quality control groups looking to give new cars a high-altitude calibration checkup, and that fact also draws spy photographers looking for new prey. In this video, the team from The Fast Lane Car comes across a preproduction C7 Corvette Stingray on the road, along with a few new Volkswagens as well.

With 2014 Corvette dealer orders already in the pipeline, we imagine that there isn’t much work left to do to get these cars ready for their first owners – one of the great things about modern engines like the new Gen V LT1, though, is that software updates are a relatively inexpensive way to solve glitches and offer increased performance with a minimum amount of hassle.

It’s good to know that GM is sweating the details on the new C7, though, even if we are just a little bit envious of the employees who’s job description reads something like, “Drive the best Corvette yet through stunning scenery on winding mountain roads to confirm it is awesome”…