The editors at Road & Track say that we are living in a “Golden Era” for Corvettes, and we are inclined to agree. In this video from YouTube, the guys at Road & Track take one of each Corvette model; Base, Grand Sport, Z06 and ZR1 for a scenic cruise through the Valley of Fire State Park, in Nevada, before heading over to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch to really see what each Corvette can bring to the table.

When they arrive at Spring Mountain, Corvette Racing Driver Tommy Milner, is waiting for them, ready to do what he does best – wring out every last ounce of performance from America’s Sports Car around the track. When talking about the generalities of the Corvette, Road & Track had an interesting point to make about the often lambasted seats in the Corvette, saying, “It’s comfortable inside. And although some might want more lateral seat support, this car fits larger drivers quite well.”

For the base coupe, the R&T guys said it was an absolute blast to drive around the track, and could be power oversteered whenever you wanted. However, the all-season tires were definitely holding it back. The Grand Sport, however, is a much better track car, and they really liked the magnetic ride control. All in all, the Grand Sport was a full 5 seconds quicker around the track than the base Corvette.

Stepping up to the Z06, R&T tells us that it’s a “race car for the street”, being the lightest Corvette model and packing the 505 horsepower, all-aluminum LS7. They were, like most other reviewers, smitten by the race-slick-like qualities of the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires.

And finally, the Big Dog of the Corvette line up: the ZR1. R&T really felt that the PTM helps keep the 638 horsepower demon under control, and it’s not uncommon to miss braking points or to be late on turn-in because of the incredible speed the ZR1 can carry around the track. Ironically though, the Z06 was faster around the track this time than the mighty ZR1.

Be sure to check out the video to see Tommy Milner’s surprise for the R&T guys; the same C6.R that won its class at the 24 hours of Le Mans lapping Spring Mountain with the stock Vettes.