The ZR-1 was nicknamed King of the Hill
Summary
In 1990, Chevrolet introduced the Corvette ZR-1. This special C4 was different than other corvettes that year. One of the most expensive options for the Corvette, the ZR1 package ranged in price from $27,000 to $31,000 depending on the year. The most important part of the package is the LT5 engine, pumping out 375bhp in 1990 to 405 at the end of the run in 1995. The LT5 is the only quad cam V8 engine installed in a Corvette. The all aluminum engine was jointly developed by Lotus and GM and built by Mercury Marine. Mercury was commissioned to build the engine as they had a lot of experience with aluminum engines and the LT5 engine was built in too small a quantity for GM to produce the engine themselves. The ZR1 was only available as coupe and with a six speed manual gearbox. To fit wider rear wheels the rear fascia was restyled. Production ended in 1995 as the new model was about to be launched and it was too expensive to make the quad cam engine compliant with the latest EPA rules.
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Approximately 80 ZR-1 cars were built in 1989, but none were sold to the public. The last of these ZR1s were shipped out of the factory on Dec. 22, 1988. The FX3 adjustable suspension option, permitting shock valving changes via a rotary dial mounted on the interior console between the seats, was first introduced in 1989
The long awaited, high performance ZR-1 option package was finally publicly available in 1990. It included special rear body panels and an all aluminum small block designated the LT5, producing 375 hp. All LT-5 engines for the production ZR-1 option were built by Mercury Marine in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The last year for the Callaway twin turbo option was 1991, selling 62 units at $33,000 each. In comparison, the ZR-1 option was a bargain at "only" $31,683.
1991 was the 10th anniversary of Corvette production at the Bowling Green, KY plant.
July 2nd, 1992 marks the day when the one millionth Corvette, a white convertible, rolled off the assembly line.
The 1991 Corvette received some new body work which was the only noticeable change made to the C4 Corvette's appearance between 1984 and 1996. There was a new front nose with wraparound lights, the side fender louvers were now horizontal instead of vertical. A new rear bumper that was similar to the ZR1's was now installed on all Corvettes along with new turbine style 17 inch wheels. There were 2044 ZR1's sold this year. Only 5875 Corvettes were sold with the 6 speed transmission, 6894 with the FX3 adjustable suspension, and only 733 ZO7 Corvettes were sold. This was the last year of the great L98 Tuned Port Injection motor. It had been in use since 1985.
1992 saw the rebirth of the legendary LT1 small block engine as a 300 hp motor with reverse flow cooling and two valves per cylinder.
A special 40th anniversary model was released for 1993 with one year only Ruby Red exterior and interior colors. The ZR-1 horsepower rating rose to 405 hp for 1993, but the option cost was held to 1992's $31,683.
The last C4 ZR-1 rolled off the assembly line in 1995 do to declining demand and more stringent EPA rules. You can see the last ZR-1 at the National Corvette Museum.
Then...
Previously code named the "Blue Devil", Chevrolet brought back the ZR1 in the fall of 2008 as the all new 638 HP ground thumping beast! At a starting base price of just over $104,000 and again as with the C4 ZR-1, it will be produced in limited numbers. A few months after they hit the show rooms, they are commanding prices $50k or more over sticker! I don't see one of these babies even remotely in my near future. For more, visit the official Chevy Corvette site at http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/