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Here's the story:
lllustrated Corvette Series No. 82 1990 ZR1 Corvette
"Super Corvette"
Whether
is was deliberate or accidental, Chevrolet milked the automotive press
for nearly two years with the ZR-1 Corvette! It was the biggest power
leap since the introduction of the big-block engine in 1965.
The ZR-1 conversion was much more involved than simply dropping a
larger engine under the hood. The biggest challenge had to do with
actual production. The original idea was to have a set of
double-overhead-cam heads made that would replace the stock Corvette
heads. But they soon discovered that the extra width from the new heads
made it impossible to install the engine on the assembly line. Changing
the assembly line or the frame was not an option. So the decision was
made to have a completely new engine developed.
Since GM owned Lotus, work began in May 1995 by Lotus engineers to
design a new engine for a super-Corvette. The new engine would be
designed to fit into the Corvette assembly line, but the overall
package would be far from cheap. Unlike the Cosworth Vega's DOHC
bolt-on heads, the new LT5 would be a fresh start.
Even though the introduction was delayed because Chevrolet wanted to
get it right, the finished product was stunning. The L98 Corvette
engine had 245 horsepower, the ZR-1 packed 375 horsepower! The engine
had four overhead-cam shafts and 32 valves. The heads used a fast-burn
cloverleaf design with centrally located spark plugs. The intake
manifold had 16-runner inlets and two Multec injectors per cylinder. It
had a direct-fire ignition with camshaft sensors and used 12 quarts of
oil. The ZR-1 was a jewel of an engine.
To handle the extra power, special 315/35 ZR17 Goodyear Z-rated tires
were mounted to 11-inch wide rims. To cover the larger tires, new body
panels were made to replace the stock doors, rear fenders, rear fascia,
and upper rear panel. The taillights were rectangular, as were the
exhaust tips. All of the Z51 suspension parts were standard.
The ZR-1 was a real bear. It ran the quarter-mile in 13.4-seconds and
0-to-60 in 4.9-seconds and. Top speed was 171mph. Despite the $58,8741
price, it didn't stop 3,049 customers from buying a 1990 ZR-1.
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