|
Here's the story:
Illustrated Corvette Series No. 92 - 1992 Corvette
"The Return of the LT1"
Back in
the late '70s, the dog days of performance, who would have thought that
the famous LT-1 would make a return? But this wasn't just an expensive,
resurrected old performance badge as an option. The new LT1 packed 300
net hp and was standard on every 1992 Corvette!
Except for the rectangular exhaust tips and a few new interior and
exterior colors, the 1992 Corvette looks the same as the 1991 Corvette.
But under the pretty fiberglass there was plenty of new gear that made
the '92 model the best standard Corvette to date. Some said that it was
what the '84 model should have been.
Since the first V-8 Corvette in 1955, Corvettes have always been about
what's under the hood. The 1970-1/2 LT-1 Corvette had been one of Zora
Arkus-Duntov's favorite Corvettes. The high-reving, solid-lifter LT-1
350 engine gave the driver an excellent mix of power, torque, and
handling balance. The original LT-1 was rated at 370 "gross" hp. The
new LT1, with
its 300 net hp, was probably stronger than the original LT-1. As good
as the '91 model was, the '92 was better.
The new LT1 Corvette could do 0-60 mph in just five seconds, the
quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at 104 mph and had a top speed of 161 mph!
Building a production performance car is difficult, but in addition to
some new electronics, there were a few basic hot rod tricks at play
here. Everything from intake to exhaust was overhauled. A new Rochester
multi-port injection system was built with the latest
computer-controlled ignition system.
The ports in the cylinder heads were opened up to better use the new
10.5:1 compression ratio and cast iron exhaust manifolds connected with
a new, dual catalytic converter exhaust system. A new cooling system
flowed coolant to the heads first and the use of synthetic oil
eliminated the need for an oil cooler. The net result was an increase
of 50 hp!
The new standard ASR (Acceleration Slip Regulation) feature controlled
both traction control and ABS breaking systems. For enthusiasts, this
feature had an "off" switch on the dash. The new Goodyear GS-C tires
were directional for each side of the car with an asymmetric tread
pattern that replaced the "Gatorback" design.
The only complaints came from ZR-1 owners because the new stock
Corvette was only a few ticks slower than the ZR-1. For all of the
extra hardware, the '92 model was up only $1,180 from the '91 car,
making it a genuine performance bargain.
|
