It represented the zenith of Corvette performance to date when it debuted in the 1990 model year.
It was symbolic of Corvette’s return to respectability after the emasculating effects of new emissions standards, the use of catalytic converters and new, weight-adding bumper regulations in the mid 1970s – all of which had served to kill off the plethora of high performance engine combinations that populated the Corvette option sheet several years earlier.
The Corvette ZR-1, however, not only brought back the glory days of Corvette performance, but wrote a new chapter of its own.
The Corvette ZR-1 was launched in Spring 1990. Initial demand was red hot.
Without question, the soul of the new ZR-1 was its all-aluminum 32-valve overhead cam LT5 V8 that put out 375 hp and 370 lb.-ft. of torque (power was later increased to 405 hp in 1993).
It was an engineering masterpiece that would propel the ZR-1 to 60 mph in just over four seconds and would register a top speed of 175 mph.
The engine was developed by the Chevrolet, Pontiac, and GM Canada (CPC) Division in conjunction with Lotus Cars of England. Roy Midgely, chief engineer of 90-degree V-type engines at CPC, played a pivotal role in the creation of the LT5, working closely with Tony Rudd, managing director of Lotus Engineering.
The all-aluminum engine was assembled largely by hand at a Mercury Marine Plant in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which specialized in fine aluminum machining.
As opposed to just being an engine option as were previous high performance Corvettes, the ZR-1 had significant bodywork changes as well.
It featured a rear track that was three inches wider than a standard Corvette to accommodate steamroller-wide Goodyear Eagle Gatorback 315/35ZR-17 tires mounted on 11-inch-wide rims.
The wide body necessitated new doors, rear quarter panels, and a rear bumper fascia with a new, rectangular lamp design.
Each new ZR-1 came standard with a special "valet key" that limited the engine’s tremendous power to authorized users.
The new Corvette supercar was unveiled for the first time at the 1989 Geneva Auto Show.
Chevrolet invited media from around the world to Geneva for the occasion and then allowed a select group to drive the Corvettes from Geneva to the walled city of Carcasonne in the southwest corner of France.
In addition, a Goodyear test track at Mireval, France, was employed for high-speed cornering and wet-pavement dynamics.
Media reaction to the ZR-1 was initially fantastic. The ZR-1 owned the cover of virtually every magazine in the world.
It was featured prominently in publications such as Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport as well as England’s Car and Autocar.
ZR-1 owners received not only an owner’s manual, but also a driver’s manual that provided valuable advice on how to get the most performance out of the car in a safe and responsible manner.
This was a first for a GM product. After delivery, a hardcover collector’s book was also sent to each ZR-1 owner.
Pricing for the ZR-1 turned out to be about $30,000 more than a Corvette coupe, setting a new record for a GM passenger car.
The ZR-1 was launched in Spring 1990, and initial demand was red hot. In fact many collectors bought ZR-1s with no intention of driving them, but rather to store them away as a future classic.
Automotive News reported in a September 1989 edition that early serial number cars were selling for $10,000 to $20,000 over list price. But once the initial market was satiated, demand fell off dramatically, not helped by the recession of 1991 or the luxury tax on vehicles over $30,000.
Ironically, the ZR-1 may have also been hurt by the reincarnation of the LT1 V8 in 1992 that bumped up power on the standard small-block to 300 hp at 5,000 rpm and 330 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm.
Still, many ZR-1 owners were ecstatic about their machines and formed ZR-1 Net Registry while also congregating at the National Corvette Museum every May for an event called “The Gathering.”
The ZR-1 had a five-year lifespan with the final car, appropriately Torch Red, rolling off the line in April 1995 during a special ceremony attended by representatives from GM, Lotus, and Mercury Marine, as well as some 800 ZR-1 fanatics.
The final ZR-1 now resides at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It still sports a windshield banner declaring "The Legend Lives."
