1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 Coupe (RHD)

Description

In 1986,General Motors Acquired Group Lotus the UK based engineering consulting and performance car manufacturing firm. The Corvette division approached Lotus with the idea of developing the world's fastest production car, to be based on the C4 generation Corvette. GM combined with Lotus to design a new engine to fit in place of the L98 V8 powering the previous C4. The result was an aluminum-block V-8 with the same bore centers as the L98, but with four overhead camshafts and 32 valves. A unique air management system for the engine to provide a wider power band by shutting off 8 of the 16 intake runners and fuel injectors when the engine was at part-throttle, while still giving the ZR-1 375 hp (280 kW) when at full throttle was also designed by Lotus. Lotus was also heavily involved with the design of the ZR-1's upgraded braking and steering systems and helped them pick the settings for the standard "FX3" adjustable active ride control that Chevrolet was fitting to the car helping to ensure that the vehicle was more than just a modern-day muscle car with a big engine and no real capability on the track.. A total of 6,939 ZR-1s were manufactured over the six-year period. Not until the debut of the C5 platform Z06 would Chevrolet have another production Corvette capable of matching the ZR-1's performance. Although the ZR-1 was extremely quick (0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, and onto 180+ mph), the huge performance of the LT5 engine was matched by its robustness. As evidence of this, a stock ZR-1 set a number of international and world records at a test track in Fort Stockton Texas on March 1, 1990, verified by the FIA , including seven new international records.