In 1986, General Motors bought Lotus Cars, or Group Lotus, as it was officially known. The Corvette team wasted no time putting its skills to work by discussing with Lotus the idea of turning the Corvette into the world’s fastest production car. Instead of modifying what was there, Lotus designed a new engine based on what was there, creating the LT5 in the process. Sharing the same basic architecture as the standard Corvette 5.7L L98 V-8, the LT5 used an aluminum block and heads with four overhead cams and 32 valves. A number of other specialized modifications helped create a 5.7L V-8 engine that produced 375 HP. Assisting with the chassis, the Corvette received bigger brakes, a revised suspension design and massive Goodyear tires. Mercury Marine of Stillwater, Oklahoma, was contracted to build the engines, as neither Lotus nor Corvette had the capacity to do so. The end result was the Corvette ZR1, introduced for the 1990 model year. Magazines were astonished, seeing 0-60 MPH times of 4.9 seconds, quarter-mile times of 13.4 seconds and braking distances from 60-0 MPH in just 132 feet. The top speed was 179 MPH. With steady development, the ZR1 offered various refinements and enhanced performance, and by 1993, the ZR1 was producing 405 HP, finding 0-60 MPH in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of over 180 MPH. For comparison, a 1994 Ferrari 512TR with a 4.9L flat 12-cylinder engine delivered 428 HP, good for 0-60 MPH in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of about 195 MPH. To boot, the Corvette had more interior space and offered very similar, exquisite handling. But, the Ferrari cost roughly double that of the ZR1. By the time ZR1 production ended in 1995, Corvette had proven its point and left the world wondering what would come next. While it wasn’t the world’s fastest production car, it was in the room with all the others. Fewer than 7,000 ZR1 Corvettes were built during the 1990s, and this is a new LT5 engine on a stand. Purchased as a spare engine from a Chevrolet dealer near the end of 1995, it is the 405 HP variant used in the 1993-95 ZR1s. It’s not known how many ZR1 engines were built without being installed in a car, so this is certainly a rarity and would be a fabulous centerpiece in any collection. As beautifully designed as the LT5 is, this would make a great element in an office or den as well.
