Thread: Corvette ZR1 on Australian Top Gear

Originally Posted by stuee

Maybe 1990-1995 they did:
Chevrolet Corvette (fourth generation-C4) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But I do believe the current 6.2L Supercharged V8 (otherwise known as LS9) used in the current ZR1 Corvette is GM developed.

They had Lotus do the chassis-suspension-engine and then developed it in Germany to race in the GT series.It is a very good car only because GM had nothing to do with it. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

They had Lotus do the chassis-suspension-engine and then developed it in Germany to race in the GT series.It is a very good car only because GM had nothing to do with it. Pat

What generation Corvette are you referring to? Certainly the C4, but I can not find anything that says Lotus has had anything to do with Corvette since GM sold them in 1993 .

The only European exotica that have been able to out-perform a Corvette in the last fifty years sold for several times the price and required several times the maintenance. There are few vehicles about even today that can match the performance of a 1960's pre-emission controls 427 Corvette.

In 1963-64 I had a Ferrari 212. Next car was a '59 Corvette with 327, twin four barrels and Saginaw four speed. The Corvette was a breath of fresh air compared to the 212. You could drive it every day!! You were not forever turning spanners!! Used about the same amount of fuel.Both had drum brakes so little difference there. No comparison in performance. The Corvette was streets ahead.

The current ZR1 is a supercharged pushrod small block. The first one in the 90's was a four cam limited production engine. GM subbied out production to Mercury Marine as projected sales were 5,000 per year which was less than a day's work at Chevrolet and a PIA to tool up for.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

There are few vehicles about even today that can match the performance of a 1960's pre-emission controls 427 Corvette.

I guess that depends on how you define performance.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

The only European exotica that have been able to out-perform a Corvette in the last fifty years sold for several times the price and required several times the maintenance. There are few vehicles about even today that can match the performance of a 1960's pre-emission controls 427 Corvette.

In 1963-64 I had a Ferrari 212. Next car was a '59 Corvette with 327, twin four barrels and Saginaw four speed. The Corvette was a breath of fresh air compared to the 212. You could drive it every day!! You were not forever turning spanners!! Used about the same amount of fuel.Both had drum brakes so little difference there. No comparison in performance. The Corvette was streets ahead.

The current ZR1 is a supercharged pushrod small block. The first one in the 90's was a four cam limited production engine. GM subbied out production to Mercury Marine as projected sales were 5,000 per year which was less than a day's work at Chevrolet and a PIA to tool up for.

I'll bite.You get hold of your boat on wheels and I'll get a little 4 cylinder GTi golf,pug or Renault and we'll have a 10 lap race around any track you want.I'll go as far as giving you a lap head start. Pat

Originally Posted by stuee

What generation Corvette are you referring to? Certainly the C4, but I can not find anything that says Lotus has had anything to do with Corvette since GM sold them in 1993 .

It was the model that didn't have fold up-down headlights.Sorry don't know the name of it. Pat