Prototype Engines - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

tomtom72 · 02-05-2011

At the 20th anni gathering over at JVD's BBQ I listened to Mr. Mclellan explain that they had a redesigned LT5 that was done to fit inside a C5. The motor was a clean sheet of paper because the C4 LT5 would not fit in a C5 as it was too tall and the C5 hood would hit our motors.

This next part I'm almost 100% positive of....Mr McLellan said that in 90/91 they had a C5 chassis, less the rear transmission as it wasn't ready yet, under cobbled together C4 body panels with a clam shell lowered to simulate the underhood clearance of the new C5. It was a test car to do testing on the C5 chassis & suspension, and it had one of these new LT5's in it and they were driving it around BG to test it! I swear I heard Mr. McLellan say that....I nearly fell off of my chair as he went on to list some of the improvements to the motor and that Lotus did this new motor specifically for the C5 program. It was rejected ofcourse due to costs?

It had the specific bore spacing that Lotus had wanted to use to suit the 4 valve head, it was to be a MAF system, one injector per cylinder, VVT, it met emissions for OBDII, it had no gas guzzler tax including the ZO6 version of the motor, and they even had a version to use in the C5 ZR-1. I think I remember that the ZO6 version was to have 600 hp, and the ZR-1 version was to be close to 700 hp w/ a gas guzzler tax ( I'm not 100% sure on that as I think I was crying by then! ) and that the regular corvette base LT5 was 450 hp! Oh, forgot this part, Mr. McLellan said that all these motors were N/A.....I think that's why I was crying or writhing in pain by then. Can you imagine what the reception would have been like for the C5 with 450 hp as the standard motor?!? I mean the car was a hit with the new chassis.

I know one thing....when I was looking to buy back into the corvette hobby back in 04 the only C5 that held my interest was the ZO6....the "standard" vette not so much. I chose my car to spend my cash on, my 90. If the C5 had used the new LT5 I would have taken a loan to buy a new ZO6 rather than buy a C4 ZR-1....I know you can have me turn in my power key, but the C5 chassis is ( IMHO ) just that little bit better than the C4 chassis.

Tom

02-05-2011	#6
tomtom72 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Jacksonville, FL USA Posts: 4,609	Re: Prototype Engines At the 20th anni gathering over at JVD's BBQ I listened to Mr. Mclellan explain that they had a redesigned LT5 that was done to fit inside a C5. The motor was a clean sheet of paper because the C4 LT5 would not fit in a C5 as it was too tall and the C5 hood would hit our motors. This next part I'm almost 100% positive of....Mr McLellan said that in 90/91 they had a C5 chassis, less the rear transmission as it wasn't ready yet, under cobbled together C4 body panels with a clam shell lowered to simulate the underhood clearance of the new C5. It was a test car to do testing on the C5 chassis & suspension, and it had one of these new LT5's in it and they were driving it around BG to test it! I swear I heard Mr. McLellan say that....I nearly fell off of my chair as he went on to list some of the improvements to the motor and that Lotus did this new motor specifically for the C5 program. It was rejected ofcourse due to costs? It had the specific bore spacing that Lotus had wanted to use to suit the 4 valve head, it was to be a MAF system, one injector per cylinder, VVT, it met emissions for OBDII, it had no gas guzzler tax including the ZO6 version of the motor, and they even had a version to use in the C5 ZR-1. I think I remember that the ZO6 version was to have 600 hp, and the ZR-1 version was to be close to 700 hp w/ a gas guzzler tax ( I'm not 100% sure on that as I think I was crying by then! ) and that the regular corvette base LT5 was 450 hp! Oh, forgot this part, Mr. McLellan said that all these motors were N/A.....I think that's why I was crying or writhing in pain by then. Can you imagine what the reception would have been like for the C5 with 450 hp as the standard motor?!? I mean the car was a hit with the new chassis. I know one thing....when I was looking to buy back into the corvette hobby back in 04 the only C5 that held my interest was the ZO6....the "standard" vette not so much. I chose my car to spend my cash on, my 90. If the C5 had used the new LT5 I would have taken a loan to buy a new ZO6 rather than buy a C4 ZR-1....I know you can have me turn in my power key, but the C5 chassis is ( IMHO ) just that little bit better than the C4 chassis. Tom __________________ 1990 ZR-1, Black/grey, #2233, stock. ZR-1 Net Reg Founding Member #316 & NCM member