This week in 1988: Chevy teases Corvette ZR-1

[Fully Vetted]

I remember reading this when it came out:

[JimZRyd]

And the world hasn't been the same since!

[Fully Vetted]

How you enjoying that Blue Beast, Jim!

[JimZRyd]

Originally Posted by Fully Vetted

How you enjoying that Blue Beast, Jim!

Hi Dave! She's a blast! Spent the first week I had her detailing her for a show in Myrtle Beach. Had the best ride to the beach in my life with fellow Registry member Paul Walk and his gorgeous 93 LPE! Never had that much fun cruising with the C5. Found a vacuum hose was missing an elbow. Got a replacement one put on but haven't taken her out since. Just got back from vacation tonight but will be taking her out this weekend. Hope for a pleasant surprise!

[Fully Vetted]

Get used to the miles of smiles. Permagrin is a wonderful thang!

[LancePearson]

I just spent fifteen minutes trying to find out more about the new C7 and never really personally liked the body style of the c5 or the c6 and then I opened your thread with this Z rolling along on a test track.

It's not conventional wisdom to say this but, frankly, I like the shape of the Z's we own far better than what Corvette makes today. Haven't seen the new 2014 personally yet and I'm sure it's a whiz of tweaked two valve pushrod technology and all that but it just doesn't work for me, especially at the price points versus performance they will have.

I know lots of people didn't like the C4 but I don't think they ever drove a ZR-1 C4.

When I opened this link and saw the photo of the red car from the day, I just smiled.

Never happened yet when opening a photo of a C5, C6 or a C7.

Thanks for posting this.

Lance

[Hog]

Unfortunatley the C7 will be quicker, faster, and cost less money than the C4 ZR-1. They are starting at $51,995 for the coupe, will have 460 SAE Certified hp @ 6,000rpm/465 lb/ft torque @ 4600rpm with the optional exhaust, 455hp/460lb/ft without. The Stingray will have a curb weight of 3,298 lbs where the C4 ZR-1 is in the 3460lb range.

I'm just not understanding your "price points vs. performance" comment. Unless you are comparing a new C7 cost vs. a used C4 ZR-1 cost vs. performance? The C7 can be had for less than $53,000 and will best the meausring criteria such as 0-60, 1/4 mile ET and mph, and top speed.

I do like the looks of the later iterations of the C4 (1990+)and their aerodynamics are excellent. I do like the C7 looks(so far) better than the C5 and C6. That C4 posted up top sure looks sweet though!

I so wish that the 2nd generation of the LT5 was released and given a few years to roam and develop. An excellent engine would be even more excellent-er, or the King of Kings!

peace
Hog

[LancePearson]

Hog,
Last time I looked at 2013's for sale the prices for base models didn't mean much. What I saw were cars that when you got the items that were in them added to it were quite a bit more expensive than the base prices with all the extras tossed on top. Compare that pattern to what we mostly all have now, 1990-95 Z's with anywhere from 400-600 hp in them it does not seem like much of a reason to buy a new one. The new one to me looks very much like a wind tunnel copy of the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta with its 730 hp naturally aspirated v12 current top model. I'm sure anyone at those levels will end up in the same wind tunnel works and it looks like they have. The not even comparable ZR-1 2013 (and none is currently offered for 2014) is 638hp supercharged in the Vette and 6.2 liters and when you get done with taxes, titles, destination charges, extras for various things you are spending the better part of $125,000. I'll keep what I've got thank you very much as I like the body shape better than the 2013 as I said. I hope GM offers a new ZR-1 type offering though none of us need more than 400-500 hp except it's so widely available now to be competitive they will probably have to.

I sure agree with you about the second and third generations of the dohc lt5 and what it could have been. Look at the FBI, Haibecks, DRM, et al, and you are very close to at least a second generation. Can you imagine a third generation with one or two turbos on it? Power, how about 900-1000 hp? Like it or not the world is experimenting with turbos the way the boys in Chicago at the 1/2's found out and they fly.

Don't know how you keep them on the road but they do. The 30th in Colorado, Sebastian Loeb is driving a Peugot 208 t16 I think it's called car up Pikes Peak in the International Hill climb race trying to break the 12.42 mile upward just under ten minutes existing record from 9400' to 14,000' of elevation on a twisty track now all paved but with virtually no guard rails. The Red Bull car is admitted to 875 hp for a v6 much smaller than our lt5 with it's twin turbos and most think it's actually closer to 1,000 hp. It goes 0-62 mph in 1.8 seconds, 0-124 mph in 7 seconds and 0-149 mph in ten seconds and up from there I think. Pure race car much the same as the Rolex DP and GT classes are tricked out to race but he is the nine times world rally champ and many of those guys don't fool with big v 8's anymore...they turbo v 6's and they fly with plenty of power. There's a Youtube of his first practice in the car. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItEXWupLHTE

As it happens, I'm going to be in Denver for a 50th ann. party for friends that day but hope to go down and see the cars the 29th. never seen anything like that. On the lower reaches the cars hit three digits then slower as they go higher while losing 45% of their power as the altitude goes up. They scream up that course which used to be half gravel but this year is all pavement.

[LancePearson]

Hog,
There are many fascinating things I'm waiting to find out about the C7. I'm an old aluminum company business guy so the idea of that all aluminum frame but made from four or five different processes of making aluminum and both welding and gluing the various pieces is a fascinating undertaking. They may rue the day taking it in house from Dana! It is a very interesting undertaking, hydroforming, extruding, casting, forging and putting them all into one cohesive frame is a real set of joining technologies to say the least. I like the lightness of the total if it comes in at that. Unfortunately, what I've read is that it won't come in that light. That's their p.r. stuff but the actual is about 200#'s heavier than your numbers. let's see what it actually turns out to be when a car is made and someone weighs it. If they are going to do road races even if they do more power they need to get some weight out. The Peugot car Loeb is driving is under 2,000 pounds which is another thing that makes these little fliers go. Less mass to move around corners.