As the team at Chevrolet continues to develop the high powered monster of the Corvette that will head to the market and be the power we want to experience. Even though this new model from the Corvette team is on its way, this isn’t the first time there has been a ZR-1 model offered. There was one that you could choose in 1990 to give you more of what you wanted for the drive and it gave you a special engine that produced the power and performance you were looking for.
The price of a new Corvette in 1990 was $31,979 to have the basic model with the pushrod, two-valve heads that make it right for the drive. If you wanted to enjoy the ZR-1 option you had to pay an additional $27,016. Choosing this package gave you a 5.7-liter V8 with quad overhead camps and four valves per cylinder which made it possible for this engine to give you 375 horsepower which was a significant jump and an amazing feat at the time considering the Ferrari 348 TS was built to produce 300 horsepower and was considered to be one of the most powerful models offered.
Here’s the Surprise
When you think of the engines that are offered in the Corvette, you expect them to be built by GM for this car specifically and the one you chose in 1990 as the ZR-1 package was called the LT5. This engine went out of production in 1995 and it was built by Mercury Marine, not by GM. Mercury Marine has focused on and is one of the leading manufacturers of boat engines which it has done for many years. Once this engine went out of production the Corvette no longer had the increased power this beast could provide.
Does that mean the Corvette fell by the wayside and no longer had the power we wanted? Not at all, Chevrolet has continued to develop the Corvette engine and now has a supercharged V8 engine that can give us amazing power in the Z06 and the new ZR1 is slated for the 2019 model year to pump out an incredible amount of power for the drive. Even with this thought in mind, there are some that feel a newer Mercury Marine model could be the right choice for the drive in the Corvette.
One Mercury Marine engine that might be able to be used is the SB4 7.0 which costs $29,000 and uses the four-cam 32-valve layout that’s the same as the original LT5. This engine combines the large bore displacement and airflow to give you 750 horsepower at 7,500 rpm. That’s 100 more horsepower than what we have in the current Z06. Even though this engine could be an amazing choice for the drive, it seems like it might not be the choice used because Chevrolet is already developing the engine that will be put in the new ZR1 and provide us the insane power we want.
Looking for something a bit different, but still just as powerful? Opt for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.
