380 hp, 0-60 in 4.3-seconds and a quarter mile time of 12.8-seconds. Those stats are more than respectable by today’s performance standards, but those were world-beating figures in 1990.
The 1990 C4 Corvette ZR-1 arrived with a splash on European sports cars’ home turf: the Geneva Motor Show. And, thanks to MotorWeek, we have retro review footage of the Corvette ZR-1’s press drive.
Chevrolet invited the automotive press to Europe, once again getting up close and personal with some of the world’s greatest sports cars of the time. MW found the 1990 Corvette ZR-1’s LT5 V8 to be docile at low RPMs, but an utter screamer and bull as the engine continued to pull.
Tires and handling were praised, too, with a pit stop at a Goodyear test facility to showcase its nimbleness on a flooded track scenario. The ZR-1 was said to be easily controllable should you enter a corner to quickly, allowing the rear end to rotate, and correcting itself.
The current C7 Corvette Stingray, Grand Sport and Z06 may be deemed the world-beating Corvettes of today, but the C4 had something special going for it 26 years ago.
Comment
This article truly makes you think.. as a C4 Corvette goes for as little as $10K; but if you drop in a LT4 650hp supercharged 6.2L V8 crate motor for $13K, you can have a very exciting ride for less than the sticker price of a C7 Z06.