1994 Corvette ZR1 test drive

[HEMIH3AD]

many cars can be made fast or decent looking - but the C4 ZR1 combines EVERYTHING. extreme durability, "adjustable" comfort, beautiful design, decent fuel efficiency even, a pretty big trunk considering it´s still the sportiest muscle car ever made, power steering, A/C, traction control... simply everything a proper car needs... basically - it would make a pretty good daily driver even (in case you don´t need more than 2 seats, ofc). CORVETTE C4 ZR1 - a perfect ride from the factory :)

[Jutzujin]

Some stock 315's on my C5 Z06 would've been nice, fucking thing rolls the tire off through third gear.

[junechris]

It's quad cam not duel overhead, Simple mistake though..

[buyavettedotnet]

@junechris Hmmm...I was under the impression that DOHC and quad cam were the same when talking about a V engine. Two cylinder heads with two camshafts in each head = 4 cams, right? There's no denying that 'quad cam' is stamped into the intake on all ZR1's, but I thought that either of the two terms could be used as long as you're not referring to an inline engine. Oh well.

[junechris]

@buyavettedotnet Toyota Camry also had a quad cam enging during the 1990's.

[niksinthe916]

@buyavettedotnet 4=quad so you have to use quad cuz the motor is of all 1 unit. 2 controlling the exhaust valve 2 controlling the intake valve with 4 valves per cylinder. A lot of people hear this and don't think its real but GM never designed the LT5 but the car company Lotus so in fact this motor is English not american.

[buyavettedotnet]

@niksinthe916 (From the Corvette Black Book) "...the LT5 engine was...an otherwise new Lotus-Chevrolet design with four overhead cams and 32 valves...engines were manufactured and assembled by Mercury Marine in Stillwater, Oklahoma, then shipped to the Bowling Green assembly plant for ZR1 vehicle assembly."

[niksinthe916]

@buyavettedotnet Yup amazing car really ahead of its time:)

[GMisurdaddy]

@niksinthe916 The LT5 was engineered by Mercury Marine(American company) only the heads were designed by Lotus.

[StreetLethalRacing]

@niksinthe916 You don't know what you are talking about, the LT5 engine was developed by General Motors, as Lotus was owned by General Motors during its' development, and GM was in the midst of becoming a global powerhouse. In 1986 General Motors acquired Team Lotus, but then sold them to the Bugatti Group in 1993...

[animal900]

Original tires? No thanks...

[buyavettedotnet]

@animal900 We would *gladly* exchange a set of original GSC's with good tread for a set of new radials for anyone that doesn't want original tires on a ZR1. Correct tires with tread on them for these cars are getting VERY scarce since they stopped making them several years back, so original tires on these cars are usually a plus for collectors that don't plan on regularly driving the car.

[bond1011]

i miss my ZR1, the first and best car i have ever owned

[vettefan87]

Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of my keyboard. I would rather have one of these then a C5 or C6. Therefore my next Vette will be a late C4 ZR1.

[MadMike2288]

Didn't they only have 375hp

[buyavettedotnet]

@MadMike2288 The 1990-92 ZR1s had 375hp; 93-95 models had 405.

[SocraticMind89]

@buyavettedotnet whats the pound feet?

[buyavettedotnet]

@SocraticMind89 385.

[nmann23219]

waste of 405 hp drive u chickenshit

[buyavettedotnet]

@nmann23219 Tell that to the local law enforcement that likes to patrol our test drive road...

[megasword33]

@buyavettedotnet

ahaha that sux dude :( driving is legal where I live

[buyavettedotnet]

@megasword33 Lol, we should open up a test track near you.

[megasword33]

@buyavettedotnet

is it really illegal to drive cars where u live???

[buyavettedotnet]

@megasword33 Well...it's illegal to drive them the way I would WANT to drive them.

[MrBaritoni]

Power is nothing without control. Vette is nothing?

[AndreyPurtov]

Nice highway shark.

[Automan999]

Lord the interior are made of crappy chinese plastic , but this car is amazing.

[buyavettedotnet]

@Automan999 Hey, come on now...that's crappy American plastic!

[Automan999]

@buyavettedotnet Yes , and in some strange ways that brittle crappy plastic only adds to the badass attitude of this car . :D



[buyavettedotnet]

@Automan999 That's right! You know a car is FASSST when they skimp on materials quality...that money went into the engine!

[eduardolz31]

Very nice video. Do you know how much this particular car is worth today?

[buyavettedotnet]

@eduardolz31 Thanks! If we had the same car for sale today with the same mileage, it would probably be priced in the upper $30s or lower $40s.

[chromalusion]

i almost cried i saw a 94 zr-1 that was a dog.. owner destroyed it couldnt believe it no respect for a great car...

[billyBinNC]

take those tires off and save them for God sake as Goodyear doesn't make that particular tire anymore.

[buyavettedotnet]

It's a shame, I liked the GSC's a lot better than the Eagle F1's they have now. These tires were less expensive, had better traction, and lasted longer.

[UBOYINPA]

i thought mercury Marine built the lt5? not lotus

[buyavettedotnet]

You are correct. As I understand it, it was Lotus designed, and Mercury Marine built.

[westy44cal]

It's amazing how 405HP is like common place today relatively speaking . Still the LT5 at WOT is one of the best sounding engines all time. That delamination (spell?)is common but isn't it an expensive fix/replacement. These 94-95 models are so rare and big$. Still a sick car and I remember I got my ass handed to me when i ran one in my then new 2005 M6 GTO. Even till 80ish and than the ZR-1 left me for dead LOL. LT5>LS2 LOL. And I ran a 12.9 at 109 stock with that GTO so it was no slouch. KOTH!

[APontiacof455cubes]

@westy44cal try looking for performance parts for the LT5, thats why LS2>LT5. Yes this is a very cool car and the LT5 is a great engine, but most of us would rather spend that money on a regular C4 or any LSx motored car and spend the rest on mods

[GangsterB30]

I have $7500!!!!

[DEConnoisseur]

Jennifer Lopez modeled her ass after the ZR-1 rear end.

[vfIskullangel]

I love that car. I've always wanted one in teal. :)

[buyavettedotnet]

Now THAT would be a rare car!

[vfIskullangel]

The very first ZR1 I saw in person was teal.

That was back in 1995. Man I miss those days.

[cienporcientoculopri]

now imagine if gm had went this way with all of the ls engines lol

[Corvetteskill]

3:08 actually the engine was designed by lotus and built by mercury marine

[buyavettedotnet]

Thanks for the correction.

[skloogerblugin]

i dont believe the zr1 had an suto option but im not 100% sure

[buyavettedotnet]

Nope, automatics were never available on a ZR1. And for good reason.

[chill1292]

Do the zr1s come with a auto transmition

[joeshmoe12301230]

well i dont mean to be rude, you must not be too familiar with forced induction. high boost and high compression dont mix. its a recipe for kaboom.

unless you are talking about super bullet proof turbo diesel motors. they usually run an amazing 15:1 compression with the turbo charger.....

[joeshmoe12301230]

Off topic, but the LT5s rev like crazy....check out some of my vids. a buddy of mine owns a white (callaway) 92, and a black 90 Zr1.  listen to the black one....he shifts her at 7000 or 7500 rpm.

[joeshmoe12301230]

i reposted it with additional comments but for some reason it didnt show my repost.

90-92 were 375HP and 93-95 were 405HP.

it may "handle" it and make good power, but it isnt TRULY safe to put boost on a high compression motor.

LT1s are 10.5:1 and LT5s are 11:1. a FI motor shouldnt be anything over 9.5.

i cant really speak for the L98, because i dont even know the CR on those. they may be less....

[idriveav8]

why shouldnt they be above 9.5. just wondering i have never heard anything like this

[joeshmoe12301230]

the C4 Zr1 is the biggest sleeper ever. without a sharp eye, someone can get stomped on my an "old TPI" vette haha....

those LT5 motors were ahead of their time

[wsimpson86]

Lotus designed the heads thats all they did

[lther1n]

Not true. Read the book "Heart of the Beast". Lotus, which was a subsidiary of GM at the time, engineered the entire engine package. It engine was machined and assembled by Mercury Marine.

[RWDtech]

damn thats beautiful, i wish i had one

[impalaccc]

Can that LT5 aluminium engine handle procharger like the LT1 anyone know?

[sidescrollin]

i think it uses the same block just different Heads and Cam. So probably, I would get forged internals if i were gettign a s/c though, just me. The iron blocks love s/c and nitrous.

[south9563]

thought the lt5 was aluminum block...i kno the lt1 is definitely cast iron. Correct me if im wrong.

[sidescrollin]

yeah the LT1 and LT4 are both Cast Iron blocks. The LT5 was aluminum block and totally unrelated to the other LT series engines. It used 32 valve DOHC heads. This is a 94 which is rated at 405 HP. the earlier models were 375.

[joeshmoe12301230]

thats right.

i think the extra HP was from a change in the intake manifold...

[sidescrollin]

between what? The LT1 and Lt5?? if that what you are talking about no, they are tottaly different. Different blocks, heads, intake, everything.

[joeshmoe12301230]

anything can handle a supercharger....it just depends on how long.

also, i think you may have a hard time finding a kit for the LT5. and as far as the motor goes...i believe there is only one company that makes internal engine components for them. they are very rare.

[sidescrollin]

they take to turbos really well. Am old l98 is strong as hell it just isnt being fed enough stock. Put some boost on it like 7-9lbs and it will scream .THey make shitloads of Torque.

[sidescrollin]

what are you talking about and why did you delete that comment???

You don't need to replace everything to using Forced induction. Thats the thing, these handle it really well. Stock the L98s can take up to 8 Psi. There was a build on car craft or hot rodder or something. A L98 with a mild cam and 8 lbs of boost put over 600 ft/lbs to the ground.

[Nightcrawler572]

motor was designed by lotus and built by mercury only 32valve v8 DOHC by gm

[bottomlayer]

The LT5 is the best Corvette engine EVER!

[LT1HILLINGHOE]

bottomlayer: That and the LT4 and LT1.

[meaningintragedy01]

No! The LS7 and LS3 are!

The LT5 is definitely the most interesting though.

[dirtrider383]

the motor is not built by lotus it was built by mercury marine belive it or not ther is a vid on you tube about it

[degeneratekids]

true, but the heads were designed by lotus.

[fontheking5]

Really nice Corvette ZR-1 . It almost looks better than new

[tigger95]

ohh thank you, now I want one!!! really, thanks a lot heheh

[1flynlow]

ok,ok, i'll take that old vette off your hands for $5000. ok?

[buyavettedotnet]

Man, that $5000 sounds pretty tempting...unfortunately we sold the car for around $39,000 several months ago :)

[1flynlow]

oh, well. better luck next time. guess i'll just have to make 405 horsepower out of my ls1... (2001 camaro)

[buyavettedotnet]

Yep! I'm making more than this ZR1 made (around 420hp) with my 2002 Trans Am WS6. ZR1s are still exotic and awesome, but you really can't be an LS1 F-Body for bang for the buck.

[billybeak]

I believe that the whole engine design was by Lotus, a lot of the early development was at Hethel UK. Obviously there was GM collaboration, but the engine was a Lotus design.

[buyavettedotnet]

While I personally don't let anyone valet my car, I suppose not giving the valet the performance key might somewhat justify letting it be valeted...but not for me.

[brobinson75]

I don't really get the performance key; if your worried about releasing all 405hp, don't give the car to someone who can't handle the car's capabilities.

[brobinson75]

The C4 is the best looking style, next to the C6; the C5 was too ugly.

[vextrex25]

The LT5 was not built by Lotus. Lotus co-designed the LT5 with GM. The engine assembly was done by Mercury marine. The LT5 is old, by can stomp over a LS1, LS2 with no problem.

[camirocz]

old stuff ill take an 02 to 04 anyday over this one

[demer020]

it took until 2002 for any production corvette to have an equivalent horsepower rating, thats just fucking awesome!!

[SagaraSouske]

timeless car

[N20LT4]

What a georgous example of a ZR1. My favorite year of the model was 1995 because of the extra options that weren't available on any other model years, but I like all '92&up models. Ofcourse as you know the '90 & '91 ZR-1's had a few cosmetic differences to the exterior.

[LashoutUK]

It's funny - I had a '95 LT1 in exactly the same colour and the same seats......and it did nothing for me.

Seeing this one however, really gets me going. I wonder if it's partly the ZR1 thing, or the fact it's a manual.

Great vid and an ace walkthrough - thanks for taking the time to put it up!

[N20LT4]

Ehh..yeah...probably because you had the 300-HORSE LT1 - and not the 405-HORSE LT5. That was probably it...

[00firebird]

this guy sounds so retarded

[Rgmekanic]

+1.

Before he starts selling these, he needs to learn something about them.

[N20LT4]

No need for the put down buddy. That was an honestly overlooked mistake. Let's not be petty now ;).

[N20LT4]

Jealousy is a disease...

[corvette19991]

man take care for this car

[FURIAN1]

Lotus was originally supposed to build the top of the engine only to produce 405 hp but couldn't do it. The engine is actualy built from bottem up by Mercury Marine.

[buyavettedotnet]

That is correct FURIAN -- I was going by what I remembered off the top of my head while shooting the video, should've checked my sources first. Thanks for the correction!

[DJM442]

even though it was built by Mercury Marine , it is still a Lotus/GM colaboration correct?

[tamapalagi]

lt5 is the prettiest engine ever.

[Timothayyy]

Hopefully ill have a C4 ZR1 one of these days.

it looks beautiful!

[buyavettedotnet]

Thanks!

[zr11991]

3 inches wider