Chevrolet debuted the highly anticipated fourth-generation (C4) Corvette for the 1984 model year. While it brought the Corvette up to period standards in design, comfort, and technology, it lacked a factory performance offering, an important attribute that had earned the nameplate the coveted title of America’s Sports Car.

In 1986 GM purchased a controlling interest in Group Lotus and employed its considerable engineering talents to develop a version of the C4 into the world’s fastest production car, the Corvette ZR-1. What emerged was the LT5, an impressively complex, all-aluminum, 5.7-liter eight-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts operating 32 valves through a unique air management system. Initial output was rated at 375 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. While designed by Lotus, the engines were produced by the legendary manufacturer Mercury Marine in Stillwater, Oklahoma, then shipped to Bowling Green, Kentucky for vehicle assembly. This was due to the complexity in manufacturing and Mercury’s familiarity working with aluminum parts in the marine space. A ZF six-speed manual was the only transmission option; it featured Computer Aided Gear Selection (CAGS) that under low-power requirements would force a shift from first to fourth, a feature which likely helped the ZR-1 avoid the gas guzzler tax. Matching the LT5’s complexity was an electronically controlled Bilstein adaptive suspension system, similar to that of the Porsche 959, however this version was modified by Lotus and provided three modes for the ZR-1: Tour, Sport, and Performance.

Though the mechanical upgrades were significant, changes to the bodywork were subtle, consisting initially of wider rear fenders to accommodate 11-inch-wide rear wheels, and a redesigned rear bumper fascia with squared-off taillamps. Not surprisingly, the ZR-1 cost nearly double that of the base coupe.

All the technology combined to create one of the most impressive Corvettes to date, and a sports car that rivaled period competitors from Ferrari and Porsche. The LT5-powered ZR-1 would go on to set a 24-hour endurance world record with the car averaging 175.885 mph over 4,221.26 miles, breaking a record held for 50 years by the legendary Ab Jenkins and his Mormon Meteor III—truly an impressive feat as a number of other manufacturers had attempted to break the record over the years, including Audi, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz. Chevrolet was the first to succeed, a true testament to the ZR-1’s power and reliability. The ZR-1 would remain in production from 1990 through 1995 with nearly 7,000 examples produced.

This 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 is finished in black over black with a transparent removable roof panel. It was sold new through DeSantis Chevrolet in Brockton, Massachusetts. Today, this ZR-1 is offered having covered 6,895 miles from new at time of cataloguing. It is one of 3,032 ZR-1s produced for 1990. This low-mileage example offers a wonderful opportunity to acquire the best that the C4 platform had to offer—the “King of the Hill,” as its prototype was called—the ZR-1.