LT4-FUN,
Your suggestion of a comparison of a Corvette track test with a major car magazine was actually done in December 1997. A LT5, LT4, and C5 were tested. Not the pairing you had suggested, but the C6 was but a mere twinkle in Dave Hills’ eye at the time of this test.
It was the cover story of the
Corvette Fever December 1997 issue, pages 43-47,
Who’s the King Now? The author was Jim Van Dorn. The test driver was Rupert Bragg-Smith, director of the Bragg-Smith Advanced Driving School. I will nutshell the article as best I can because there is no way in Hades I am typing it all out, I’m the slowest typist on the face of the earth.
Track temperature at Button Willow, Nevada was 100°, times were recorded via a G-Tech Pro Performance Meter (G-Techs’ have variables that most people know about).
“Marketing aside, real Corvette enthusiasts want to know if the C5 has the viscerals to go the distance with its forefathers. To answer that question, we arranged with a group of Corvette enthusiasts to do some real world track testing. There were only two production Corvettes we chose to stack up against the C5. Naturally, the ZR-1 was an obvious candidate, as was the 13th and final version of the C4, the LT4 powered 1996 Corvette Grand Sport. All vehicles were equipped with standard gear ratios, six-speed transmissions and original tires. All were low mileage, privately owned stock versions, except for the addition of an after-market exhaust system on the Grand Sport. While the ZR-1 was equipped with the standard FX3, the Grand Sport and C5 had the F45 option adjustable shocks. The vehicles’ owners all belong to a California based group of active Corvette motorsports enthusiasts, who are officially organized as TEAM ZR-1.”
Here are the results of the track tests:
0-60 Acceleration:
LT5..........5.4 sec
LT4..........5.8 sec
LS1..........5.5 sec
Quarter Mile:
LT5..........13.20/114 mph
LT4..........13.66/111 mph
LS1..........13.90/110.4 mph
Lap Time (in minutes):
LT5..........2.30
LT4..........2.33
LS1..........2.36
Braking (60-0) (in feet):
LT5..........162
LT4..........145
LS1..........130
All times recorded on closed course with expert driver (Rupert Bragg-Smith) track temp at 100°
Hope this helps you out some. I’m outta here till January 3rd. Happy holidays to everyone on the CAC!
B17Crew
