What was the most powerful factory produced Corvette?

[Brett]

The L88? I see lots of horsepower ratings for this car varying anywhere from 430 to 560 to 600 horsepower. So where does it really stand?



Brett

 

[Tom73]

By rated HP it would be the current LS6, in the Z06, at 405 Net HP (tied with the 93-95 ZR1 also at 405hp). The L88 was "rated" at 430 Gross HP. Also consider that the modern engines are also fully "driveable" with A/C and all that good stuff.

tom...

 

[mmvette80]

The power was rated differently back in those days. Ive heard from numerous sources that the L88 has the most power at over 550 hp. The 93-95 ZR-1 has 405. The L88 doesn't rev as high as the ZR-1.

 

[Brett]

I've read several times that th L88 horsepower rating was extremely underrated. I have a Corvette Technical Data poster that lists the L88 at 560 horsepower. Granted this is gross horsepower, but even then it would still be well above the ZR-1 and Z0-6.



Brett

 

[jr9170]

Besides the L-88,the 69 ZL-1 was another motor that was underated by G.M. for insurance purposes.The actual H.P. output is believed to be in the 515-550 range,which is pretty much what the L-88 is rated at.....JERRY

 

[tonyk72]

A STOCK ZL-1 could run the 1/4 mile at 12.1 @ 116 w/ 3.70:1 rear axle ratio. I think this is a bit faster than any other STOCK 'vette ever produced...

 

[Rob]

Brett,

You may want to check out our 1967-1969 L88 Corvette Center:

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/specs/l88/index.html

 

[jr9170]

I own a 91 ZR-1 and a 70 454/390 t-top,and let me tell you this the ZR-1 pulls like a big block and revs like crazy.My 454 would be no match against it.The accelaration and the way the car shifts it would hard for any of the older high HP vettes to match its power and handling.I am not trying to sound biased because i own one,but i believe that to be the truth.....JERRY

 

[Robert N]

A member of another forum has a factory spec 69 L88 pushing 550 hp.

Jerry, the ZR-1 is a sweet engine. I have someone with a spec built 70 LT-1 out run many a big block.

The difference between the new vettes and the older ones has as much to do with aerodynamics.

 

[mmvette80]

A STOCK ZL-1 could run the 1/4 mile at 12.1 @ 116 w/ 3.70:1 rear axle ratio. I think this is a bit faster than any other STOCK 'vette ever produced...

Is this done in 1969 with the skinny tires or was it done with slicks in Y2K

 

[tonyk72]

Tires were F70x15-inch 2-ply, but it doesn't specifically say that the 1/4 was run on those tires.

I got this info from http://www.corvettearchive.com
check the 1968-1982 section. Look for Special Interest Autos, February 1985 article.

 

[Tom73]

Tires were F70x15-inch 2-ply, but it doesn't specifically say that the 1/4 was run on those tires.

I got this info from http://www.corvettearchive.com
check the 1968-1982 section. Look for Special Interest Autos, February 1985 article.

The article states:
"...a ZL-1 prepared for road racing and fitted with a 3.70:1 rear-axle blasted through the standing start/quarter mile in 12.1 seconds reaching a top speed of 116 miles per hour. With a car modified specifically for drag racing, elapsed time dropped to 10.9 seconds and speed rose to 130 miles per hour."

As you can see from the above, these were not stock cars but "preped" cars. Also, the article did not say if these times were observed, hear say, or what. Personaly, I think they were doing some bench raceing.

tom...

 

[tonyk72]

Tom, you're right...the article is a little vague..I just looked at the #'s originally.
my bad!:bang

 

[Ganey]

L-88/ZL-1. The 430 rating was to keep unknowledgeable guys from ordering it. Some would just order the highest HP engine.
This is not for guys who care about stock & stock HP ratings!
It was never intended to be run sto*k which is a dirty word to me.
The ex., tires & emissions equip. would be changed at a min. for example.
Have run L-88 modified for more power w/ slicks on the street.

:cool

 

[SwaveDave]

Also...the L88 came without a radiator shroud and radio. It was intended for racing only and would overheat in city traffic. The CR was 12.5 - 1 which meant racing fuel (or Sunoco back then) , and it came from the factory with an idle speed of 1500 rpm . If you could get the tires to hook up, ill bet it was one heck of a ride.
Whats nice is, today, you can take your stock BB Vette and with the right modified internals you can come pretty close to duplicating the performance of an L88 engine.

Dave

 

[mmvette80]

I like the L88's and the ZO6's but I still, 13yrs later salivate over the ZR-1. I would love to own a 93-95

 

[SwaveDave]

Id like to own a few different ones...but my favorite for 'beating on' would have to be an L88/ZL1 . Another good one , was Callaways Twin Turbo LT 1 1988-1991 (?) !

 

[427SB]

A guy had a couple of the 88-91 Callaways at the Knoxville Expo a couple years ago for sale. They both were in dire need of restoration. Unique though. It amazes me how they crammed twin turbos with intercoolers under the hood of that thing.

 

[SwaveDave]

427sb,

One of the guys in my former Corvette Club, had a Callaway Twin Turbo 1990 . I love the looks of the engine from the top. That had to be a solid 12 second car . They are really going up in price too.

 

[jr9170]

In one of the vette books i have they talk about how ZORA in 1969 at the new car introductions,him and two other engineers took a 69 t top specially outfitted with a 454 LT-2,an all aluminum ZL-1 derivative,which blasted down the quarter mile in 10.5 seconds at 130 mph.The car was specially equpped with open headers and racing slicks and 3.70 gears,and a special Turbo-Hydramatic transmission.The same car with the 427 ZL-1 ran the quarter in 12.6 seconds at 116 mph.The engineers believe that the 454 LT-2 put out no less than 710 hp.All this info came from Mike Mueller's book-CORVETTE 1968-1982....a must have for any Shark car enthusiast,like myself.....THANKS JERRY