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ZR-1 Convertible Prototype

XLR8

XLR8

Gone but not forgotten
Joined
Jun 23, 2004
Messages
6,662
Location
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Corvette
2003 AE Convertible, 1998 LCRM Convertible
I wasn't aware that a convertible prototype ZR-1 was produced. I was surprised to find this photo in the ZR-1 gallery. Beauty and Brawn - awesome!!

I don't recall seeing it in the Museum during my trips there. Can anyone tell me more about this ZR-1? Where is it now? Is it privately owned or NCM property?

:wJane Ann

Corvette_ZR-1_Convertible_1991.jpg
 
Sweet! I never knew there was a Convertible ZR-1! I knew GM had to build on sooner or later. I hope one day I can go to Carlisle!
 
I believe that there was a problem with chassis strength for the convertible. To be able to have satisfactory handling and crash strength, a chassis brace was required. Having to run an assembly line with two different chassis configurations was a problem. Also the bracing would add weight to the car.
 
Convertible ZR1

IIRC, was'nt this car designated the "DR-1" after a guy named Don Runkle?

I seem to recall this car being mentioned in "Heart of the Beast". It had a "DR-1" badge on the right rear bumper in place of our "ZR-1".

Nice pics BTW.
Regards,
Wayne
 
Jim96LT4 said:
I believe that there was a problem with chassis strength for the convertible. To be able to have satisfactory handling and crash strength, a chassis brace was required. Having to run an assembly line with two different chassis configurations was a problem. Also the bracing would add weight to the car.
Click to expand...


Almost all zroners run autocross with the top on because of flex. The vette does a lot better with it on.

So it is easy to imagine the poor handling with no "roll bar" when you go with a vert.

Chevy felt the vette would self destruct from flexing with the LT5 mill if they optioned a vert ZR-1.
 
XLR8 said:
Nice photos! Hopefully one day I can attend Carlisle!

A convertible ZR-1... in blue... be still my heart. ;)

Wonder why GM decided not to build more ZR-1 'verts?

:w
Click to expand...

My understanding is the purists shut it down because it wasn't a GM motor.
 
2bubbas said:
My understanding is the purists shut it down because it wasn't a GM motor.
Click to expand...


close to true--
the LT-1 (being high hp) and the c5 just around the corner and low sales volume are what pulled the plug--officially
and most likely the fact they did not build the engine (Merc. Marine in OK) and it was co designed by Lotos no doubt had some influence but were never publically stated as demise reasons for the KOTH.

Rob may chime in with his take--the "Beast" book is the best reference on the whole KOTH story.
 
There were many folks within GM Powertrain that severely got their feathers ruffled when they found out that Dave McLellan and Corvette Engineering decided to go out of house to develop the LT5 engine.

However, at the time, GM owned a majority share in Lotus and many GM Powertrain engineers spent just as much time at Lotus working with Lotus engineers as Lotus engineers spent at the Warren Tech Center in Michigan.

In my opinion and based upon what I have read and heard, I believe the ZR-1 (not just the concept of a ZR-1 convertible), met an untimely death for the following reasons:
  1. GM Powertrain exerted enough pressure on higher-ups at GM to influence a decision to kill the car.
  2. Extremely poor marketing. Other than a couple magazine ads when the ZR-1 first debuted in 1990, GM COMPLETELY dropped the ball in marketing the car. GM isn't the only one guilty of this though. Another example is the Chrysler Crossfire. As soon as that car came out, Chrysler never bothered to market the car, hence the reason why sales were low, Chrysler stopped production, and dealers are selling what's left at nearly half the original MSRP. Same situation with the ZR-1.
  3. The ZR-1's signature rear bumper appeared on the 1991 Corvette and the 1991 base model's front clip and body-colored side molding appeared on the ZR-1. When someone spends nearly $30,000 more for an exclusive car; above and beyond the base model - they want to be seen and noted. They don't want their $65,000 car to look like one that costs $35,000.
  4. The debut of the LT1 in 1992. The one thing the LT5 did, was light a fire under GM Powertrain's ass. The LT1 engine was the direct result of that fire and GM Powertrain's answer to the LT5 engine.
The LT1 engine produced 300 hp. 75hp less than than the 1st gen LT5 of 1992, but the LT1 Corvette was lighter than the ZR-1. That's the reason why the performance between the two wasn't that much different. in 1993, the second generation LT5 engine debuted and horsepower was bumped up to 405hp. However, the problem with that is that the weight of the ZR-1 gradually crept up as well.

That's why performance wise, there isn't much difference between 1st gen. and 2nd gen ZR-1s and not much performance difference between the LT1 and the ZR-1.

With the debut of the LT1 engine, GM Powertrain drove the final nail into the ZR-1's coffin. Here is an engine that cost a hell of a lot less to manufacture and had a lot less moving parts.

In my opinion I don't think that at the time the C5 had anything to do with the demise of the LT5/ZR-1 project. The last LT5 engines were built in November of 1993. The decision to kill the car was probably decided in late 1992, early 1993. It would be another 4 to 5 years before the C5 would see the light of day, and according to James Schefter's "All Corvettes are Red" book, the C5 concept almost met an untimely death in 1992.

I am willing to bet that some of the financial problems that weighed heavily on the C5 concept also had some sort of influence on the decision to kill the ZR-1.

As a little aside, one of the comments that I've heard several times over the years, and heard last weekend at Carlisle - the LT5 engine is NOT a "boat motor". :eyerole

GM went to Mercury Marine (Mercruiser) to build the LT5 engine because they had experience building all aluminum engines at low volume. Remember that historically, GM does not build cars. They build "units". And units = numbers. GM had experience at building units and engines in the hundreds of thousands. The LT5 engine program was the first low volume engine program that was conceived at GM. It also helped that at the time, GM owned a commanding share in Mercury Marine, hence during the LT5 years, GM, for all intents and purposes, owned both Lotus AND Mercury Marine.

That's my take on the demise of the LT5/ZR-1 program.
 
I saw this at the G.M. Tech Center Corvette show a number of years ago and was told it was built for the head of Chevrolet engineering...:cool
 
Zr-1 Spyder

What about the zr-1 spyder that is also at NCM? I have a few pictures I took of it when I was there last week if anyone is interested.
 
nstg8r said:
What about the zr-1 spyder that is also at NCM? I have a few pictures I took of it when I was there last week if anyone is interested.
Click to expand...

Well, sure we are - post 'em up!! ;)

Lots of interesting info in this thread. Thanks for enlightening me.

I wonder... I've heard it said that the C5 was designed as a convertible first. Could be lessons were learned and remembered.

:w
 
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