The 1990 Corvette ZR-1 was all it was promised to be and then some.
The 1990 Corvette rang in the new decade by offering a true American muscle car that may have looked like the regular Vette but didn’t act as such. In 1990 the ZR-1 was officially released to the delight of many who had been on a long waiting list as the car was due to come out midyear 1989. However because engine supply was short, the masterminds at GM decided to postpone the production of the new super Vette until 1990.
The ZR-1 was actually an option upgrade and an expensive one at that. The additional cost of the ZR-1 package was a whopping $27,016 but the results were anything but typical. The engine of the ZR-1, which was an all new 32 valve V-8 that put out 375 bhp, was dubbed the LT5 and it was actually developed in conjunction with Lotus and then built by Mercury Marine. Many of the over 3,000 who bought a ZR-1 that year paid well over the actual cost proving that Chevy had hit the nail right on the head.
The ZR-1 aside, the 1990 Corvette was little changed from the 1989 model but there were some notable changes including:
- Improved Safety: The 1990 Corvette saw the installation of standard driver’s side airbags.
- Improved Brakes: Improved anti-lock brake yaw helped the 1990 Vette with handling.
- Improved horsepower: Even for the base model engine, Chevy was able to up the power to 245 bhp thanks to an added air intake speed density control system, the increase of compression ratio, and a camshaft that was revised.
- Improved Radiator: Installation of a newly sloped design for the radiator which rendered the auxiliary fan useless and left out as a result.
- Improved Instruments: A reworked instrument panel on the 1990 Corvette saw a design that combined an analog tachometer with a digital speedometer.
- Oil Monitoring: Inclusion of an engine oil monitoring system which would alert the driver when an oil change was needed by way of a light on the dashboard.
- Improved Sound System: A first time option for a compact disc player and another optional sound upgrade with a Delco-Bose sound system that featured a special theft prevention coded stereo head that would remain inoperable if using the wrong code.
Still with all the added goodies the first year of the 90s was a bit of a fizzle for the Corvette and sales were actually down for the year in comparison to the year prior. When it was all said and done the 1990 Corvette only had 23,646 units move and this left GM engineers scratching their heads. One a positive note, the implementation of the ZR-1 was certainly considered a success and with the speed and nimbleness that the car offered it was hard to find another sports car either foreign or domestic that could compete with the ZR-1. However, in the end it was not enough and the 90s started much like other generations with a disappointment to the bottom line. But as Chevy and Corvette had proved time and time again, they would be back and be back with a vengeance.
Tags: 1990 Corvette, Vette, ZR-1
