1993 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 test

From the May 1993 issue of Vehicle and Driver.

Western tourists are familiar with the signs warning “DO NOT DRIVE INTO SMOKE AREA.” One of these signs must be bolted to the fiberglass butt of the 1993 ZR-1. At least while you’re doing the 0 to 60 acceleration tests — absolutely, of course. in the name of science — with traction control disabled. I mean, you wouldn’t think any engine lacks something John Force concocted that can instantly transform two 12-inch Eagle GS-C bands into a thick, pungent wall of smoke. Flint Ink’s Butterfinger Blue. But this is what 405 horsepower can do for you. Also, here’s what 405 horsepower can do to your insurance agent’s complexion.

But don’t mind that. The big news is The ZR-1 finally delivered the power it was supposed to produce when the engine was introduced in 1989. Jim Minneker, powertrain manager for the Corvette Corporation, and the folks at MerCruiser in Stillwater, Oklahoma, extracted an additional 30 horsepower, bringing the previous figure to 405, a number that always evokes a gasp. and a “Smoking Saint!” or two when it is revealed to the viewer. (If that doesn’t do the trick, casually mention that second gear is suitable for 84 mph.) Torque is up, too, but by just 15 pound-feet, lifting the count. up a negligible 385 pound-feet at 5200 rpm.

Twenty of those horses were obtained when the summit and the head runners in were polished and, as Minneker put it, “generally opened up.” Furthermore, said one insider, “there’s finally a bit of matching and transfer going on—very little ZR-1 being sold [4600 to date] that it’s time.” Valve inserts are now referred to as “triple cuts” for less turbulent air/fuel flow—a trick that stole the idea from heating rods with black deposits. permanent plugs under their fingernails And a new gasket ensures a tighter alignment of the ports and the injector duct itself In addition, the LT5 is equipped with platinum-tipped plugs, which are hotter than the injectors. with last year and the engine runs exclusively on Mobil 1 synthetics.

Minneker says the remaining 10 horsepower is the result of backpressure reduction. GM seems a bit confused by this, but the 2.25-inch tubes in last year’s LT1’s resonator flow more freely than in the 1.75-inch versions attached to the ZR-1. The King of the Hill now wears his brother’s resonator, which is less interesting and a little easier to breathe in the bargain.

CD Readers may recall that John Lingenfelter, our favorite Corvette aftermarket repairman, went through a similar ZR-1 cleanup program, perhaps more conscientiously, in July 1991. He offered a bonus of 80 hp, bringing the total to an “easy 455.” Since then, he said, “I worked harder and got to 485 hp. There’s a lot of untapped potential in a ZR-1.” (If you want to know more of these untapped things, drive your ZR-1 to Lingenfelter’s in Decatur, Indiana and give him $13,500.)

In any case, the new and improved 1993 ZR-1 remains as docile around town as it was last year, which means it’s like driving any other current car. escort ship. In fact, we don’t even notice now that the secondary input port is open. Furthermore, in the midst of this test, the sky that covered Michigan removed a 6-inch thick layer of snow, mud, and ice. You wouldn’t expect tires that look as if they were stolen from Steve Kinser’s sprint car working on an ice rink. But when they’re combined with the Corvette’s efficient traction control system (whose technical but ridiculous name is “Acceleration Slip Regulation”), the ZR-1 performs as well as a 405-horsepower Zamboni. Trust us, this is an impossible claim for the Mazda RX-7 or Toyota MR2 Turbo.

So how fast is 405 hp on dry pavement?

With a smoke warning sign hanging from the tail of the ZR-1, you’ll hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. (The first ZR-1 we’ve ever tested hit 60 in 4.6 seconds, though that’s mostly a testament to the unpredictability with which MerCruiser tends to build engines. . The next two ZR-1s hit 60 in the same 4.9 seconds—the number we accept as the norm.)

The 1993 ZR-1 ran a quarter mile in 13.1 seconds at 111 mph, then eventually hit 179 mph—6 mph higher than the average top speed for those the earlier ZR-1. On the way there, giant speedometer digits a few inches tall flashed past like bicycle spokes fanning baseball cards. Not in individual units but in clusters: 3 miles per hour here, 5 miles per hour there. The Skidpad’s grip has also increased, from the previous ZR-1 average of 0.88 g to a leech-like 0.92 g. Thank you Mr. Goodyear.

In fact, the 1993 ZR-1’s acceleration record, from the 7-Eleven batch to top speed, is almost identical to the limited production Porsche 911 Turbo S2—”the fastest Porsche on land”. We should point out which is more expensive for the money that allows you to buy both this ZR-1 and, for example, a Lexus GS300 for the days when only Interstating was on the menu.

The speed of the new ZR-1 worries even General Motors. On its official specs sheet, under the heading “Performance,” Chevrolet lists EPA mileage and drag coefficient (0.33, if you’re wondering), then moves on right away, not giving suggests that this car surpasses the statutory top speed in the United States by , well, 114 mph.

To hit 60 mph sooner and less expensively, you’ll have to buy a $35,660 LT1 and have it shipped to Lingenfelter, who will order the legal “383 Set” of the magical smog I got on that thing. This will increase your investment to $50,000 but will get you to 60 mph half a second earlier than the ZR-1 is capable of. This, of course, has nothing to do with production cars, but so does Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, a topic that frequently pops up in conversation.

We were expecting eye-ball brakes on the Corvette. The new ZR-1, with the frying pan’s thirteen-inch front rotors, doesn’t disappoint. No kidding: from 70 mph, if you drop the Bosch ABS IIU to max, it’s like a ride in an amusement park. Loose items hit the dashboard, passenger seat backs sag half an inch, your ears feel as if they could fold forward and cover your eyes, and the car comes to a halt at 161 feet. . Some feat for someone who weighs 3500 pounds. In fact, 8 feet better than a Ferrari 512TR. To regularly balance this type of braking, transfer the back seat and your wallet to cars assembled at Zuffenhausen — not as easy to pronounce as Bowling Green, as we all know.

The ZR-1 you see here comes equipped with a 40th Anniversary package that you can order on any Corvette (assuming you have an extra $1,455 spent on general lifestyle enhancement, though). this is a free option on the ZR-1). The deal includes exclusive “Ruby Red” metallic paint, matching wheel hubs, four chrome emblems (which we can readily distribute), special embroidery on each headrest (available at where Vitalis smeared) and Ruby Red leather seats.

Okay okay okay. The ZR-1’s clutch is still Caterpillar’s heavy, and the computer-assisted gearshifts occurring at low speeds to force a first-to-fourth selection are still a nasty intrusion. Other than that, no one will be able to distinguish your luxury ZR-1 from Billy Ray’s basic LT1, the sill is still an obstacle plucked right from the 100-meter event, bar-type fuel gauge easily recognizable as a 1040, the hood still works, all have a seizure on the railroad tracks, and only 3200 miles away, the glove box door of our ZR-1 mimics Leona Helmsley’s fingernails dragging across the blackboard.

However, as our editor, Csaba Csere – one who posed questions that could confound Larry King – said: “Name another reliable production car. and so cheap that you can drive comfortably at 179 mph.”

Aside from the toe of my shoe, interesting Rorschach patterns are etched on the office carpet, the space is silent.

Latest news about magic door lock

Electric locks have become ubiquitous, and remote-controlled unlocking devices have lost the ability to start. Now, Chevrolet introduces the latest feature in the trick opener—the world’s first Passive Keyless Entry (PKE) system. Now you can run through a blizzard, carrying groceries and gloves, and let your Corvette magically unlock itself as you approach.

Here is how it works. Step about 2 meters away from the vehicle while carrying your keys—even in your pocket or purse—and the system will silence the alarm and unlock the driver’s door or both doors, depending on the mode you’ve selected. To lock, just go out of that range; Five seconds later, the car locks, alarms again, and confirms action with a single horn (unless the key is still in the ignition).

The hardware behind this magic includes a transmitter in the smart key that broadcasts a very low frequency signal—120 kHz, compared to 300 MHz for a standard remote access system—to two antennas, one located in the driver’s door and one near the rear hatch (or passenger door in convertibles). One million generator codes ensure security. When the emitter in the key fob comes into range, it activates the system by creating an electromagnetic field, a bit like connecting two coils in a transformer. So PKE is completely different from today’s radio or infrared telemetry systems.

To extend battery life, the smart key only transmits signals while in motion, which can cause problems for people who leave their keys in their car seats. When the transmitter is off (after 30 seconds of inactivity), the car assumes it is out of range and locks the car. With luck, gently shaking the car can reactivate the transmitter and unlock the doors, but Chevy cautions against relying on this method.

PKE always uses about one milliamp of current from the vehicle battery—about the same as the meter and radio preset memory—so Chevy recommends disconnecting the battery before storing it for long periods of time.

There are currently no plans to expand PKE to other models. But since the system adds considerable convenience for about $145, we expect it to replace electric locks and appear on the majority of high-end cars. —Frank Markus