Debuting in 1989, the legendary ZR-1 is the ultimate expression of the C4 generation. A total of 6,939 examples were produced throughout its production run, with the final example rolling off the line in 1995.

The ZR-1’s story began in 1986 when General Motors acquired Lotus. Soon after, they set out to use the company’s handling and engineering expertise to create the world’s fastest production sports car. Lotus went about improving the Corvette in nearly every way, starting by creating an all-new V8 engine called the LT5 using advanced features such as an aluminum block and four overhead camshafts with 32 valves. The result was 380 high-RPM horsepower from 5.7 liters, which was later upped to 405bhp with new cylinder heads, an improved exhaust system, and a revised valvetrain.