H[]R^Cuda

Does anyone know why there where only 500 92's sold? Was it that was just what the demand was? Or was something in the works for the next year? Some kind of auto strike? Just curious.

glass slipper

There was a recession in '91 which left a lot of '91 ZR-1s on dealers lots when the '92 model year rolled around. The dealers lost their shirts on them with some not being able to "dump" the car until the '93 model year. As a result, dealers just didn't order many ZR-1s in the '92 model year...so yes, it boiled down to demand.

Other things affecting demand besides the recession was the base coupe in '91 got the same back bumper as the ZR-1 making the visual difference between the two difficult to tell except to the knowledgable. The '92 model year saw the base coupe get the LT1 which narrowed the HP gap causing many to question the "value" of the ZR-1 option. It was all a moot point as GM had already told Lotus to stop development work on the LT5 in September '91...the "King" was already dead before the '92 model year had really started, only a few people knew although there were rumors.

zr1fred

And most of the car magazines questioned why anybody would spend $30k+ over base for what they claimed was a less than a second difference in the quarter mile. It was the start of the Clinton years, and the media was screaming that the Reagan/Bush economics had led us into something worse than the great depression. 20 years later, a new ZR1 and a new Bush caused great depression, or at least that's the media mantra.

DRM500RUBYZR-1

I say that it is ALL BUSH's fault that we now have a 600 HP ZR1!
Do you suppose there is some way we could elect another Bush?
Maybe we could then "Blame" an 800 horsepower ZR1.2monster on him next!
The current administration is working on a LEAF like ZRHYBRID.
You know all of those expert government school boys who never worked a day in their lives now run GM.................
Rumor has it the new Hybrid comes with a 50 mile extension cord!
It comes in Acorn brown, with a hologram of Gore in the heads down display. Top speed equals how fast certain administrations will be leaving Washington.
Rahm test drove one to Chicago!
But FIAT might release their version first!
It comes with a 5 100 warranty!
five minutes or 100 feet.
Think the VOLT might come in under 50k?
Buy a Malibu instead and put the difference in your retirement plan.
One month's earnings will cover the gas.
What a world!
Thank you Mr. Bush and Mr. Reagan for my ZR-1!
Marty

1FUNZR1

zr1fred

From what hear, the extension cord will be an option (though it would then qualify for a tax credit)

Dominic Sorresso

The fate of the ZR-1 was probably not helped when the "free market" took advantage of the hype over the car, and dealers increased list price by a factor of 2.5x. And that's in 1990 dollars so imagine what the equivalent asking price would be today! And for that kind if money, the standard LT-1 was dirt cheap in comparison. Part of the mystique behind every Vette has been the use of a motor that could be found in some derivative form in just about any car GM built. Not so for a 32V DOHC. It was never going into a Suburban. So even the beginning premise for the ZR-1 was flawed and this is what really doomed the car. Especially when you consider the strong OHV faction in GM Powertrain, it was a miracle the car was ever built. When they got the chance to completely redesign the SBC, what did they do? Right back to the "in block" cam. Meanwhile down the street at Dearborn, they took a different path.
However, I applaud GM for what they have done with the Volt. They've set the standard for hybrids IMO. Both it and the GM Hy-wire are truly innovative technology that will influence the automotive industry for decades. It's really "out of the box" thinking and I, for one, am glad that somebody took the chance of seeing that was GM still around.

solid dobe

Sorry for the edit & "mission drift" from OP, but this snippet is a huge part of why I love my ZR-1 & find it so difficult to let go of, even through an extended period of uncertainty $-wise, I held on. I occasionally think I need to move on....but I just am not ready to let go completely.


I wonder how it will go for the C6 ZR1? Do you think it will follow the same path? The motor(in some form) is in other GM cars(CTS-V & possibly the Z-28), so would the C6 Z06 be a better comparison... as the LS7(I think) is exclusive to it? The Z06 really seems to be getting squeezed out from both sides...Between the Grand Sport & ZR-1, the number sold looks to be getting pretty low on the Z06. Which nameplate, if either, do you believe will make the transition to the C7 series when it comes around?

DRM500RUBYZR-1

The drop from 2000 to 500 was the result of the calculation needed to parcel out the remaining engines over the liefespan of the C-4.
Once GM determined how many new motors would be need to satisfy potential warranty issues, the remaining number determined the maiximum number of ZR-1's that could be produced.
Just guessing, but they most likely planned to follow earlier generation practices of trying to relaese a version of the next gen motor in the final year of the C-4, and or if you would have tryed to keep the ZR-1 through 96 you would have faced OBDII issues so that most likely was ruled out for that reason. You then back into the approx number of packages that could be produced and then divide it out over the remaining years 92-95.
They planned the LT-4, Grand Sport, and Collector Editions to get them through the final days of the 4th generation with something still very desirable as a final tribute.
Certainly the lack of sales set the stage for the exit of the ZR-1. Unless you wanted a Halo car like the Viper, you cannot justify the cost of a few thousand units, while trying to sell tens of thousands.OBD II compliance costs brought down the curtain, as they prepared for the introduction of the C-5.
Yes, C5 Z0'6, and certainly C6's are better performers, and the C6 ZR1...... VERY VERY Impressive!!!
They keep getting better.
But the same way a C-1 fuelie, a C-2 Tri Power Big block, and a C3 Big block will always be viewed as the best of the best, how can one not imagine C-4's being defined by anything other than the ZR-1?
Grand Sports, LT-4's, and Collector's are all great cars, but you tell me which one goes down in history as the defining high water mark for the fourth generation cars.
Clearly; Without a doubt; Make NO mistake! It has to be the ZR-1!
All Corvettes are great cars. Some however are legendary! And that my brothers is what the ZR-1 will ultimately be thought of as. The BEST of C-4's, nad one of the best of all times!

Marty
1FUNZR1 (NJ)

zr1fred

I think GM has done pretty well with their inblock cam, redesigned engines. Without government subsidies (tax dollars) the Volt would never have been built. Without government subsidies, it never will sell at a price point to be profitable.

93Rubie

The guys at GM Powertrain got P'ed off, that they didn't get the chance to develop an engine for the ZR-1. So they went to work making a better SBC. The result was the LT1, which argue all you want, put the nail in the ZR-1's coffin. What I am saying is without the LT5 and the ZR1 the LT1 would have never existed. Those same GM Power train engineers from tweaking the LT1 found that even more HP was possible while still maintaining emissions and fuel economy. This led to the LT4 and to the LS-Series. The LS-X is around because the LT5 and the ZR1 where so good. Competition made things better. Thus, the best Vette engines today can trace back to the ZR-1. Long live the kind, I want one bad. Need money...

Speaking of Dearborn, the new 5.0L V8 in the Mustang GT and F150 is a gem. Drove both, WOW. Even the truck is fast. Absolutely screams to 7K RPM. Right NOW!! I was genuinely impressed, but I digress.

Wolfgang427

Had nothing to do with a recession or counting engines needed for the future. If GM could of sold 3000+ of them like in 90, or 2000+ like in 91 they would of. It all boiled down to money. In 91 you had a base 245 HP engine and you added $31683 to get a 375 HP engine package. In 92 you had a base 300 HP engine and you still added $31683 to get only 75 more HP, all of the sudden the extra HP didn't seem to justify the extra cost.

DRM500RUBYZR-1

Read the book the "Heart of the Beast".
While certainly the shrinking sales are what killed it, the numbers drop that was asked about was due to far more than you state.
The committment to Lotus had to be, and was fulfilled, but no further orders would be placed.
OBDII compliance for a dead end motor was out of the question.
So parceling out the remaining motors then determined how they would be phased out before the C5 arrived.

Marty
1FUNZR1

glass slipper

There wasn't 2000+ ZR-1s sold in '91...maybe 1000 was sold during the model year (if they were lucky) leaving dealers with a glut of unsold '91 ZR-1s on their lots. Do you actually expect dealers to order '92 ZR-1s when they couldn't sell the '91s??? Go back and read my post where I said there were '91 ZR-1s that were still on dealer's lots during the '93 model year. I can remember some being wholesaled in the $40Ks because they couldn't get rid of them. The recession was the first nail in the coffin...I know as I lived it. I followed the ZR-1 beginning in '87 and bought a '93 in Dec '92 after almost buying a '91 in Feb '91 but passed on it because of the recession like many others. You might also remember there was a little thing called the Persian Gulf War that started in Aug '90 and went through Apr '91 for many (including me) which only added to the uncertainty.