Please please please PIN THIS COMMENT. THIS IS THIS ENGINES FULL POTENTIAL!!!! ua-cam.com/video/WkbIKBfjGJE/v-deo.htmlsi=2lScM4gx2n9fOLd2 800 HP NA😂😂😂😂
THE VIDEO IS FROM MPZRACEVIDEO channel. The car is the Opel Kadett GTR and the title is "what a sound opel kadett GTR..." type that in its a yellow 70s opel coupe. Uses this same exact engine.
As an owner of a lightly modified 1995 ZR1 I can tell you that it has aged spectacular. I don’t thrash the car but it’s no trailer queen. Reliable and quick even by today’s standards. Great car and I won’t sell it because it’s beautiful quick and very unique. One of 448 for 95. Chevrolet’s finest moment in the C4 lineup. Old school like me .
I own a 95 ZR-1 and the LT-5 steals the show! The power band is very very broad and truly has power everywhere. Its really does pull harder and harder the higher you rev it. The LT-5's real party trick is the 60-90 hit it has. You can catch most people off guard due to how hard it still pulls at those speeds. Highly recommend getting one or at least drive one!
but is it as good as fords coyote which have gobbs of power with a supercharger making 1000-1500hp with stock engine is ridiculous, with all the EV stuff has chevy missed the boat on a quad cam engines, myself I've gone down the Turbo LS road got plenty to keep me happy
@@godofcycling wouldn't be close.....electric motors have too much torque.....you need a car with 600hp and similar torque .....My 2010 Z06 LS7 427 ci with upgraded heads, cam, corsa exhaust, and 93 tune......617hp 596ft lbs.....I barely beat Tesla P90D's or Model X performance.....95 ZR 1 has 405hp at the crank......unless engine and drivetrain has been completely rebuilt.....prob putting down 370 to the wheels.....
I have a 2010 Z06......love it......bought the wife a 2018 Ford Fusion Sport 2.7 V6 Twin Turbo AWD.....put tune on it from Unleashed.....she has 415hp and 455 ft lbs......smoked an old ZR1 leaving cars and coffee one morning lol......should of seen the look on his face lol.....
Yeah, I read that they were a bit miffed that all that development money went to somebody else. This motor was awesome PR for Chevy, though. Everybody was talking about it. It also gave Dodge a horsepower target for the Viper.
I currently own a '91 ZR1 and is one fun car to drive. The problem with the LT5 isnt the engine itself, it was GM who choked it off with the last-minute, EPA mandated, emmisions bullshit right before going into production. Lotus designed the first gen LT5 to have 475 hp, but the throttle body, plenum, injector housings, and exhaust manifolds were restrictive to tame it down to 375 in order to meet EPA and CAFE fuel mileage requirements of the day. I've ported the top end of my LT5, Installed Haibeck chip, and straight resonator and muffler delete to bring it up above 475 hp. Headers will be next and that's another 20 hp. The power is there. It just needs to be "unchoked".
I feel like if it has a forged crank there’s no reason you shouldn’t get 600-700whp reliably wo5 a modern turbo. Might need some forged rods and pistons too, but that’s cheap by comparison to the crank.
The LT5 also head a 24 hour endurance record for over a decade averaging over 175mph for 24 hours. Great car. I miss the one I had. Also, the narrator sneakily inserted the nickname of the LT5, it was and still is referred to as the King of the Hill. There is a book written about the development of the LT5 called "Heart of the Beast".
Fun fact: GM Performance engineers took the outsourcing of the LT5 as an insult and challenge. Those bruised egos gave us the LS1 and the rest is history 💪🏿🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸✊🏿
Thanks RC for this video and some factual history. As a young 20 year old man who couldn't afford this vehicle. I was extremely fortunate to work at GM's R & D center and spent many hours testing this vehicle. Running it extremely hard with a smile on my face. Heck I didn't even have to pay for the fuel. 👍
It really is a marvel of supreme engineering. I had the privilege of going for a ride in one and it was a fun and exhilarating experience that I'll take to my grave and beyond! The crowds this car attracts at car shows and when I see one at a car show, I cannot help but stare at the engine, if the hood is up and walk around the car countless times. A very special machine indeed and anyone who is a true car enthusiast knows how special these babies were!
I've got a base c4 LT1 with a chip and it's quick. I also have a '91 ZR1 and that thing pulls all the way to redline, almost a turbo feeling. One of my favorite cars to drive. Oh and the ZR1 has 110,000 miles and was extremely well cared for by the previous owner. I bought it at 109k with a bad clutch. Oh, and the seller had parked it outside while trying to sell and the gas tank filled up with water. Pretty sure it was the original clutch. Still had a little life left on it but the throwout bearing had seized. Only issue in the entire car is one little seam in the driver seat has about a 1 inch separation. Flushed all the old gas out and it's been perfect ever since.
Nice Engine ! Arround 1996 I put one in a Lotus Omega . Had to change the oil sump to the front to clear axle and steering parts . But ..the biturbo 3.6 L in line 6 was going a little better.. In this years traffic was not that much , so you were able to reach almost 300 KM / H . With the 32 Valve Engine it was arround 280 in the 5th . The engine had nat enough torque for the 6th gear...
In the 90's I was a Chevrolet engine performance tech, the first to be certified on the ZR1 in the DFW area. I am a huge fan of the traditional SBC engine. That being said I think the LT5 was the best V8 Chevrolet had come out with until that point. I never had to do any repairs of any kind on an LT5.
I owned a 95 caprice pursuit vehicle. Turns out it was a special ordered car for some law enforcement individuals retirement by his coworkers. Lt5 is an awesome motor.
4:53 I remember reading when this engine was put in the Corvette. There was 140 lbs more weight on the front than with the ohv engine. 10:55 eco mode was 240 hp.
Dunno if you mention it (I'll keep watching) but even crazier still is Lotus wanted to push the LT5 higher but GM said no cuz they wanted to retain the low-end grunt. That engine would have been truly bonkers if allowed to make it sing like Lotus wanted
Had both renditions of these motors, the 375 and 405 hp cars. Would take a good LT-4 any day. GM engine management “dictated” the bore spacing to only be 3.5 inches during the design process. Heart of the Beast is an excellent look back on how the original intent was there, but Lotus wasn’t allowed to build it “their” way
Back in 97 I V8 swapped my S-10 pickup at age 18. It was a gmpp crate motor with cam, intake and carb. I did several more S-10 pickups between then and the early 2000s. Even though I built hot sbc in 2000 I always wanted an LT5 engine. A big part was the coolness factor of a dohc v8 and I dreamed about the horse power I could make if I ripped into one and ported the head and extrude honed the intake manifold. I never got my hands on one though, they were out of reach.
Something that you mite forget is that Lt5 double fuel injection set up. It also led to a lot of thought towards the economy fuel idle set ups that came later. Shutting off half the injectors is easier than doing it with one.
That's funny, I had heard the Lotus GT1 had had Chevy engines instead of the 3.5 biturbo V8 - but I hadn't realized it was the LT5 from the ZR1... Thanks for the video!
I read an article in Motor Trend back in the day. The Grand Sport actually lapped faster on the track they they compared them on, merely because the ZR-1 couldn't get the traction to utilize all of it's own power!
The LT5 was never overlooked. It was just too freaking expensive. I looked into getting on for a project car and they were $25k. It's an amazing engine to be sure, but you can get 5 LS1 engines for that price. You can build 2 or 3 1000+ HP LS1 engines for the same price.
I don’t know that Corvette ever really “dominated the world stage.” Had Chevrolet worked at it, the Vette might have been a super car contender ( like the C8 might be closing on today). European performance car manufacturers weren’t saddled with the emissions and other performance killing regulations like car makers in the US.
I think it was way ahead of its time but similar to the Cadillac v-8 North Star an over engineered power plant that was too expensive to produce and could have been followed up with improvements may have lasted longer. I would have liked it to have made it into the C5 generation vette for a couple years before it ended. I see some on the market for sale on occasion.
Don’t forget that in 1984 , the first year of the corvette refresh , Chevy used “crossfire” injection which was terrible compared to 1985 Tuned Port Injection engines.
Yea they had to because there was no one else to copy. Like they copy eveything they make today from another successful manufacturer. GM is about as original as a cover band or Chinese made anything.
@@marvinheemeyer6660 I agree with you, however I would add, there were other DOHC V-8's domestically, even in house at GM, with the Arora 4.0 or the Ford 4.6/5.4 DOHC engines in Lincolns and Cobras. Granted I don't think any of them revved to 7500rpm, GM's only true attempt at moving DOHC V-8's was the NorthStar, and that engines reputation speaks for itself. It would be about 30 years later that GM finally built their own DOHC V-8 for the Corvette. Sad really.....
I worked for Lotus Cars USA from 1987 to 1990. That LT5 was developed to be put into the new Esprit. When that fell through is when the GM decided to drop it into the Vette.
There are a few people building performance parts for these engines that bump the power up considerably. Mainly upgraded cams and other valve train components.
20 years ago (fuck if that doesn't make me feel old) I worked with a guy who said his wife or ex-wife or something didn't like her ZR1 cuz she couldn't drive it straight; she kept hitting the gas too hard and hanging the rear end out
There's some tuner in Japan that managed to make about 600hp on a LT5 ZR1 and it was used for top speed run Track build one making around 450 And that's all done without any boost like supercharger or turbocharger It was bored up to 6.0L or 6.1L iirc Those same C4 were planned to compete in JGTC but it never happened as they're lacking a budget to compete
1955 the birth of the small block chevy 265” an for an older gear head i just love that all these years can b miss/matched n hundereds of ways an horse power gits wilder 😎🇺🇸👍
Around the time of the ZR1 release, a GM exec's son moved to Melbourne. If his marriage hadn't broken down in the process, I was all set to use his Detroit connections/father, to import an LT5 to fit into my Holden HG rather than using a stock SB 350. Reality is sometimes a bitch but it's always nice to have almost lived such a dream.
Now they are China motors, lost interest in GM and anything late model a long time ago. Nobody can build a car or a truck even that doesnt have deafening road noise, tire roar etc. Worse than the loudest droning mufflers Ive ever run.
I never realized the LT-5 was such a big secret. It was good for its day but the hype leading up to and at its release was off the scale. It wasn't this seismic leap in performance many anticipated.
If you get one, remember one thing: if the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT comes on, the repairs can be in factors of ten. $10, 100, 1000, 10000. ANY of these is possible, depending on the problem. GM had a standard warranty action on any that came back: complete engine swap.
Car and Driver magazine had an awesome description of a ZR-1 vs. an L-98 C4.- 0-30 the 2 cars are side by side from 30-60, the ZR-1 PULLS 6 CAR LENGTHS on the L-98 car😮😮😂❤
Popular mechanics also did a comparison and they found the L98 was far more nimble and it's the car they'd choose. And Motortrend did a test on a '93 Z07 and 93 ZR-1 and found the base car to be superior except for top speed. sportmachines.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Motor-Trend-6-93.pdf
I worked on these, cars just with today's engine management systems these engines would be very relevant all of the secondary systems ie secondary throttle and fuel management were run by vacuum with a vacuum Pump and numerous one way check valves those stupid check valves were basically the only things to fail and Cheverly had numerous LT 5 engines after the ZR1 was discontinued at a bargain basement price of 30 grand in 1997 money I would love to score a C4 ZR1 and hot rod it the engines were pretty bullet proof
back in the day a guy used to swap on bigs and littles and drag at capital raceway in MD, story was he gave up everything in a divorce, only thing he wanted was his ZR-1
Corvettes should have stayed front engine, but I get why they switched. LT5 is definitely an interesting motor, but I don't care for the extra injectors and fuel pumps. But I'd like to hear ownership reviews before I confirm my opinion. I've always liked the ZR-1 until of discovering the complicated engine functionality a while back. But hey.. variety is a great thing, without it it'd be boring and uninteresting 👍
Is there any connection between the LT-5 and the DOHC Cadillac Northstar, I doubt it but maybe head design ideas? Both of these engines need direct injection to bring them up to modern standards. I think that these are too complex for a street car, the old LS with a blower gets the job done.
#2822 1990 ZR-1 sits in my driveway. 88k miles and I drive her ever chance I get. These cars were built to be driven. Still holds the world endurance top speed record 24 hours, just under 175 mph 5k mile top speed record 5k km top speed record among others. One of the drivers of the 24 hour record said he couldn't believe it was being released to the public. He also said they were running in the mid 190 mph range for hours at a time. The records still stand for a domestic mass produced car. Still "King of the Hill". The LT-5 is a master piece that talks the talk and walks the walk. Lest I forget, the ZR-1 that set those records was a bone stock LT-5, limited to 70% of wide open throttle carried 300 pounds of spare parts and a roll cage and quick fill fuel connection. It's funny watching these cars racing on the interstate up to whatever mph for a few seconds, do it for 30 hours straight, that's how long the 5k mile top speed record took. Several manufacturers have tried to break these records all have failed in its class.
@@farmonious420 LOL no wth??? Ls is a pushrod engine, the coyote is more like the LT5, but even more, not gonna say that´s better or worse but it is more.
@@grow-up-doble0-7 There's a direct line from the L98 through the LT's to the LS engines, even if it did take a weird turn somewhere into a DOHC 2 piece block. There's definite similarities to the new LT7 as well. Although some would say that the LT7 is copying the Coyote. Stay Happy and Healthy Enjoy your next drive.
so... can I put LT5 heads/timing/topend on a FlatFast SBC flate plane balanced forged shortblock? because that would be fucking wild in a c5 zo6 or a c6 with a bunch of other mods done to either... IJS
I think GM learned their lesson with the C4 ZR-1 and that was to make these top models stand out from the base models. Unfortunately, or if you like sleepers(Q ships) the styling didn't quite match the performance.
They have grown on me - 80s/90s cars will never have the same vibe as the 60s counterparts but the 80s/90s had their own unique flair which I am beginning to appreciate
Almost 35 years later My current 17' Super Sport 6 spd Camaro with stock 455hp will lay waste to that eng. Yet 20 years earlier that Vette would have more than likely waxed my 69' 383 Road Runner.
@@herkloader34 My point is your ZR1 is not stock and all I have to do is stick on a Super charger and I am again laying waste to your non stock 91 ZR1.
the engine looks like a work of art, certainly important in the development of future performance engines for GM. As a footnote with GM's ownership of Lotus, another top-tier car emerged from the partnership - Lotus-Opel Omega (aka Lotus-Vauxhall Carlton), a family saloon handed to Lotus by GM Europe to create the fastest four-door car in the world at the time (1990). A twin-turbo charged 3.7 litre straight six with 377hp and 350lb ft torque, 950 made over two years and highly collectable today. Even though GM sold Lotus in 1993 to Bugatti owner Roman Artioli, Lotus would have further collaborations with GM, especially the Lotus Elise being the basis for the Opel Speedster (aka Vauxhall VX220) using GM's Ecotech turbo four at 220hp, 7200 were made in the early 2000s.
Had a "vette eggspurt" walk up to my z at cruise night (hood up) and declare I only had a chitty TPI C4 look at the side trim, says so. I was rude, didnt care Most vette guys are goobs....some are car guys that own a vette.
@ always liked the c4’s in the 80’s in high school , but loved the iroc , trans am gts and formula 350:cars better..3rd gens..had 3. 87’ 305/5speed t top car g92..1990 formula 350 g92 n10 dual cats and a 1991 350z28 g92 n10 not lightening fast compared to todays cars. But not bad in the late 80’s into the. 90’s
Jes i read lt5 motor early -90 nice engine 32 valve !.... lot of later i bye 32 valve V8 but Lexus😅 -92 , i love that bulletproof japan innovation engine... now ~400 hp....
Sooo, why hasn't anyone approached Mercury Motors for parts? 🤔 They make a 9 liter monster twin cam enigne. I'm sure they can scrounge around for parts. Or better still 3D print them.
Those are so old, not worth thier time/cost to make any. my 5k LT5 brought real small money when sold yrs ago. Pathetic Fun car but not exciting enough to keep stocking up on $$ parts.
I was watching this video, and I realized I am in it. Not going to say where. It pains me to go out to the back garage where this beast is in hibernation for winter.
I’m taking about race track not drag racing or top speed racing! :-) C4 ZR1 and C5 ZO6 both out perform cars like Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, Lamborghini Countach, Lamborghini Diablo, Porsche 959 and maybe Porsche 911 GT1! :-) The only 4 other cars that could out perform the C4 ZR1 and C5 ZO6 was the McLaren F1, McLaren F1 LM, Mercedes Benz CLK GTR and Mercedes Benz CLK GTR AMG Super Sport! :-) C6 ZR1 outperformed cars like the Ferrari Enzo, Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, Lamborghini Revetnton, Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren 722 and Saleen S7! :-) The only other 4 cars that could outperform the C6 ZR1 was the SSC Ultimate Arrow, Bugatti Veyron, Koenigsegg CCXR, Saleen S7 Twin Turbo and Ultima GTR! :-) C7 ZR1 competition is the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, Ferrari Laferrari, Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and Ford GT! :-)
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Please please please PIN THIS COMMENT. THIS IS THIS ENGINES FULL POTENTIAL!!!!
ua-cam.com/video/WkbIKBfjGJE/v-deo.htmlsi=2lScM4gx2n9fOLd2
800 HP NA😂😂😂😂
Theres a european hillclimb car that uses this engine. 800 HP NA revving to 9500 RPM
THE VIDEO IS FROM MPZRACEVIDEO channel. The car is the Opel Kadett GTR and the title is "what a sound opel kadett GTR..." type that in its a yellow 70s opel coupe. Uses this same exact engine.
As an owner of a lightly modified 1995 ZR1 I can tell you that it has aged spectacular. I don’t thrash the car but it’s no trailer queen. Reliable and quick even by today’s standards. Great car and I won’t sell it because it’s beautiful quick and very unique. One of 448 for 95. Chevrolet’s finest moment in the C4 lineup. Old school like me .
A forever car. An 02 zo6 and a 2008 Zr1 would look good next to the King. The rest are nice I guess. Lol. Enjoy
I own a 95 ZR-1 and the LT-5 steals the show! The power band is very very broad and truly has power everywhere. Its really does pull harder and harder the higher you rev it. The LT-5's real party trick is the 60-90 hit it has. You can catch most people off guard due to how hard it still pulls at those speeds. Highly recommend getting one or at least drive one!
I really enjoyed that description. Now I am imagining outpacing an EV between those speeds 😂. Thanks
but is it as good as fords coyote which have gobbs of power with a supercharger making 1000-1500hp with stock engine is ridiculous, with all the EV stuff has chevy missed the boat on a quad cam engines, myself I've gone down the Turbo LS road got plenty to keep me happy
@@godofcycling wouldn't be close.....electric motors have too much torque.....you need a car with 600hp and similar torque .....My 2010 Z06 LS7 427 ci with upgraded heads, cam, corsa exhaust, and 93 tune......617hp 596ft lbs.....I barely beat Tesla P90D's or Model X performance.....95 ZR 1 has 405hp at the crank......unless engine and drivetrain has been completely rebuilt.....prob putting down 370 to the wheels.....
I have a 2010 Z06......love it......bought the wife a 2018 Ford Fusion Sport 2.7 V6 Twin Turbo AWD.....put tune on it from Unleashed.....she has 415hp and 455 ft lbs......smoked an old ZR1 leaving cars and coffee one morning lol......should of seen the look on his face lol.....
You need to get in a C6 Z06 with an 427ci ls7......I have heads and cam upgraded.....it's party trick is 60 to 150mph in about 7 seconds.....
The greatest legacy of this engine is that it led to the retaliation of Chevy engineers to create the legendary LS1.
When you put it that way you do have a very strong point haha!
Thanks Lotus!
And, if you ever need any proof that DOHC was the right way to go, check out the Mercury Racing SB4.
Yeah, I read that they were a bit miffed that all that development money went to somebody else. This motor was awesome PR for Chevy, though. Everybody was talking about it. It also gave Dodge a horsepower target for the Viper.
Great answer!
I currently own a '91 ZR1 and is one fun car to drive. The problem with the LT5 isnt the engine itself, it was GM who choked it off with the last-minute, EPA mandated, emmisions bullshit right before going into production. Lotus designed the first gen LT5 to have 475 hp, but the throttle body, plenum, injector housings, and exhaust manifolds were restrictive to tame it down to 375 in order to meet EPA and CAFE fuel mileage requirements of the day. I've ported the top end of my LT5, Installed Haibeck chip, and straight resonator and muffler delete to bring it up above 475 hp. Headers will be next and that's another 20 hp. The power is there. It just needs to be "unchoked".
There’s a few videos or articles of people doing porting, cam and exhaust and making 450 to the ground. Great sounding engines too
Bud you gotta make a video for us😊❤❤❤
I feel like if it has a forged crank there’s no reason you shouldn’t get 600-700whp reliably wo5 a modern turbo. Might need some forged rods and pistons too, but that’s cheap by comparison to the crank.
"uncorked", "unclogged", "unrestricted"...
The LT5 also head a 24 hour endurance record for over a decade averaging over 175mph for 24 hours. Great car. I miss the one I had. Also, the narrator sneakily inserted the nickname of the LT5, it was and still is referred to as the King of the Hill. There is a book written about the development of the LT5 called "Heart of the Beast".
Fun fact: GM Performance engineers took the outsourcing of the LT5 as an insult and challenge. Those bruised egos gave us the LS1 and the rest is history 💪🏿🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸✊🏿
Thanks RC for this video and some factual history.
As a young 20 year old man who couldn't afford this vehicle. I was extremely fortunate to work at GM's R & D center and spent many hours testing this vehicle. Running it extremely hard with a smile on my face. Heck I didn't even have to pay for the fuel. 👍
It really is a marvel of supreme engineering. I had the privilege of going for a ride in one and it was a fun and exhilarating experience that I'll take to my grave and beyond! The crowds this car attracts at car shows and when I see one at a car show, I cannot help but stare at the engine, if the hood is up and walk around the car countless times. A very special machine indeed and anyone who is a true car enthusiast knows how special these babies were!
I've got a base c4 LT1 with a chip and it's quick. I also have a '91 ZR1 and that thing pulls all the way to redline, almost a turbo feeling. One of my favorite cars to drive.
Oh and the ZR1 has 110,000 miles and was extremely well cared for by the previous owner. I bought it at 109k with a bad clutch. Oh, and the seller had parked it outside while trying to sell and the gas tank filled up with water. Pretty sure it was the original clutch. Still had a little life left on it but the throwout bearing had seized. Only issue in the entire car is one little seam in the driver seat has about a 1 inch separation. Flushed all the old gas out and it's been perfect ever since.
Nice Engine ! Arround 1996 I put one in a Lotus Omega . Had to change the oil sump to the front to clear axle and steering parts . But ..the biturbo 3.6 L in line 6 was going a little better..
In this years traffic was not that much , so you were able to reach almost 300 KM / H . With the 32 Valve Engine it was arround 280 in the 5th . The engine had nat enough torque for the 6th gear...
In the 90's I was a Chevrolet engine performance tech, the first to be certified on the ZR1 in the DFW area. I am a huge fan of the traditional SBC engine. That being said I think the LT5 was the best V8 Chevrolet had come out with until that point. I never had to do any repairs of any kind on an LT5.
All that technology ,updated complicated and F1 related, and your right up there with the outdated prehistoric L79 327 , amazing !
With computer designed cylinder heads of today flow amazingly but there's still nothing like a 4 valve engine
I owned a 95 caprice pursuit vehicle. Turns out it was a special ordered car for some law enforcement individuals retirement by his coworkers. Lt5 is an awesome motor.
This was a fascinating story well done 👍
Thank you - glad you liked it!
@rarecars3336 + Great story but the Ferrari Tesstarossa had a flat 12, not a V 12.
4:53 I remember reading when this engine was put in the Corvette. There was 140 lbs more weight on the front than with the ohv engine. 10:55 eco mode was 240 hp.
One of my favorite engines and one of my favorite Corvettes I love to read and watch videos on them just can’t get enough!
They also put an LT5 in a Baja Bandit, called the Wet Vette. That was an amazing boat!
So my man’s voice is not AI 🤣
Hahah nope I am real! I've exposed myself!
😂😂
Yeah, there are a LOT of new car shows with AI voices, that clearly don't give a shit about cars, when you try to watch them......
In fairness, you do sound somewhat like a robot and I mean that as a compliment 😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 I love watching your videos 🎉🎉🎉
@@rarecars3336 Did you really say: "What lied under the hood?" Please learn how to speak English. LOL
Dunno if you mention it (I'll keep watching) but even crazier still is Lotus wanted to push the LT5 higher but GM said no cuz they wanted to retain the low-end grunt. That engine would have been truly bonkers if allowed to make it sing like Lotus wanted
GM wanted to keep the bore and stroke the same as their others.
Dude the animations are great. Awesome content
Thanks man glad you enjoyed it!
Had both renditions of these motors, the 375 and 405 hp cars.
Would take a good LT-4 any day. GM engine management “dictated” the bore spacing to only be 3.5 inches during the design process.
Heart of the Beast is an excellent look back on how the original intent was there, but Lotus wasn’t allowed to build it “their” way
Back in 97 I V8 swapped my S-10 pickup at age 18. It was a gmpp crate motor with cam, intake and carb. I did several more S-10 pickups between then and the early 2000s. Even though I built hot sbc in 2000 I always wanted an LT5 engine. A big part was the coolness factor of a dohc v8 and I dreamed about the horse power I could make if I ripped into one and ported the head and extrude honed the intake manifold. I never got my hands on one though, they were out of reach.
I love my 96 lt4. They start making power at such a low rpm. I wouldn't give that up for a few horses on the top end
Wow, we get to watch you surf the internet today??? This is really some golden content!
12:15 yeahhh diamond motor works!! I go there all the time when im back home. Such a cool place
Something that you mite forget is that Lt5 double fuel injection set up. It also led to a lot of thought towards the economy fuel idle set ups that came later. Shutting off half the injectors is easier than doing it with one.
I had a crash take out LT5 in my '93 GMC pickup back in the day.... one of those hot rods I should have hung onto...
I prefer the simplicity of the LT1/LT4 engines
Fair they would be more reliable and simpler - I just LOVE me a DOHC v8!
Not to mention lightness the LT5 is quite heavy. The L98 and LT1/LT4 excel at autocross especially the Z51 and Z07 optioned cars
@@rarecars3336 The only real advantage is it revs higher. More expensive to build and repair because it has a shitload more of moving parts.
@matrox maybe so, but still more durable and reliable than the older SBC engines.
The LT5 is for sure an awesome motor! with an ever cooler story behind it.
It is a sad thing to let such a piece of mechanical art fade into obscurity, as it truly was a masterpiece.
That's funny, I had heard the Lotus GT1 had had Chevy engines instead of the 3.5 biturbo V8 - but I hadn't realized it was the LT5 from the ZR1...
Thanks for the video!
I read an article in Motor Trend back in the day. The Grand Sport actually lapped faster on the track they they compared them on, merely because the ZR-1 couldn't get the traction to utilize all of it's own power!
The wild thing is how cheap ZR1's are still. They were a world class supercar in their time and can be had under $30k today.
Yeah its like they either have no miles on them or a ton there are so few c4 ZR1s in between!
Some people pay 20 and 30,000 over sticker for that car New
I just checked car guru’s, 45-k to 78k that’s not cheap.
@@WardoUSA C4 ZR1's? I watch them go for sub $35k on BAT every week.
@@mauricecooper176 they haven't been in production for almost 3 decades, so I don't know how that's possible.
The LT5 was never overlooked. It was just too freaking expensive. I looked into getting on for a project car and they were $25k. It's an amazing engine to be sure, but you can get 5 LS1 engines for that price. You can build 2 or 3 1000+ HP LS1 engines for the same price.
Also, not that into corvettes, but the 2009 ZR-1 (C6) is by far the best corvette of all time. I love the original sales brochure.. gorgeous.
Exceptional engineering for the C4 ZR1. Any Corvette enthusiast expects engineering feats of this nature especially ZR1 status engineering.
I don’t know that Corvette ever really “dominated the world stage.” Had Chevrolet worked at it, the Vette might have been a super car contender ( like the C8 might be closing on today). European performance car manufacturers weren’t saddled with the emissions and other performance killing regulations like car makers in the US.
Two bar-mates I meet have Corvettes with this engine. They are terrified of modifications, as is they is.
I think it was way ahead of its time but similar to the Cadillac v-8 North Star an over engineered power plant that was too expensive to produce and could have been followed up with improvements may have lasted longer. I would have liked it to have made it into the C5 generation vette for a couple years before it ended. I see some on the market for sale on occasion.
Don’t forget that in 1984 , the first year of the corvette refresh , Chevy used “crossfire” injection which was terrible compared to 1985 Tuned Port Injection engines.
Accurate title, "When GM paid Lotus and Mercury Marine to design and build the V-8 they couldn't"
More like bought them so they could design it haha
@@rarecars3336 Touche
Yea they had to because there was no one else to copy. Like they copy eveything they make today from another successful manufacturer. GM is about as original as a cover band or Chinese made anything.
@@marvinheemeyer6660 I agree with you, however I would add, there were other DOHC V-8's domestically, even in house at GM, with the Arora 4.0 or the Ford 4.6/5.4 DOHC engines in Lincolns and Cobras. Granted I don't think any of them revved to 7500rpm, GM's only true attempt at moving DOHC V-8's was the NorthStar, and that engines reputation speaks for itself. It would be about 30 years later that GM finally built their own DOHC V-8 for the Corvette. Sad really.....
@@marvinheemeyer6660You're pretty unknowledgable.
I worked for Lotus Cars USA from 1987 to 1990. That LT5 was developed to be put into the new Esprit. When that fell through is when the GM decided to drop it into the Vette.
i dont think that is correct.
There are a few people building performance parts for these engines that bump the power up considerably. Mainly upgraded cams and other valve train components.
Imagine that motor fully stretched out with all the upgrades and tuning. Crazy in that car too...
A motor uses an extension cord , this is an engine . Big difference !
20 years ago (fuck if that doesn't make me feel old) I worked with a guy who said his wife or ex-wife or something didn't like her ZR1 cuz she couldn't drive it straight; she kept hitting the gas too hard and hanging the rear end out
It is an awesome engine, for sure!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!!!
This motor held a top speed record for over 20 years at 255 miles an hour
There's some tuner in Japan that managed to make about 600hp on a LT5 ZR1 and it was used for top speed run
Track build one making around 450
And that's all done without any boost like supercharger or turbocharger
It was bored up to 6.0L or 6.1L iirc
Those same C4 were planned to compete in JGTC but it never happened as they're lacking a budget to compete
I think that's the West C4. West is a tuner shop IIRC.
Always loved this engine, would have loved to seen it used in the Firebird as I am 6’5” and don’t fit worth a hooey in the vette.
We race a Lt5 on 250 shot nitrous in a bracket class. In a small light weight nova
1955 the birth of the small block chevy 265” an for an older gear head i just love that all these years can b miss/matched n hundereds of ways an horse power gits wilder 😎🇺🇸👍
One of my dream cars...c4 zr1
Around the time of the ZR1 release, a GM exec's son moved to Melbourne. If his marriage hadn't broken down in the process, I was all set to use his Detroit connections/father, to import an LT5 to fit into my Holden HG rather than using a stock SB 350.
Reality is sometimes a bitch but it's always nice to have almost lived such a dream.
Not everyone was capable of servicing this engine and electronics, however when it was in tune it was a great car!!!😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
I'll just stick with my LS1. If it can go 750,000 miles without overhaul (the red C5 in NCM at Bowling Green), then it's good enough for me. 😊
I know not a V8 but the Quad 4 was a really good engine.
The purchase of Lotus was one of the few great decisions GM ever made.
Now they are China motors, lost interest in GM and anything late model a long time ago.
Nobody can build a car or a truck even that doesnt have deafening road noise, tire roar etc. Worse than the loudest droning mufflers Ive ever run.
General Motors cast the LT4 blocks for Mercury Marine at the GM Bedford Indiana Casting Plant as a turnkey operation.
I never realized the LT-5 was such a big secret. It was good for its day but the hype leading up to and at its release was off the scale. It wasn't this seismic leap in performance many anticipated.
If you get one, remember one thing: if the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT comes on, the repairs can be in factors of ten. $10, 100, 1000, 10000. ANY of these is possible, depending on the problem. GM had a standard warranty action on any that came back: complete engine swap.
The sledgehammer the greatest Corvette of all time.
It's unfortunate that GM didn't continue developing the LT5, they could have ended up with something like the Mercury Racing SB4.
This could’ve, should’ve been a 500+ HP engine from that displacement. I have from new a ‘93 ZR-1 and 30 years later still love it.
Tim Allen have the LT5 in his 1996 Impala.
Car and Driver magazine had an awesome description of a ZR-1 vs. an L-98 C4.- 0-30 the 2 cars are side by side from 30-60, the ZR-1 PULLS 6 CAR LENGTHS on the L-98 car😮😮😂❤
Popular mechanics also did a comparison and they found the L98 was far more nimble and it's the car they'd choose. And Motortrend did a test on a '93 Z07 and 93 ZR-1 and found the base car to be superior except for top speed. sportmachines.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Motor-Trend-6-93.pdf
Were there any issues that plagued the engine and are replacement parts still available?
Engines were seemingly impossible to break....far as parts, good luck.
Cant go to the auto parts store for too many items.
I worked on these, cars just with today's engine management systems these engines would be very relevant all of the secondary systems ie secondary throttle and fuel management were run by vacuum with a vacuum
Pump and numerous one way check valves those stupid check valves were basically the only things to fail and Cheverly had numerous LT 5 engines after the ZR1 was discontinued at a bargain basement price of 30 grand in 1997 money I would love to score a C4 ZR1 and hot rod it the engines were pretty bullet proof
back in the day a guy used to swap on bigs and littles and drag at capital raceway in MD, story was he gave up everything in a divorce, only thing he wanted was his ZR-1
Familiar story.. Screw marriage
All V-8’s should be designed like this
Let's not forget to 283. My older brother work for General Motors and the reason they stopped building a 283 No Lie it was too dependable
Corvettes should have stayed front engine, but I get why they switched. LT5 is definitely an interesting motor, but I don't care for the extra injectors and fuel pumps. But I'd like to hear ownership reviews before I confirm my opinion. I've always liked the ZR-1 until of discovering the complicated engine functionality a while back. But hey.. variety is a great thing, without it it'd be boring and uninteresting 👍
Is there any connection between the LT-5 and the DOHC Cadillac Northstar, I doubt it but maybe head design ideas? Both of these engines need direct injection to bring them up to modern standards. I think that these are too complex for a street car, the old LS with a blower gets the job done.
The LT5 walked so the Coyote could run💪🏽
LOL. I think you mean LS.
@@farmonious420 Think outside the 📦
#2822 1990 ZR-1 sits in my driveway. 88k miles and I drive her ever chance I get. These cars were built to be driven.
Still holds the world endurance top speed record 24 hours, just under 175 mph
5k mile top speed record
5k km top speed record among others. One of the drivers of the 24 hour record said he couldn't believe it was being released to the public. He also said they were running in the mid 190 mph range for hours at a time.
The records still stand for a domestic mass produced car.
Still "King of the Hill".
The LT-5 is a master piece that talks the talk and walks the walk.
Lest I forget, the ZR-1 that set those records was a bone stock LT-5, limited to 70% of wide open throttle carried 300 pounds of spare parts and a roll cage and quick fill fuel connection.
It's funny watching these cars racing on the interstate up to whatever mph for a few seconds, do it for 30 hours straight, that's how long the 5k mile top speed record took. Several manufacturers have tried to break these records all have failed in its class.
@@farmonious420 LOL no wth??? Ls is a pushrod engine, the coyote is more like the LT5, but even more, not gonna say that´s better or worse but it is more.
@@grow-up-doble0-7 There's a direct line from the L98 through the LT's to the LS engines, even if it did take a weird turn somewhere into a DOHC 2 piece block. There's definite similarities to the new LT7 as well. Although some would say that the LT7 is copying the Coyote.
Stay Happy and Healthy
Enjoy your next drive.
so... can I put LT5 heads/timing/topend on a FlatFast SBC flate plane balanced forged shortblock?
because that would be fucking wild in a c5 zo6 or a c6 with a bunch of other mods done to either...
IJS
Isn't the LT5 an option in the modern Camaro?
Mercury Racing is (or was) offering a DOHC engine using an LS block... msrp around $30k...
SB4. I have one.
I think GM learned their lesson with the C4 ZR-1 and that was to make these top models stand out from the base models. Unfortunately, or if you like sleepers(Q ships) the styling didn't quite match the performance.
FYI I’m pretty sure there’s a few new blocks still available 😮😮😮
If you see one for sale beware . Small volume means the after market makes nothing for them and you can't even get gaskets from gm anymore.
That's why you order gaskets from Jerry's Gaskets. His are better than GMs anyway.
I own a '91 and can tell you parts are not hard to find for the LT5 and ZR1.
I got some laying around
@@herkloader34 Yeah if you know the right people.
For the avg guy hes gonna hate the car trying to buy much of anything for them.
A look into the lsj would be cool
Secret? Know of that engine since childhood 😂
Another overlooked overhead the Northstar
I thought people didn't like the C4 corvettes?
Are you serious? I grew up in that decade. It's one of the top 5 car posters you found in any kid's bedroom wall along with the Countach and 911.
They have grown on me - 80s/90s cars will never have the same vibe as the 60s counterparts but the 80s/90s had their own unique flair which I am beginning to appreciate
Because they were ugly.
@@craigbigbee6395well, I'm sure you are too so there's that.
I totally agree!
2:40
Rest In Peace Ayrton Senna ❤ 🇧🇷
0:07 with the dizzy on the wrong end of the engine😊
how about a video on the sauber/mercedes 5 liter (m119) turbo v8 racecar
Almost 35 years later My current 17' Super Sport 6 spd Camaro with stock 455hp will lay waste to that eng. Yet 20 years earlier that Vette would have more than likely waxed my 69' 383 Road Runner.
My '91 ZR1 with 510 hp will walk all over your SS so what's your point?
@@herkloader34 My point is your ZR1 is not stock and all I have to do is stick on a Super charger and I am again laying waste to your non stock 91 ZR1.
@@herkloader34 Your ZR-1 isn't stock he could easily modify his car too
Gramma looked better 35 yrs ago too kinda redundant.
LT5 would smoke any same yr Camaro
the engine looks like a work of art, certainly important in the development of future performance engines for GM. As a footnote with GM's ownership of Lotus, another top-tier car emerged from the partnership - Lotus-Opel Omega (aka Lotus-Vauxhall Carlton), a family saloon handed to Lotus by GM Europe to create the fastest four-door car in the world at the time (1990). A twin-turbo charged 3.7 litre straight six with 377hp and 350lb ft torque, 950 made over two years and highly collectable today. Even though GM sold Lotus in 1993 to Bugatti owner Roman Artioli, Lotus would have further collaborations with GM, especially the Lotus Elise being the basis for the Opel Speedster (aka Vauxhall VX220) using GM's Ecotech turbo four at 220hp, 7200 were made in the early 2000s.
That is also true thank you for sharing that! I didn't cover that car in todays video but definitely one that is worth exploring in detail!
I second that request on opel omega 🫡.
Isn't that car also infamous for robberies in UK?
@@Joshua_N-A yes it is dude and uk where planing to ban said car but opel didn't make many of them.
@@Joshua_N-A one car was stolen and used as a getaway for several robberies, it was later found dumped in a canal.
Always loved the look of this engine , like a beefy l98 … always thought this engine woulda looked sweet in a 89/90 iroc or even a 91/92 z28…
Had a "vette eggspurt" walk up to my z at cruise night (hood up) and declare I only had a chitty TPI C4 look at the side trim, says so. I was rude, didnt care
Most vette guys are goobs....some are car guys that own a vette.
@ always liked the c4’s in the 80’s in high school , but loved the iroc , trans am gts and formula 350:cars better..3rd gens..had 3. 87’ 305/5speed t top car g92..1990 formula 350 g92 n10 dual cats and a 1991 350z28 g92 n10 not lightening fast compared to todays cars. But not bad in the late 80’s into the. 90’s
For all the things GM made, it still look Lotus to make them a truly good engine.
Jes i read lt5 motor early -90 nice engine 32 valve !.... lot of later i bye 32 valve V8 but Lexus😅 -92 , i love that bulletproof japan innovation engine... now ~400 hp....
My father saw the last lt5 blocks get melted down at mercury marine 😢😢😢
It took lotus to show Chevy engineers how to build something serious ford already had dohc tech in the 70’s
Sooo, why hasn't anyone approached Mercury Motors for parts? 🤔 They make a 9 liter monster twin cam enigne. I'm sure they can scrounge around for parts. Or better still 3D print them.
Those are so old, not worth thier time/cost to make any.
my 5k LT5 brought real small money when sold yrs ago. Pathetic
Fun car but not exciting enough to keep stocking up on $$ parts.
I wonder if this LT5 is similar parts to the Cadillac's North Star V8 🤔
Lower block architecture of the NOrthstar and LS was inspired by the LT5.
I was watching this video, and I realized I am in it. Not going to say where. It pains me to go out to the back garage where this beast is in hibernation for winter.
Why not mention, nothing to worry about? Are you a milk carton?
I’m taking about race track not drag racing or top speed racing! :-)
C4 ZR1 and C5 ZO6 both out perform cars like Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, Lamborghini Countach, Lamborghini Diablo, Porsche 959 and maybe Porsche 911 GT1! :-) The only 4 other cars that could out perform the C4 ZR1 and C5 ZO6 was the McLaren F1, McLaren F1 LM, Mercedes Benz CLK GTR and Mercedes Benz CLK GTR AMG Super Sport! :-)
C6 ZR1 outperformed cars like the Ferrari Enzo, Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, Lamborghini Revetnton, Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren 722 and Saleen S7! :-) The only other 4 cars that could outperform the C6 ZR1 was the SSC Ultimate Arrow, Bugatti Veyron, Koenigsegg CCXR, Saleen S7 Twin Turbo and Ultima GTR! :-)
C7 ZR1 competition is the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, Ferrari Laferrari, Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and Ford GT! :-)
Mercury Marine had already developed the technolgy of aluminum alloys and GM had not
❤❤❤❤DOHC for everything❤❤❤❤