1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

Tony’s Take: When I was a kid, a friend’s brother bought a black Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. It looked like a regular C4, but those three little letters made him the talk of the town. The Lotus-designed LT5 engine cranked-out 405 hp and 385 pound-feet of torque. With a 0 – 60 time of 4.3 seconds and a 180 mph top end, the ZR1 was faster than a Porsche Turbo. Stopped better too. Heritage? In 1990, the Bowling Green bomber set a 24-hour endurance record in Stockton, Texsas that Audi, Ford, and Mercedes couldn’t break for 50 years. ‘Merica! Yes but . . .

ZR-1 engines blew up (see: 13:00 above). Chevy rectified the problem, but the damage was done. At the same time, the ’91 recession beat the crap out of the patriotic middle class. The ZR-1 wasn’t cheap – $134k in today’s money – but it sure looked cheap. “This car is a rolling embarrassment to America,” Car & Driver complained, “until you step on the gas.” Also true for the revised base model, that looked exactly the same as the ZR-1 – except to car guys like my Philly crew. As for this BAT ZR-1 . . .

I f’n love it! Best year, last year, low-mileage, excellent condition, great color [ED: who doesn’t love whorehouse red interior?], clean Carfax, no paintwork, six-speed manual. The LT5 is strong like bull and there are replacement parts ‘a plenty. If you want looks, performance and reliability, I say the ZR-1 blows the slower, more expensive Ferrari 348 out of the water. Best sub-$70k supercar money can buy! In May 2022, a 3k mile ZR-1 in the same color did $49.5K. In June 2022, a 500-miler pulled-in $77k. This red-on-red ZR-1 with 2100 Miles on the clock should find a new home at $65kish range. Downside: too many owners to qualify as a collectible