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.....
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 💪🏿🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸✊🏿
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!
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".
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 .
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
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
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.
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!
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.
#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.
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
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 👍
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.
It's nice that the C8 Z06 and ZR1 brought back DOHC, proving to the Ford boys that not only did Chevy do it first, but has always done it better as well
Done it better how? The LT5s engineering had to be out sourced, the c8 z06 was reverse engineered by chevy buying a ferrari 458 and tearing it apart. Just say you like chevy and thats where your loyalty lies, ford was doing OHC v8 engines for years.
too bad everything about this video is incorrect. theres nothing great about overhead cam vs pushrod. theres a reason gm went with the ls style pushrod engine over this piece of shit. youtubers opinions dont make anything important or best at all. youtube journalists arent experts on things they read online. people that dont have hands on experience with things arent capable of dictating what is best. im so tired of people stating their opinion is final and fact when they are wrong the majority of the time. people ls swap millions of vehicles for a reason. people arent coyote swapping millions of builds. bigger heavier engines arent better engines. power to weight means more than size and rpm abilitiy
Get your FlexiSpot E7 Desk Here and SAVE BIG: bit.ly/3CvcrQi
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.....
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!
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 💪🏿🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸🔥🇺🇸✊🏿
So my man’s voice is not AI 🤣
Hahah nope I am real! I've exposed myself!
😂😂
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!
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".
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 .
Let it remain forgotten; the last thing we need is overhead cams on V8 Chevys.
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!
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
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
It is a sad thing to let such a piece of mechanical art fade into obscurity, as it truly was a masterpiece.
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
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.
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.
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!
Dude the animations are great. Awesome content
Great video but run your script through a grammar check.
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.
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.
The purchase of Lotus was one of the few great decisions GM ever made.
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.
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
We might be the same age brother😂
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 👍
Mercury Racing is (or was) offering a DOHC engine using an LS block... msrp around $30k...
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 🫡.
A look into the lsj would be cool
It's nice that the C8 Z06 and ZR1 brought back DOHC, proving to the Ford boys that not only did Chevy do it first, but has always done it better as well
Agreed ford really was the first kid on the block with the DOHC V8 and the one American company that made it mainstream
Done it better how? The LT5s engineering had to be out sourced, the c8 z06 was reverse engineered by chevy buying a ferrari 458 and tearing it apart.
Just say you like chevy and thats where your loyalty lies, ford was doing OHC v8 engines for years.
Enter: 427 Cammer
@@j.moneyfilms thank you
how about a video on the sauber/mercedes 5 liter (m119) turbo v8 racecar
My 91 L-98 m-6 Corvette rated at 250 hp
How long you had the Vette for?
Your channel is a source of inspiration and wisdom. Thank you for your dedicated creativity and kindness!🍨🥂♀️
LT5 C4 makes one of the most desirable classic Corvette.
It’s not a secret
too bad everything about this video is incorrect. theres nothing great about overhead cam vs pushrod. theres a reason gm went with the ls style pushrod engine over this piece of shit. youtubers opinions dont make anything important or best at all. youtube journalists arent experts on things they read online. people that dont have hands on experience with things arent capable of dictating what is best. im so tired of people stating their opinion is final and fact when they are wrong the majority of the time. people ls swap millions of vehicles for a reason. people arent coyote swapping millions of builds. bigger heavier engines arent better engines. power to weight means more than size and rpm abilitiy
Dear America, wallah is a noise you made up. You're thinking of voilà.
Your videos are always a shining example of what quality content should look like. Thank you for your hard work and dedication!🫢🫠👋🏆