Heart of the Beast ZR-1 cover car for sale
 

Hi guys. I see that the 1994 Corvette that was used as the long lead press car for 1995 is up for sale.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Co...3D261638040225

This is the car that was used on the book cover "Heart of the Beast". Those pictures were taken by Vette magazine editor D. Randy Riggs back in the day. The car was in at least a couple of issues of Vette back in '94.

I remember that Vette magazine ran it at Englishtown Raceway and it trapped at 116 mph. I can't remember the time...maybe 12.6?

As I write this and look up on my computer screen, I believe this is the very same car that is used in our ZR1.net screen banner. The pic at the left was taken by Motor Trend.

I hate to say it, but it is possible that GM did a little extra "magic" on this motor. They wanted this car to go out with a bang! I am making my statements from an article I also remember reading in the old LT5 registry magazine about "ol' #375". I hated to read that because I always wanted to believe that "yeah, a stock Z is capable of pulling down the numbers that Vette Magazine got that day at Englishtown".

Who knows if that was "hearsay" or if it was massaged it a little bit.

Either way, nice car and a piece of ZR-1 history.

Re: Heart of the Beast cover car for sale
 

Yep, Motor Trend tested that car - or one in the identical color combo - in August 1995. That's the issue from which that overhead pic of the car sideways in our banner originally came. Cool quote from that issue...

"Running in sixth at 70 mph, the engine is barely off idle, sounding more like a fishing trawler than the heart of one of the world's fastest cars. But haul that ZF transmission into third, and the ZR-1's 32-valve DOHC, all-aluminum 5.7-liter LT5 V-8 rages with the promise of its 405 horsepower. Then, stomp on the throttle, and the car twists as the rear tires break traction. This last ZR-1 does 70-mph burnouts. Yeow!"

Does anyone actually have a STOCK car that is capable of smoking the tires at 70 MPH in 3rd?

Re: Heart of the Beast cover car for sale
 

Photographic proof of the car being abused?
Provenance be damned...
I'd pass...

Re: Heart of the Beast cover car for sale
 

It's beautiful with low miles. And it's a 94. That's the kind you want.

Re: Heart of the Beast ZR-1 cover car for sale
 

I doubt it was massaged, don't forget the LT5's went out of production in 92...i think...there's no way they could have known what engine would have been in which car

Re: Heart of the Beast cover car for sale
 

I don't know, the GSC's were some pretty awful tires

Re: Heart of the Beast ZR-1 cover car for sale
 

Didnt they know exactly which engine would go in what car at the time the engine was built at Merc? By VIN?

Re: Heart of the Beast cover car for sale
 

Because of a burnout? If it was a burnout. I hope it was a burnout.
Many times car photographers use smoke machines.

I wonder how it rides, sounds inside? Theres been a lot of work done on the car.

Re: Heart of the Beast ZR-1 cover car for sale
 

someone more knowledgeable then I will have to answer that

Re: Heart of the Beast cover car for sale
 

So, whether or not the vehicle was picked at random, who is to say that the Proving Grounds couldn't pull the motor and have some work done?

Even after Merc LT5 shutdown in the fall of '93, who is to say that someone couldn't have a little extra "feddling" as Lotus called it (port material removal) done by someone like Van Deventer, etc.


Also, any ZR-1 could easily survive some burnouts. The problem more so would be repeated abuse by many different magazine editors, and drivers. Any wear that could be found was fixed prior to sale.

Hib should jump in here. His '95, "Barney" was a press car which was freshened before sale. He started modifying his right away, but did he evidence any considerable "wear".

This car looks to be a nice one.