Car Of The Day: October 27, 2010

Today's car of the day is Johnny Lightning's 1993 Chevrolet Corvette.

The Chevrolet Corvette (fourth generation-C4) is a sports car produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1984 through 1996 model years. The editors of Consumer Guide stated: "The first fully redesigned Corvette in 15 years was more sophisticated and more practical than the beloved Shark. And like previous generations, the new C4 only got better in time." The convertible returned, as did higher performing engines, exemplified by the 405 hp (302 kW) LT5 found in the ZR-1. In early March 1990, The ZR-1 would set a new record for the highest 24 hour-5,000 mile land-speed by going over 175 mph (282 km/h). Though prices inevitably rose even as sales declined, the C4 won its own loyal following as one of the world's most desirable sports cars. The last C4 was produced on June 20, 1996.

For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Chevrolet Corvette

This is a replica of a real car with the Beat The Heat program, as driven by Sgt. Jim Butler (ret) of the St. Albans, West Virginia police department.  I was able to see this car in person (and speak with its owner) at LightningFest '10.  Great guy, and a great program!

In 1991, the ZR-1 and base model received updates to body work, interior, and wheels. The rear convex fascia that set the 1990 ZR-1 apart from the base model found its way to all models, making the high-priced ZR-1 even less distinguishable. Further changes were made in 1992, including extra ZR-1 badges on the fenders and the introduction of Acceleration Slip Regulation (ASR) or traction control. For model year 1993, Lotus design modifications were made to the cylinder heads, exhaust system and valvetrain of the LT5, bringing horsepower up to 405. In addition, a new exhaust gas recirculation system improved emissions control. The model remained nearly unchanged into the 1995 model year, after which the ZR-1 was discontinued as the result of waning interest, development of the LS series engines, cost and the coming of the C5 generation. A total of 6,939 ZR-1s were manufactured over the six year period. Not until the debut of the C5 platform Z06 would Chevrolet have another production Corvette capable of matching the ZR-1's performance.

I highly recommend checking out the Beat The Heat website: Beat The Heat