2001
Chevrolet Corvette Restoration Kit
Almost 40 years later, those words could be used without alteration to describe the target that today's
Corvette Team aimed for
in
the development
of
the 2001 Z06.
Another Corvette Legend: The 1971 LS6
The LS6 engine RPO has been offered once before
in
Corvette history, but only
for
one model year
(1971). With 454 cubic inches (7.4
liters), a cast-iron "big-block" and aluminum heads, the first LS6 was
second only to the full-blown L88 racing engine offered from 1967 through 1969 -
in
terms
of
both power
and legend.
The original LS6 produced 425 bhp (gross) and was the most powerful engine offered
in
1971. Only 188
cars were produced with this powerplant, less than one-percent
of
Corvette's
21
,801-production run for
the year. The option price was
$1,221.00,
or
22-percent
of
the coupe's $5,496.00 base price.
When tested by a
leading automotive magazine, an LS6 with a four-speed manual and a 3.36:1 limited-
slip
differential produced the following numbers:
o to 60 mph: 5.3 seconds
Quarter-mile: 13.8 seconds@105 mph
Fuel economy: 9-14 mpg
Also
in
1971 a ZR2 package was offered. It was priced at $1,747.00 and included the LS6, a heavy-duty,
close-ratio four-speed
manual transmission, heavy-duty power brakes, transistorized ignition, lightweight
aluminum radiator, special springs, shocks, and front and rear stabilizer bars. A total
of
only 12 ZR2-
equipped Corvettes were produced, making them even rarer than the Z06 models
referenced earlier.
Because
of
what they've accomplished with the
new
Z06 and LS6, today's Corvette Team members are
sure that somewhere
Zora Arkus-Duntov is smiling.
National Corvette Museum
Corvette is one
of
the
few
cars
in
the world to have a museum created
in
its honor
by
its customers and
fans, and a spectacular creation it is.
The
National Corvette Museum(NCM) is located
in
Bowling Green, Kentucky, right across the street from
the Corvette
assembly plant. Corvette fans can tour both facilities
in
a day, getting a full appreciation for
Corvette
old and new, and for the men and women that have lovingly worked over the years to make it
America's favorite sports car. For more information, call 1-800-538-3883 (1-800-53-VETTE)
or
visit
www.corvettemuseum.com.
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