Merc-powered Corvette ZR-1 featured at Mercury Marine Museum

Chevy's LT5 engine was one of the most celebrated in Corvette history. In 1988 it generated 375 hp under the hood of the then-new ZR-1 from 5.7-liters of displacement. It wouldn't have been possible without Mercury Marine. The company celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, and opened up a brand new museum in Fond du Lac, Wisc., featuring an example of the American sports car with the Merc-built motor.

In 1985, GM decided to begin the new high-tech V8 engine program which would result in the LT5. The company put Lotus Engineering in charge of the project. Tony Rudd, Lotus' engineering director, promised 400 hp from the new engine, but GM wanted to make sure it stayed at 5.7 liters. After some back and forth between the two companies, the 375-hp LT5 was produced by Mercury's MerCruiser division in Stillwater, Okla.

By 1993 the LT5 was up to 405 hp with cam timing, engine porting, exhaust and intake changes. The engine was awarded the automaker's highest-quality certification: GP3 Level 1. It was the first GM engine to earn the honor.

The LT5-powered ZR-1 broke a world record at the Firestone test track in Fort Stockton, Texas, when a team of drivers, led by Tommy Morrison, broke the 24-hour endurance mark by almost 15 mph, averaging 175.9 mph over 4,221 miles. Two years later, a ZR-1 took the checkered flag in the 24-hour World Challenge race in Canada, with another coming in second.

Production of the LT5 ended in 1994 with bang. Seventy ZR-1 owners towed, shipped and drove their 'Vettes to Oklahoma to join “Thunder in Stillwater.” The cars were driven to Oklahoma State University and arranged on the football field to spell out LT5.

The Mercury Marine Museum traces the company's development from 1939 to the present, including the company's foray into non-marine products. If you go, be sure to check out the Merc-built LT5 and the ZR-1 it's housed in. Go to the Mercury Marine Museum website for more information.

By Jake Lingeman