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McLellan and his team
had set up. That testing included dyno time, extensive testing in hot and cold environments and clandestine racing to shake out the bugs and prove the LT5's reliability. This new engine was destined to be part of a special option package designated ZR1. The body was built at the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, KY and the engine was hand-assembled in a special facility at Mercury Marine's headquarters in Stillwater, OK. The engines were then shipped to Bowling Green for installation. As Dave McLellan observed to the press in 1989, "the ZR1 is Corvette…only more so!

     Although originally slated for introduction in 1989, the ZR1 was held up until the 1990 model year. The rear of the ZR1 was wider by
      three inches than the standard Corvette to accommodate the
                  massive 315/35 rear tires and, aside from the location of
                              the CHMSL (Center High Mount Stop Light),
                                    there was virtually no difference between the
                                     two models. Some buyers of the $27,000
                                     option felt that for the money the ZR1