02/11/2008 09:57. The glory days of the Corvette have generally coincided with the availability of an alphanumeric soup of engine and equipment packages. Go back to the 1960s and early ’70s, and all sorts of near mythical combinations show up, with the LT1, L88, LS6, ZR-1 , and Z06 being the most notable. Contrast that with the Vette’s Dark Ages between the OPEC oil crisis and the introduction of the fourth-generation Corvette, the C4, in 1984, when the options lists were limited to some slightly more powerful engines and sportier suspensions.

The C4 and the subsequent C5 marked a return to form—and evocative alphanumerics associated with performance again appeared on the options lists. The 375-hp ZR-1 model debuted in 1990, though it was pricey—nearly double the sticker of a... // Car and Driver