Black Widow C4 ZR1 from the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans

Memorable Le Man Race

To many motorsport enthusiasts, the 1995 24 Hours of LeMans race is memorable for the McLaren F1's mind-boggling victory. For hardcore Corvette racing fans, though, this race was one to remember for more reasons than one. And that came in the form of this Doug Rippie Motorsports ZR1 race car, which is now up for sale by Hagerty. 

Photos: Hagerty

Noteworthy Performance

Although the amazing run of this particular privateer campaigned C4 Corvette came to an utterly disappointing stop at the 22nd hour of the race, it still maintains a place in history for its noteworthy representation of American engineering. The Black Widow-powered racer has to be one of, it not the most desirable Corvette race cars of the era. 

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Tons of Potential

Having turned his favorite hobby into a full-on racing organization, Doug Rippie saw a path to success when Chevrolet came out with the mighty C4 ZR1 in 1990. The best part of the Corvette from the factory was its capable motor. The 5.7-liter quad-cam 32-valve V8 presented the perfect starting point for Rippie's race car project. 

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Birth of the Black Widow

Picking up where the brilliant Corvette engineering team and Lotus had left off with the LT5 motor, Rippie's team were able to unlock even more power from the V8, thus creating the DRZ500, nicknamed 'Black Widow.' Distinguishable by the black-painted valve covers, a few different variations of the tuned LT5 were sold, ranging from 405 to 525 horsepower. 

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International Competition

Having found success in the Corvette Challenge, Rippie knew he wanted to take things to the next level, participating in international competitions with the ZR1. The original chassis Corvette was provided to DRM by Chevrolet, and the racing team went to work enhancing every aspect of the sports car, with the 525-horsepower Black Widow as the centerpiece.

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For Sale

Enthusiastic about having more Corvettes on the grid, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest allowed DRM to skip pre-qualifying. The Black Widow C4 wasn't the Corvette in the competition, but it was undoubtedly the most noteworthy. All these years later, one lucky racing fan will have the opportunity to own this C4, now with a rebuilt motor, restored suspension, and original livery. The only variance from the original car is the transmission, where a G-Force unit replaces the Weisman 5-speed.

>>Join the conversation about the Black Widow ZR1 C4 right here in LS1Tech Forum!

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