The highly anticipated ZR1 Corvette was introduced in 1990 and became known as "The King of the Hill". It was to be the fastest ever Corvette with an approximate maximum speed of 180 mph, doing 0-60 in 4.2 seconds making it the quickest accelerating production car in the world. Everything in the car, including driveability, performance and the need to meet federal emission and mileage rules, is computer controlled. The ZR1 was the most expensive GM car ever made, but compared to other supercars of the time, it was comparatively cheap.

The thing that makes the ZR1 special is its engine, the LT5, designed by Lotus. The incredibly complex V8 all alloy engine was based on the standard Corvette engine configuration but was improved by the addition of four overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder, giving a grand total of 32 valves. The LT5 engine is boosted by its air intake system that can either take oxygen from a single narrow throttle valve or from a wide mouth intake depending on the pressure applied to the accelerator. The engines were manufactured and assembled by Mercury Marine.

The 1991 model has some design differences from the 1990 ZR1, including restyled rear exterior with four rectangular tail lights. Changes to the front consisted of wrap around parking, cornering and fog lights. Although they looked similar, the 1991 ZR1 had new door and rear body panels to accommodate the new, wider 11 inch rear wheels. The ZR1 in the Mathews Collection has only traveled a total of 825 miles.