Problematic historical references aside, the SS badge means something to Chevrolet fans. But before the big Bow Tie rolled out the latest Camaro SS, Impala SS, or Cobalt SS, it offered a different badge entirely: the Chevrolet Lumina Z34.
Granted, you won’t find a muscle-bound, naturally aspirated V8 under the oft-forgotten Z34’s hood. You definitely won’t find a supercharged 6.2-Liter V8 like you would under the aggressive hood of a sixth-generation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. What you will find, however, is an important chapter in Chevy performance and the nameplate that paved the way for the SS lineup.
The Chevrolet Lumina Z34 Walked So The Chevy SS Lineup Could Run
In the mid-1980s, Ford rolled out the Taurus. The bovine-named Ford was an instant success, and Chevrolet was left without a direct competitor, not unlike the initial Mustang and Camaro sales feud of the 1960s. So, General Motors took the fight to Ford in the mid-to-late 1980s with the W-platform, also known as the GM10.
As part of GM’s front-wheel-drive cross-brand initiative, Chevrolet debuted the Lumina. Unfortunately for Chevy, the Lumina didn’t siphon off much of the Taurus’s sales success. What it did do was allow Chevrolet to make a performance nameplate in the 1991 Chevrolet Lumina Z34. Sure, while the Z34 didn’t pack a lumpy, pushrod V8 in typical Chevy muscle car fashion, it certainly wasn’t a slouch.
V6 Performance From The 90s
Under the hood, the Chevrolet Lumina Z34 packs a 60-degree 3.4L LQ1 DOHC V6. As for output, a Z34-equipped Lumina produced 210 horsepower and 215 lb-ft of torque on pump gas. Though power drops to 200 with the optional four-speed auto. It’s commendable, but not quite enough to contend with some of its closest competition from the day.
Take the Ford Taurus SHO, the natural rival of the Lumina Z34. In 1991, the frothing Ford Taurus variant produced 220 horsepower, outmuscling Chevrolet’s fun FWD family car by 10 ponies. The news is even worse with a look at Dodge’s contender, the Spirit R/T, and its 224-horsepower turbocharged 2.2-Liter four banger.
In a 1991 comparison between the Lumina Z34, the Taurus SHO, and the Spirit R/T, Car and Driver gave the Chevrolet second place, just behind the Taurus SHO and ahead of the Dodge. During testing, evaluators managed to motivate the Lumina Z34 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds on the way to a 15.5-second quarter mile. See? No slouch, indeed.
Performance Specs
|
Engine |
LQ1 3.4-Liter DOHC naturally aspirated V6 |
|
Horsepower |
210 HP at 5,200 RPM |
|
Torque |
215 LB-FT at 4,000 RPM |
|
Redline |
Approx. 7,000 RPM |
|
Compression ratio |
9.5:1 |
|
0-60 mph |
7.1 seconds (manual) |
|
¼ mile |
15.5 seconds at 90 mph (manual) |
More Than A Standard Lumina
The Chevrolet Lumina Z34 ran from 1991 to 1994, bowing out just before Chevy updated the Lumina for a second generation. That said, the Z34 was far from just a rebadged Lumina. In addition to the LQ1 engine, the coupe-only Z34 package stiffened things with a FE3 suspension upgrade.
That means fully independent rear suspension and MacPherson struts with an anti-roll bar up front. The Lumina Z34 also added sportiness to the family car formula with standard dual exhaust, a feature you wouldn’t find on a standard Lumina.
A Spicy (And Manual) Take On A Forgettable 1990s Chevy
Good news for the drivers who prefer to shift themselves: the Chevrolet Lumina Z34 came standard with a five-speed Getrag 284 manual transmission. That made the Lumina Z34 less of a soulless, point-and-shoot family hauler and more of a joyful drive.
Of course, the Z34 didn’t mandate a manual transmission for every unit. Buyers could also opt for a four-speed automatic transmission instead of the five-speed manual. Internet Chevrolet super fans hypothesize that Chevrolet produced around 46,000 Luminas with the Z34 package, most of which packed the four-speed automatic gearbox.
Let Down By A Dated Interior
Regardless of transmission choice, the shifter resides on the floor instead of the steering column. The rest of the interior, however, isn’t much to behold. Chevrolet obviously attempted to create a modern aesthetic in the Z34’s cockpit, but hit a point of diminishing return with the effort.
The gauges reside in a bizarrely shaped gap that spans the length of the dashboard. What’s more, the steering wheel uses a three-spoke, odd shape, calling to mind the quirky wheel in a C4 Corvette of the day. All in all, the Lumina Z34 would have benefited from a simplified cockpit, like that of the comparable Taurus SHO.
An Affordable Classic Chevy Performance Coupe
When the Chevrolet Lumina Z34 debuted for the 1991 model year, it had a starting price of around $22,071. Today, however, you can have a Lumina Z34 for quite a bit less. According to Classic.com, the average sales price of a Z34 is roughly $6,000. Prices depend on factors like mileage, condition, and title status. Still, even low-mileage examples are quite affordable.
You Don’t Have To Pay Much To Play With The Lumina Z34
Don’t believe us? A glance at past auctions confirms that the Lumina Z34 can be had for well under $10,000. For instance, a 1992 Chevrolet Lumina Z34 with 58,000 indicated miles sold earlier this year on Bring a Trailer. That example netted just $6,100 at auction, further solidifying the Lumina Z34 as a ’90s performance bargain.
But if the Lumina Z34 is a bit too vanilla for you, the coveted Dale Earnhardt Limited Edition doesn’t sell for too terribly much more. A 1992 Chevrolet Lumina Z34 Dale Earnhardt Limited Edition with just 17,000 miles on its odometer sold for $11,500 in a 2022 auction.
No Lumina Z34, No Future SS models
Most importantly, the Chevrolet Lumina Z34’s run from 1991 to 1994 laid the framework for the Chevy SS cars to come. Although the Chevrolet Monte Carlo replaced the two-door Lumina in 1995, the V6-powered Z34 coupe is a spiritual predecessor to SS-badged fan favorites like the square-bodied Monte Carlo SS of the mid-2000s, the fifth and sixth-generation Camaro SS, and the short-lived, Holden-based Chevy SS.