Hennessey Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Cranked up to 1,000 hp and More
Seriously, how excited are you about the upcoming launch of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette? We sure are. There will be many reasons to love that car, and we’re very curious to see how much power and performance engineers can extract out of its new mid-engine configuration.
Now, consider what the tuning specialists at Hennessey have just done with the outgoing 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Building on its 755-horsepower, supercharged 6.2-litre LT5 V8 engine, they have created three separate engine upgrade kits that will blow the minds of wealthy enthusiasts—and most definitely disgust all those people who celebrated Earth Day yesterday.
- Also: Mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette to be Revealed on July 18
- Also: Five Things to Know About the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette
Let’s start with the “basic” HPE850 package, which adds a high-flow air induction system, long-tube headers and high-flow catalytic converters to produce 850 horsepower at the crankshaft along with 715 pound-feet of torque. Unlike the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon that boasted similar numbers, this modified Corvette ZR1 doesn’t require race fuel and instead runs on 93-octane gasoline.
It’s the same thing with the HPE1000 upgrade kit, which includes a custom HPE camshaft, tuned cylinder heads, valves, lifters and pushrods, plus additional engine management calibration. It also requires an upgrade to the eight-speed automatic transmission, but not the seven-speed manual. The result is 1,000 horsepower and 966 pound-feet of torque, according to Hennessey.
But why stop there? The HPE1200 package takes the Corvette ZR1 to the extremes with a ported factory supercharger, a high-flow throttle body and some pulley upgrades. It generates up to 1,200 horsepower and 1,066 pound-feet of torque using race fuel (1,100 hp with 93-octane gasoline).
In all three cases, Hennessey conducted dyno and real-world tests but did not provide any 0-100 km/h acceleration or quarter-mile times. Pricing info for these engine upgrade kits remains unspecified, as well, but for the record the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 starts at $138,595 in Canada before freight and delivery charges are applied.
