When we’re talking about Chevrolet, there’s arguably no car more iconic than the Corvette. Sure, the Camaro is a great muscle car, which deserves its own time in the spotlight. However, it can be argued that the Corvette is much sleeker.
Some argue that the Corvette is also a muscle car while others maintain that it’s strictly a sports car. Whatever the case, we think the Corvette, also affectionately called the Vette, is a beautiful performance vehicle capable of delivering serious horsepower. As a matter of fact, we'll take a look at some of the most powerful Corvettes ever produced.
10 1963 Corvette L84
The 1963 Corvette came with several engine options. According to the Corvette Museum, the base engine was a V8 that delivered 250 horsepower. Meanwhile, there was also the L84 that uses a V8 engine that produced 360 horsepower and 352 pound-feet of torque.
Today, it’s still possible to own your very own 1963 Vette, but it comes at a price. In fact, earlier this year, there was a Hemings Find 1963 Vette split window restomod that came with a price tag of $299,999. Meanwhile, there was another Hemmings Find 1963 Vette split-window restomod with an upgraded output of 816 horses.
9 1990 Corvette ZR1
The ZR1 is a trim that Corvette has always associated with power and performance. In fact, Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellan even told Car and Driver, “The ZR1 makes the statement that we can do things today that no one even dreamed could be done ten or twenty years ago.”
For the 1990 model year, you will find an LT5 option where the car’s V8 engine can produce up to 380 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 370 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. The car reportedly goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.
8 2002 Corvette Z06
The 2002 Corvette Z06 offers enough thrill for an open road. Under the hood, you’re looking at a V8 engine that delivers a cool 405 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 400 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm. Tests conducted by Motor Trend reveal that the car can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.07 seconds.
In addition, it can cover a quarter-mile distance in 12.48 seconds at a speed of 114.9 mph. Meanwhile, you can watch the 2002 Chevy Corvette in action as it hits 228 mph on an airstrip.
7 1966 Corvette L72
When Chevy rolled out the 1966 Vettes, it came with two V8 engines and four order codes. The 1966 Corvette Standard and the L79 trims both used the 327 V8, delivering 300 and 350 horsepower, respectively. Meanwhile, there was also an available L36 trim, which utilized a 427 V8 that delivers 390 horsepower.
For true gearheads though, this was nothing compared to the L72. While the car also used a 427 V8, this one has an output of 425 horses at 5,600 rpm and 460 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm.
6 1967 Corvette L88
Compared to the previous Corvette models, this one is all business. For the 1967 Corvette L88, General Motors had the brilliant idea of using a modified version of Chevy’s 427 V8. The result is a factory-rated output of 435 horsepower. As it turns out, however, this was just a modest estimate.
According to Car and Driver, the car's actual power output is around 540 to 580 horsepower. That meant the L88 can go down a quarter-mile in about 11 seconds. Meanwhile, a 1967 Corvette L88 was also bored and stroked to crank out 550 horses.
5 2009 Corvette ZR1
It was only a matter of time before Chevy would introduce a much more powerful Vette and the 2009 ZR1 is certainly every gearhead’s dream come true. Under the hood, you’re looking at a 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 V8 engine that cranks out 638 horses.
Moreover, Chevy also says that the car boasts of an “exceptional” power-to-weight ratio. In a press release, Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper also said that this ZR1 is “better than the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 and even the Lamborghini LP640” in this regard.
4 2018 Corvette Z06
If you think you need a Corvette with more power, you can also check out the 2018 Corvette Z06 that tops the 2009 ZR1’s specs effortlessly. This Vette uses a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 LT4 engine that delivers 650 horses at 6,500 rpm and 650 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm.
According to a press release, a Z07 package can enable this Vette to go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.95 seconds. Meanwhile, if you’re after a newer Corvette Z06, you may be interested to check out what we know so far about the 2022 Corvette Z06.
3 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
At the moment, the 2019 Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful Vette that Chevy has ever built. As Mark Reuss, the company’s executive vice president for Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, puts it in a press statement, “There’s never been one like this before…”
Under the hood, you’re looking at a 6.2-liter V8 LT5 engine designed with a more efficient intercooled supercharger system. The result is a power unit that cranks out a mean 755 horses at 6,300 rpm and 715 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
2 Hennessey 2019 Corvette ZR1 HPE1000
If you think the 2019 Corvette ZR1 is already impressive, just watch what happens when it gets the Hennessey Performance Engineering treatment. When you equip this Vette with Hennessey’s HPE1000 package, you get an upgraded output of 1,000 brake horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 966 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm.
The car reportedly goes from 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds. The package also comes with a high-flow air induction system, Hennessey lower power pulley upgrade, stainless steel mid-pipes, long-tube stainless steel headers, and high-flow catalytic converters among others.
1 Hennessey 2019 Corvette ZR1 HPE1200
No, Hennessey Performance Engineering isn’t done with the 2019 Vette ZR1 just yet. If you want the upgrade of all upgrades, you should opt for the Hennessey HPE1200 package. This option increases the 2019 ZR1’s output to a whopping 1,200 brake horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 1,066 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm.
It also comes with upgraded trunnion bearings, intake valves, exhaust valves, lifters, pushrods, valve springs, and retainers. You also get a custom HPE camshaft. Just keep in mind that this package also requires race gas.