The new C8 Corvette has been on the streets making its owners happy as can be, while anyone who was waiting for a higher-spec Corvette may have to wait a while due to coronavirus-related delays. In the meantime, Hennessey Performance has promised a twin-turbocharged C8 which has not fully materialized—but the company wants everyone to know they're still working on the rest of their lineup. The latest piece of marketing from Hennessey confirms just that, showing a happy customer receiving his heavily modified C7-generation Chevrolet Corvette and being taken for a test drive to experience first-hand its newfound power.
Under The Hood
This customer, a Mr. Kimmel (but not THAT Mr. Kimmel), ordered himself an HPE850 upgrade package for this C7 Corvette ZR1. From the factory, the car was equipped with a supercharged LT5 V8 producing 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque. With Hennessey's upgrades, it now produces a dyno-verified 850 horsepower at 6,300 RPM and 850 lb-ft of twist at 4,300 RPM. The latter figure is a slight improvement over the factory's peak torque of 4,400 RPM, suggesting that the HPE850-equipped cars should have a bit of a better powerband, as well.
Put On A Happy Face
Mr. Kimmel's face tells it all in the still above. And he should be happy, having received a massive power bump thanks to the installation of a high-flow air intake setup, headers, midpipes, and cats. And with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty on the work, he doesn't have to worry about blowing out the powerplant any time soon.
But as great as this C7 now sounds, what truly stands out is that Hennessey also offers up to an HPE1200 package with almost double the output of the factory C7. As great as a mid-engined C8 might seem, with only 495 horsepower on tap, most owners are going to get blown away.
Sources: Youtube, Hennesseyperformance