Despite having been on the roads for over a year now, the newly mid-engined C8 generation of the Chevrolet Corvette still only offers a duo of entry-level trim packages. Delays related to the coronavirus pandemic may explain why GM hasn't unveiled supercharged, twin-turbocharged, or even hybrid C8 variants—meaning that owners of high-spec C7 Corvettes can proudly boast that their cars will demolish any stock C8 in terms of outright power.
As the automotive world anxiously awaits the rest of the C8 lineup, the aftermarket industry also works on upgrades (which may be slow to market due to troubles with the factory ECU) but the long list of packages available for Chevrolet's long-tenured C7 still remain an option for owners who feel the need for speed. And few of the packages on the market sound as wild as the HPE1000 upgrade available from Hennessey Performance, as proven by this new video posted to the company's YouTube channel.
Watch And Listen As The HPE1000 Z06 Blasts Around
The nine-minute clip gives a good look at a C7 Corvette that left the factory in Z06 trim and now features Hennessey's HPE1000 bolt-on mods. The car has left the shop and now gets a chance to blast around the Pennzoil Proving Grounds with Hennessey's Director of Research and Development, Jason Haines, behind the wheel to make sure all is hunky-dory before the 'Vette gets loaded up and shipped to the customer who ordered it.
Upgrades Included With The HPE1000 Package
Hennessey claims the HPE1000 package for the C7 Z06 boosts output up to 1,000 horsepower at 6,400 RPM and 966 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM, as measured at the crank. Those power figures should make possible a 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds on the way to a 9.7-second quarter mile at a trap speed of 147 miles per hour and a top speed over 220 mph. The heart of the upgrade comes in the form of a centrifugal supercharger system, a custom intake manifold, a custom camshaft, and all the complementary goodies like a fuel system upgrade, beefed-up internals, and a high-flow air-to-air intercooler.
Dyno-Proven Power Takes To The Streets
Hennessey always does a good job proving the firm's wild power claims by extensively documenting baseline and upgraded output via dyno testing. In this case, the Z06 in factory trim produced 579 horsepower and 626 lb-ft of torque at the wheels when factoring in driveline losses. Following the HPE1000 kit's installation, those figures jumped up to 903 horsepower and 731 lb-ft of torque—and the best part, without a doubt, is the sound as the screaming Corvette powers around during this test drive video.
Sources: youtube.com and hennesseyperformance.com.