The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1 was unveiled just last month at the Dubai Motor Show. This reveal was a big one in that the ZR1 is basically a supercar that highly demonstrates the renown legacy of the Corvette. The difference is that this model features the highest power numbers, most advanced tech features, and best track performance of any Corvette yet.
“I’ve never driven a Corvette like this before, and nobody else has either, because there’s never been one like this before,” said Mark Reuss, executive vice president, global product development, purchasing and supply chain. “Its unprecedented performance puts all other global supercars on notice that the ZR1 is back.”
It seems as though Hennessey Performance began plotting ways to pull more power from it as soon as the wrap came off. After all, Hennessey proclaims that it has spent the last 25 years “making fast cars faster.” The Texas-based company gives a new meaning to the phrase, “everything is bigger in Texas.” The tuner has announced plans for three upgrade packages for the new ‘Vette: the HPE850, the HPE1000 and the incredible HPE1200. As you may assume from the numerical names, each package is more powerful than the previous.
The least powerful, and I say this lightly, HPE850 will produce an extra 95-horsepower over the stock version with an output of 850 horses. With this kit, buyers will receive an intake, upgraded valve springs, new pushrods and lifters, modified lower pulley and high-flow cylinder heads. The HPE1000 includes most of the same equipment upgrades as the HPE850, but with a new supercharger to reach that 1,000-horsepower mark.
The greatest of them all, the HPE1200, features a slew of upgrades that result in a mind-blowing 1,200-hp output with 1,066 pound-feet of torque. The stock 6.0-liter supercharged V8 gets swapped out with a supercharged 7.0-liter V8. The culmination of these upgrades results in a 2.2-second zero to 60 mph time, a 9.2-second quarter-mile time, and a top speed of more than 230 mph. The kit includes a long list of upgrades that include long-tube headers, high-flow cats, custom crankshaft and custom aluminum pistons. The HPE1200 package includes Hennessey exterior badging, serial-numbered dash and plaques, as well as a one-year, 12,000-mile limited warranty.
The 2019 Corvette ZR1 will go on sale in spring 2018. The king is ready to take on the world’s best and prove itself as the fastest, most powerful Corvette ever produced.