Hennessey, the sometimes-broke, always-crazy auto performance shop, has seemingly cracked the quarter-mile code with the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 by equipping the domestic supercar with its HPE1200 package. In doing so, the Chevy can now run the 1,320-feet stretch quicker than the almighty Dodge Challenger SRT Demon while pumping out nearly 500 horsepower over its stock numbers.
Hennessey’s HPE1200 ‘Vette trounces the quarter-mile in just 8.97 seconds at a speed of 156 miles per hour. To say the car’s supercharged V8 sounds violent would be an understatement, and a video uploaded to Youtube shows the driver being violently thrown back into his seat as the car launches.
The car can be seen getting a little squirrely before connecting for an epic run—that’s because Hennessey’s upgrades for the C7 ZR1 err on the edge of insanity. The company claims its kit will put down 1,200 horsepower and 1,066 pound-feet of torque on race gas but on 93 octane, the cars still manage a mountainous 1,100 horsepower.
Highlights of the HPE1200 package include an upsized supercharger, high-flow air induction system, an upgraded eight-speed gearbox, and all manner of Hennessey-branded performance parts. There’s even a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty to cover the madness.
8.97 @ 156 MPH 2019 ZR1 Corvette 1/4 Mile
Hennessey has a reputation for creating over-the-top upgrades for a wide variety of vehicles. The ZR1 kit is sold alongside the tuning firm’s 600-horsepower Lincoln Navigator upfit as well as 1,000-horsepower McLaren 600 LT supercars. Some of the more outlandish builds include 6×6 Ford Raptor pickup trucks as well as other jacked-up, Chevy Silverado-based brutes.
Hennessey hasn’t listed how much the HPE1200 kit actually costs for the ZR1, but some of the company’s other packages cost as much as $50,000.