The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the fastest and most powerful Corvette ever created. It has 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque on tap, and when used to its potential, it’s capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in a staggering 2.6 seconds. These numbers are more than enough to leave people breathless, but one tuning company isn’t impressed. Not one bit, actually. Welcome, then, to the world of Hennessey, where 755-horsepower cars are shrugged off in favor of tuned versions of the same car, dialed up to as much as 1,200 horsepower.

There’s nothing surprising or shocking about this because we’re talking about Hennessey. This is the same outfit that gave birth to the mental Venom GT. It’s also the same company that served up an even more monstrous follow-up in the Venom F5. Oh, and we can’t forget about its tuning programs. There’s been a lot of them. But now, it’s the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s turn in the spotlight, and in true Hennessey fashion, it doesn’t disappoint. Not by a long shot.

What makes the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 By Hennessey special

I’m not beating around the bush with this one. Actually, there’s no reason to, not when the facts are right in front of us. Hennessey has never been shy about showing off its wares, and it’s no different this time. The program for the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 comes in three stages, beginning with the HPE850 program.

The HPE850 program

This is Hennessey’s HPE850 program for the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. You’ll notice the significant amount of upgrades that a lot of work was put into turning the ZR1 into an all-conquering sports car. The sheer volume of new and updated components are staggering. The tuner added high-flow cylinder heads, an air induction system, and catalytic converters. In addition, the range of upgrades in the program includes new valve springs, exhaust valves, lifters, and pushrods. The headers even get changes of their own, specifically long-tube stainless steel types. But the most important element of this program is also the least conspicuous of all the new components. It’s the HPE engine management calibration, which is largely responsible for tuning the ZR1’s output to 850 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque. That kind of power bump helps the ‘Vette sprint fro 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds before blowing through a quarter-mile in just 10.3 seconds at 136 mph.

The HPE1000 Program

There’s something to be said for a mid-tier tuning program that already promises power levels in the four figures. That’s what we have here with Hennessey’s HPE1000 kit for the Corvette ZR1. You will notice that there are elements of this kit that are similar to what’s found in the HPE850 program. That’s by design because Hennessey wouldn’t waste its time and money working on a completely new program, only because it offers more power than the one below it.

So the usual suspect of upgrades stay. That includes the upgraded valve springs, intake, lifters, pushrods, and exhaust valves. It’s the same story with the new air induction system, the long-tube stainless steel headers, and catalytic converters. All these elements are found in both tuning kits.

The difference with the HPE1000 kit, though, is the addition of a few items, most prominently being the high-flow supercharger system. Take this particular element of the program, combine them with all the bits from the HPE850 kit, and you end up creating a program that can help the Corvette ZR1 achieve a staggering output of 1,000 horsepower and 966 pound-feet of torque. That allows the ZR1 to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds before slamming home a quarter-mile time of just 9.7 seconds at 147 mph. Top speed has also been rated at “more than” 220 mph.

The HPE1200 Program

Right now, it’s important to remember that when you’re driving a car that has 1,200 horsepower under its hood, even the slightest of movements can be enough to make the car uncontrollable. I feel like I should tell you that before introducing you to the monstrosity that is Hennessey’s HPE1200 program for the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

You’ll notice that most of its offerings are also similar to the ones that are available on the HPE850 and HPE1000 programs. Again, that’s not by accident. What’s different with the HP1200 program is that it moves beyond tuning the Corvette’s V-8 engine and adding a supercharger into the mix.

This upgrade actually starts off with increasing the displacement in the engine, from 6.2 liters to 7.0 liters. The physical transformation of the engine also leads to the inclusion of new components, including aluminium pistons, forged steel connecting rods, and ported cylinder heads. Throw in the usual cocktail of upgrades and you have a Corvette ZR1 that can unleash 1,200 horsepower and 1,066 pound-feet of torque, enough to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a pulse-pounding 2.2 seconds before covering a quarter-mile in just 9.2 seconds at 147 mph. In case those numbers aren’t bananas enough by themselves, this program also helps the Corvette ZR1 achieve a top speed in excess of 230 mph.

References

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Read our full review of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

Read our full review of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Convertible.

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