The Chevrolet Yenko Camaro holds a special place in the heart of drag-strip fanatics from the 1960s, in part because of Yenko Chevrolet, the Pennsylvania-based dealership owned by racer Don Yenko that turned production Camaros into go-faster track-spec monsters. Fast forward to this year, though, and the Yenko nameplate is being revived on another performance-focused Chevrolet by New Jersey-based Specialty Vehicle Engineering. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Chevrolet Yenko Corvette.

What makes the Chevrolet Yenko Corvette so special?

You wouldn’t know it by looking at it from afar, but the Chevrolet Yenko Corvette isn’t what you’d consider a typical Chevrolet Corvette. Beneath that unmistakable ‘Vette body lies a monster that can do serious damage to any road it finds itself on. But before we take a deep dive into the Yenko ‘Vette’s guts, let’s take a look at all that aesthetic dressing. Specialty graphics are the common theme in the exterior of the sports car. You can see them everywhere, including the hood, the hood grille, roof, and the decklid spoiler. Depending on your taste, you can get these graphics in either Gloss Black, Flat Black, White, Hugger Orange, Silver, Red, Yellow, Gray, or Blue. All these color options are also available on the sYc side stripe graphics. Even the Corvette’s diffuser fins get in on the action with a Carbon Flash Metallic finish available to those who want to get one. The Yenko Crest badge on the rear fascia comes in Silver or Black Chrome, while the 1,000HP hood cowl and rear fascia badges can be dressed in either Chrome and Red or Black Chrome and Red.

Step inside the Yenko Corvette, and you’ll see similar cosmetic changes. None of these changes do anything as far as improving the sports car’s performance capabilities, but judging by how many Yenko logos are in it, they do present good reminders of the inspiration behind the project. Take the seat headrests and door panels, for example. Depending on the factory seat color, the sYc logo is finished in either Black or Gray. Fancy appliqué is also included in the interior dress-up, specifically in the steering wheel and the seat trim. And don’t forget about the premium floor mats with the Yenko crest embroidered in silver.

Finishing the vanity upgrades of the interior are two sections that will remind anybody who steps inside the Yenko Corvette about the car’s super exclusivity. Billet aluminum door sill plates are included with Yenko 1000HT Supercharged inscribed in it together with the car’s specific vehicle build number, which ranges from 1 to 25. If you don’t notice that, it’s hard to miss the power badge on the center console with the same identifier. And when you’re not near your car and you still want to show it off to your friends, you can bring out the either of the two key fobs you have. Both come with the same identifier, right down to the vehicle build number.

As fanciful as the exterior and interior upgrades are, the most important element of the Yenko Corvette is the two-stage engine upgrade. Before we get to that, it’s important to lay the groundwork on how the tuner was able to create this upgrade in the first place. The first and most important piece is the custom-built, 6.8-liter, supercharged, V-8 engine that is essentially a bored and stroked version of the Corvette Grand Sport’s own 6.2-liter V-8 mill. In order to create the kind of power and performance it needs, Specialty Vehicle Engineering added a race-quality forged 4340 steel crankshaft and H-beam rods, forged aluminum pistons, and CNC ported LT-4 cylinder heads with an ARP high-strength head, among others. A custom supercharger was also thrown in for good measure. It’s the same thing with the cast aluminum quad exhaust tips. You can get them in either brushed aluminum or black tip face.

The result, at least in its Stage 1 guise, is a sports car that develops a whopping 835 horsepower, enough to make rival cars weep in envy. If 835 ponies aren’t enough for you, there’s an option to really go for broke with a full-on Stage II kit that brings the Corvette’s output to a staggering 1,000 horsepower and 835 pound-feet of torque.

In addition to the massive increase in power, the Stage II kit also comes with exclusive options of its own. This includes a Z06-style Ground Effects Package with a front splitter and side rocker panels painted in Carbon Flash Metallic, a Z06 clear Wickerbill adjustable spoiler center, a painted supercharger, painted brake calipers to match stripes or body color, and a black powder coated wheel finish with painted wheel stripes

Specialty Vehicle Engineering only plans to release 25 units of the Yenko Corvette, all of which will be available through certified General Motors dealers. The Stage II Corvette will set you back $68,995, and that’s without the donor car — a Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport —that costs around $65,000 to $70,000 by itself. Opt for the automatic version and the package’s price increases to $77,995.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

Read our full review of the 2014 - 2017 Corvette Stingray

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