The blown V8 in the seventh-generation Corvette Z06 is thoroughly impressive from the factory, but Hennessey Performance Engineering can take it to the next level with the HPE1000 package. As the headline implies, the go-faster company can improve the LT4 engine to 1,000 horsepower and a staggering 966 pound-feet (1,310 Nm) of torque.
Jason Haynes, the director of research and development at Hennessey, describes the no-nonsense tuning package as an expletive for obvious reasons. From the intoxicating exhaust note at idle to the supercharger’s whine at wide-open throttle, the HPE1000 Z06 isn’t for the faint of heart.
As opposed to a positive-displacement blower, Hennessey utilizes a centrifugal unit with a larger displacement for bigger output numbers and a more linear boost curve. By keeping the boost going throughout the RPM range, the HPE1000 hits 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 2.5 seconds and runs the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds at 147 mph (237 kph).
Top speed? Hennessey Performance Engineering says that it’s 220-plus miles per hour (354 kilometers per hour), which is utterly mad compared to Chevrolet’s estimate of 185 mph (298 kph). What’s more, every single build is covered by a two-year/24,000-mile warranty, whichever comes first.
In addition to a centrifugal supercharger, the HPE1000 further rocks a hotter camshaft, a fabricated intake manifold, long-tube headers made from stainless steel, ported cylinder heads, auxiliary fuel system upgrade, better valve springs and retainers, intake valves, exhaust valves, lifters, and pushrods. The list continues with high-flow catalytic converters, high-flow intercooling, stainless mid-pipes for the exhaust, TCM software, engine management calibration, and all the necessary gaskets and fluids.
Being a 1,000-horsepower bat out of hell, the Hennessey-tuned Corvette Z06 always reminds the owner that it’s a special car with the help of two serialized plaques: one for the dashboard, and the other for the engine compartment. As for the finishing details, every HPE1000 is topped by Hennessey-branded premium floormats and the company’s name on exterior emblems.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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