Although Hennessey Performance says that the HPE600 upgrade offers a steady 600 horsepower at 6,200 rpm, the modified Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 that hits the dyno in the video below develops 636 ponies and 545 lb-ft (739 Nm) at the flywheel.
Those are very impressive figures for a car that hasn't been souped up with a turbo or a supercharger kit. Keep in mind that the stock 2014 model year Camaro Z/28 is rated only 505 horsepower and 481 lb-ft (652 Nm) and it's faster than a Nissan GT-R on a circuit.
If you're a rear wheel horsepower kind of muscle car enthusiast, then the following numbers are certain to float your boat: 552 horses and 474 lb-ft (642 Nm) of torque. And those figures left us wondering if the tuned Z/28 can do 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in the low three-second range. With all the driver aids off it certainly can't, but maybe the traction control system can handle that sort of power hike for a clean and fast start off the line.
Wishful thinking aside, how did Hennessey squeeze over 100 horsepower from the 7-liter normally aspirated V8 without using forced induction? Some highlight modifications include a custom camshaft and valvetrain parts, CNC ported heads, Red Line WaterWetter cooling additive and an updated ECU.
Including the carbon fiber detailing and special plaques, the HPE600 comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty, which is reassuring to say the least. Curious about how the added grunt along with the stainless steel longtube headers sound on the dyno? Then play the video below at maximum volume.
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
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News