Since Chevrolet introduced it for the 2016 model year, Hennessey Performance Engineering has tuned the sixth-gen Camaro from mild to wild. The most low-key upgrade is the HPE650 package for the SS, and at the other end of the spectrum, there’s the mighty Resurrection ZL1 1LE.
Presented at the 2019 SEMA Show, this package follows in the footsteps of the Exorcist ZL1 with a more potent engine. As you can tell from the following clip, which stars the final example of the Resurrection out of a total of 24 units, Hennessey Performance Engineering yanks out the 650-horsepower LT4 in favor of the 755-horsepower LT5 from the seventh-generation Corvette ZR1. The small-block lump, however, isn’t left stock.
High-flow induction, a CNC-milled billet throttle body, a ported supercharger, better cooling, ported heads, a hotter camshaft, valvetrain upgrades, high-flow catalytic converters, and long-tube headers are featured. Those are joined by an upgraded fuel system that uses E85 biofuel and more aggressive engine management for a mind-bending 1,200 horsepower. Each build costs $200,000 at the very least, and Resurrection number 24 is a little more exquisite because it uses a fully-built 416 (6.8L) stroker V8.
Shop manager Jerry Dellaportas further talks us through a race gas-only fuel system with three fuel pumps, an LT5 blower, and a triple-disc clutch for the six-speed manual transmission. After mating the powertrain to the chassis, the Resurrection then hits the dyno, where it lays down 1,007 wheel horsepower and 928 pound-feet (1,258 Nm) of torque.
“A freak version of the Exorcist,” according to Dellaportas, the Resurrection then heads out for track testing where it sounds like it means business on the wide-open throttle. After driving it for a few miles, the shop manager comes to the conclusion that “this car could benefit from a different set of tires.”
Truth be told, Goodyear doesn’t make the best high-performance rubber out there. Dodge, for example, uses Nitto NT05R drag radials for the Challenger SRT Super Stock, while the flat-plane crankshaft V8-engined C8 Corvette Z06 features 345/25 by 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber out back.
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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