Who Cares About the 670-HP C8 Corvette Z06 When You Can Watch a 1,008-HP C7 Z06?

After the initial Stingray reveal of the mid-engined eighth generation, the second version packs an all-new 5.5-liter V8 rocking 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft (624 Nm). The mill, nicknamed LT6 to keep with tradition, is a flat-plane crankshaft affair, just like on certain foreign supercars, and has even shamed the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series' M159 engine when it became the most powerful naturally aspirated series-production V8. The Corvette Z06 is also much cheaper than the Merc' as its starting MSRP is 'just' $105,300.

But here is the thing – you can never satisfy everyone. Some will love the zero to 60 mph (96 kph) sprint in 2.6 seconds, while others will lament that they need to rev the V8 to 8,400 rpm to unleash all ponies and to 6,300 rpm for the max torque figure. Others will prize the 1.22 Gs of lateral acceleration, of course. At the same time, some will think the aforementioned torque is too small for its supercar-killing aspirations or that the purist V8 feel was cut short by the lack of a stick shift alternative to the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

However, as always, there are solutions to such puzzles. For instance, the C7 Corvette Z06 predecessor is still around town if you are willing to pony up the price of aftermarket upgrades, even if production ended some time ago. And there is no need to take our word for granted as we have an eloquent example from the Texas gurus of crazy performance upgrades – Hennessey Performance Engineering. They recently set out to thrill our senses with an Admiral Blue C7 Chevy Corvette Z06 featuring the beloved manual transmission. And, boy, did they accomplish that and more!

Of course, the C7 Z06 was not running around the Pennzoil Proving Grounds in stock form but also featured the HPE1000 package. The LT4 engine resolves most of the conundrums because it is supercharged, so there is plenty of torque from low revolutions. Additionally, the HPE1000 package brings no less than 1,008 ponies to the table, along with 966 lb-ft of mountain-moving torque, which is 1,310 units if you like Newton meters instead.

Sure, some will say that it is an 'old' sports car. But, come on, the list of upgrades – which includes a centrifugal supercharger system, a fabricated intake manifold, a custom HPE camshaft, long-tube stainless steel headers, ported cylinder heads, an auxiliary fuel system upgrade, uprated valve springs, and retainers, plus upgraded intake valves, exhaust valves, lifters, and pushrods, is probably going to make sure this monster will stand out in any crowd for years to come. And, before you decide, take Hennessey's advice – watch the video embedded below with the volume (way) up!