Automotive

Hennessey is ready to build you a 1,200-horsepower C8 Corvette Stingray

Hennessey is ready to build you a 1,200-horsepower C8 Corvette Stingray
Hennessey's customers have spoken: "give us more power," say the customers
Hennessey's customers have spoken: "give us more power," say the customers
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A range of upgrade options can take your new C8 up to 1,200 horsepower
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A range of upgrade options can take your new C8 up to 1,200 horsepower
The top option: a specially built LT2 V8 with upgraded internals
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The top option: a specially built LT2 V8 with upgraded internals
Hennessey always stands ready to step in when a lot ain't enough
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Hennessey always stands ready to step in when a lot ain't enough
Hennessey's customers have spoken: "give us more power," say the customers
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Hennessey's customers have spoken: "give us more power," say the customers
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Corvette's new mid-engined C8 Stingray is already a hell of a package: supercar looks and performance on a sports car budget. But to some folks, an affordable starting point just means there's more left in the kitty for vastly excessive performance upgrades, and if you wanna go big, you've gotta head to Texas.

Hennessey Performance, best known for its vicious Venom hypercar series, is one of America's greatest tuning shops, turning out big horsepower upgrades in bulk, and the company has just announced its plans for the C8 Corvette Stingray, after putting out an online survey for C8 owners to fill out. "The customers are telling us what they want," says founder John Hennessey, "and big surprise – they want more power!"

Where the stock car will make a very healthy 495 hp, Hennessey plans to offer several opportunities to bump the thing skyward. At the lowest end, you'll be able to get a very modest gain by turfing out the standard exhaust for a stainless steel Hennessey design that'll also make the car sound fruitier.

The next level will introduce forced induction, with a supercharger upgrade that should make the C8 good for around 700 hp. This will become available as soon as there's a computer tuning tool on the market that can talk to the C8.

The top option: a specially built LT2 V8 with upgraded internals
The top option: a specially built LT2 V8 with upgraded internals

But for seriously sick puppies, Hennessey will offer a specially built LT2 V8 with forged pistons and rods, upgraded internals, and a pair of massive snails. This twin-turbo beast will make a hideous 1,200 hp, necessitating an "upgraded and fortified" dual-clutch transmission. It'll be interesting to see which part of the car breaks next when that kind of power is put through it.

There will also be a selection of fancy-Nancy CarbonAero bodywork to choose from, including splitters, air dams and carbon rear wings, as well as chassis packages that include Penske suspension, wheel and tire options, and a full Brembo braking setup. Steer clear of that last one, folks, brakes make you go slow.

Source: Hennessey Performance

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4 comments
4 comments
Theodore41
And all these 1200 with RWD only?
buzzclick
Aesthetically, the flag logos on the sides of the rear spoiler are a bit tacky if not over-patriotic, but it's good to see an improvement of the breed. Price tag? Reading this gave me a cartoon vision of this C8, with all its Hennessey performance boosts, taking off from a standing start and making the asphalt bunch up like a carpet.
WB
1200hp with rear wheel drive...well good luck with that..u probably can't use half of the HP in most of the usual speed ranges
WONKY KLERKY
Sirs, I thoroughly endorse your learned comments above on which bit(s) are likely to break first on the receipt of Bugatti level power - ? I do suggest it will most probably be wotever the bloody thing hits as soon as it is pointed into a corner.