Hotcars.com Details Chevy Corvette ZR1 Upgrade From Hennessey Flaunting 1,200 Horsepower

The article featured this week from Hotcars.com about the new upgrade for the Corvette ZR1 from Hennessey begins with the short list of cars that have 1,200 horsepower. The world's fastest is the Koenigsegg Agera RS, which boasts a startling 1,341 hp when running on race-grade fuel. Then there's also the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, the world's fastest car previously with its 1,200 horsepower and 1,100 lb-ft of torque. Hennessey even has their very own Venom GT, touting bragging rights to 1,244 horsepower, and what many in our circles here at West Chevy and beyond regard unofficially as the fastest-accelerating car on Earth.

Any Chevy fan should be absolutely thinking twice at the possibility of picking up something this fast at their local Chevy dealer for just a fraction of the price, and with the Hennessey 1,200 horsepower upgrade package for the C7-Generation ZR1, it's possible. This means of making a Corvette a hypercar is cause to celebrate: any chance at all of getting to 1,200 horses is a longshot in the beginning during the drawing board stage, and the list of duties to achieve success was long.

Hennessey had to take on upgrading the supercharger, acquiring an entirely new throttle body, upgrade both lower and upper pulleys, make a custom camshaft, port the cylinder's heads, upgrade valves, springs, and retainers, as well as get stronger pushrods to appropriately take on all that power. Midpipes, stainless steel headers, and a brand new catalytic converter are also all part of the package. Very detailed dyno and testing, a strengthened 8-speed transmission, and ECU upgrades are also part of this very high-achieving tweak, and most professionals are assuming that E85 fuel is what's needed, since 93 octane seems to top out at 1,100 hp. Unique Hennessey badging, serialized plaques and floor mats are all included as well, on top of a 3-year, 36,000-mile warranty.

You can check out all of the fine details here on the official Hennessey website, where there are also some amazing pictures of the ZR1 in performance mode at dusk. If you happen to have the 7-speed manual, the transmission does not require an upgrade, and you'll be flying forward with glee in no time flat. The staff of Car and Driver took the 2019 Corvette ZR1 for a spin at the Texas Mile and went 183.3 mph, and still loved how the car possesses enough daily-driver traits to make it sensible on any street. They ran the Mill with traction and stability control on, but still metered the throttle before second gear.

Just three years ago when the Z-6 hit the road, 650 horsepower was plenty, but as every year brings new challenges and adventures, this exciting revelation from the Hennessey team should literally be a “mover of mountains” and a tremendously track-tuned great ball of fire!

Corvette ZR1 Named “Best Car to Buy 2019” by Motor Authority

The Corvette is one of those vehicles that absolutely redefines “Special:” incredibly distinctive bodywork and performance are just two of its noteworthy characteristics. The very first model was introduced at GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept, followed a decade later by coupe and convertible styles. We know all about the appeal of Camaros, Mustangs, and many more options out there that exist for the track-loving and corner-hungry crew, but this is the one that has been widely known as “America's Sports Car” for decades. After being featured in the early 1960s show “Route 66,” Automotive News claimed excitedly that it was “synonymous with freedom and adventure.”

The experienced and knowledgeable staff at Motor Authority named the 2019 Corvette ZR1 as its “Best Car to Buy 2019” this past week, as all of us here at West Chevy of Knoxville celebrate it outshining rivals such as the Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack Level 2, Audi RS 5, the BMW M5, and Jaguar I-Pace. This very important and badge-flaunting decision was made after a day spent as the 2.0-mile Atlanta Motorsports Park course, where the judges were thoroughly impressed by the sheer force and speed of the ZR1. It's no surprise that after being put to the test, this able crew thought that “It's a missile pointed relentlessly forward, and it's capable of amazing speed in skilled hands.”

Affordable price was another element that weighed itself heavily in the judges' decision, ranking considerably lower than the others it was up against. The small-block LT5 puts to use a supercharger that offers up 52-percent more displacement, while at the same time generating 715 lb-ft of torque, and a very amazing 755 horsepower. Superior downforce was another quality that did not go unnoticed by experienced managing editor Aaron Cole, who also appreciated the way in which the driving experience became laid back when they hit the highway. Flaunting the first-ever automatic transmission on the ZR1, it is also available for the first time in a sun-kissable convertible option, for the first time since it originally was offered in 1970.

When it comes to cars that are lucky enough to have instilled in them this much raw power and appeal, we recognize that sometimes people talk. They wonder if every single individual who has ever fallen in love with a 'Vette will love it, if the shape is perfect, if it looks too modern, does it borrow too many accents from a Ferrari, and even if it is reminiscent enough of models before it to fare worthwhile. All of us here at West Chevy believe that the new ZR1 is everything that Corvette fans should ever demand from a finished product: it is lean, mean, and full of futuristic flair that will impress anyone who has been watching cars progress.

Back in 1974, we were overly proud of the Stingray Coupe: as we look at just how far our favorite line has come in many ways, we remember that this was the first year that both front and rear bumpers were polyurethane. There are so many reasons to be excited about the upcoming ZR1's release, and the snagging of yet another award was no surprise: not a single fan will want to wait an extra minute for a test drive when this winged warrior hits the showroom soon!

AutoWeek Claims Corvette ZR1 Sports “As Much Power as Niagara Falls”

When seasoned experts begin to talk about the Corvette, it's no surprise that the reviews are glowing, thorough, and overly excited about an abundance of pure power. Autoweek has long been doling out the goods on the best and baddest cars in the business, and last week all of us Corvette fans here at West Chevy were excited to read the in-depth feature about the 2019 Corvette ZR1. Right off the bat, the blog claims that the ZR1 provides “better performance for your dollar than anything with four wheels,” a heaping sentiment of pride and prowess that we don't take lightly!

The ZR1 is the top-of-the-line Corvette model, situated above the Stingray, Grand Sport, and Z06. It includes the Track Performance Package, which comes with a large rear wing, and plenty of swagger to defeat any rival that claims a corner-bending and throttle-heavy approach. This aggressive and appealing new model builds 755 hp from the 6.2-liter supercharged V8, which is simply a lot to play with on any desired plateau. There has always been an abundance of power in the ZR1: you always feel the pull, no matter what gear you are in.

The testing staff at Autoweek drove a ZR1 that came with the Track Performance package, and so the grip was applauded for being perfectly plentiful. This was most noticeable while driving up on-ramps and noticing how much energy it took to appropriately slow down to merge with freeway traffic. When fully in gear and active lapping up the track, the 6.2-liter V8 makes its presence known: you don't purchase a Corvette to instill any sense of silence on a daily basis. Ask us here at West Chevy how you can add Comp seats, red brake calipers, satin graphite aluminum wheels, or a chrome badge to properly deck out your new purchase.

The folks over at Road And Track blatantly admitted last week that “large swathes of the public never seem to take Corvettes seriously,” and also recognized that the ZR1 absolutely pushes the power envelope to the extreme. For many years, the engineering team has been stressing the fact that the Z06 was pushing the envelope of what is capable for the configuration of the C7, hinting along the way that a mid-engine variant may be the fix.

What excites us most about this car is options such as the ZTK track package add race-ready wings, and other cool features. Just to give you an idea of how much power we are dealing with, the C7 ZR1's supercharged V-8 creates more than double the horsepower of the V-8 in the 1990 C4 ZR1: this is a car that warrants a test drive through winding fall roads right away!