2020 C8 Corvette too tame for you? Get ready to turn up the volume and treat your ears to the sound of Hennessey Performance Engineering’s (HPE) twin-turbo C8 Corvette!
Claimed to be a world first application, the pair of turbochargers are mounted low in the engine bay underneath the 6.2-litre LT2 V8 engine. Dubbed the HPE1200, HPE is aiming for a mighty 1200 horsepower (882kW) from the setup – hence its name.
Besides strapping on a pair new blowers, HPE has also given the LT2 V8’s internals an upgrade, including forged aluminium pistons (10.0:1 compression ratio), forged steel connecting rods and ECU tuning.
They have also upgraded and fortified the factory dual-clutch transmission to ensure that the gearbox can cope with the extra output.
Apparently, the engine mod does not encroach onto the C8’s boot space, so keen golfers can still fit two golf bags inside.
HPE also plans to offer is signature CarbonAero carbon fibre body upgrades including front splitter, air dam and carbon fibre rear wing.
While Hennessey is working on the HPE1200, GM is also rumoured to be readying a high-performance ZR1 C8 powered by a hybrid twin-turbo V8 with around 900hp (670kW).
The C8 Corvette is still on track for Australia, although it is not clear when following the announcement of Holden’s closure.