TUNNING

Hennessey reveals plans to make a 1200 HP C8 Corvette

Six months ago, we saw Chevrolet unveil the eighth-generation Corvette dubbed the C8. No longer sporting a front-engine rear-wheel drive layout, the C8 is now a mid-engine two-door much like the Ford GT, as well as the Acura NSX.
It packs a 6.2-liter V8 that pushes out nearly 500 PS and more than 635 Nm of torque, has a sleek new look inside and out, and is lighter and more rigid according to the bow-tie brand. But despite all of its great accolades, there is always that pursuit of getting more horsepower and torque under the hood, and the C8 is not immune from that kind of conundrum.
But with Chevy not yet announcing plans of revealing a Z06 or a ZR1 of the C8, it might take a while before such a C8 ever hits the road. But that hasn't stopped infamous tuning house Hennessey from making plans of their own to turn the C8 Corvette into a fast-charging monster.
Recently, the Texas-based tuner announced that it has big plans for the all-new C8. They will be offering up to 1200 horsepower via a twin-turbo system which also includes a specially-built LT2 V8. Aside from that, Hennessey will also be putting forged aluminum pistons as well as forged steel connecting rods for the upgraded V8. A stainless steel exhaust will also be available which they claim will offer extra horsepower, and a better exhaust note.



Not a fan of turbocharging? No worries as Hennessey will also make a supercharger kit for the C8 Corvette that can deliver up to 700 horsepower. They will begin offering the upgrades once computer tuning becomes available for the new C8 engine platform.
Besides making the C8 faster, Hennessey will even offer a carbon fiber aerokit that will consist of a front splitter, airdam, and a rear carbon fiber wing. A full Brembo braking system, adjustable Penske suspension system, and uprated wheels and tires are set to be available as well for the C8 Corvette.
“We are very excited about the new C8 Corvette and have big plans for it. From mild to wild, we plan to offer a wide variety of track tested parts and upgrades that come with a warranty. We’ve modified over 500 C7 Corvettes since 2013 and expect to upgrade many more C8 Corvettes starting in 2020,” said John Hennessey, president and founder of Hennessey Performance.



With more than 1000 horsepower available from one of its available upgrades, you can be sure that other shops / tuning houses will soon be offering upgrades of their own. Perhaps this is the signal that Chevrolet better pick up the pace and start building more C8 Corvettes. Heck, maybe it's high time they also hasten the release of the more powerful Z06 or ZR1 models of the sports car.

Source: Marcus De Guzman