1,000-HP Hennessey Corvette ZR1 VS Ferrari 488 GTB

The long wait finally paid off after the reveal of the mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The car clearly looks lovable even at first sight. It’s powered by General Motors’ new 6.2-liter V8 engine that pumps out 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, giving the C8 Corvette the ability to hit 62 mph in less than three seconds. That’s really quick, and we haven’t even met the more potent Z06 and ZR1.

Another interesting thing to wait for is the magic touch of Hennessey Performance; it will undoubtedly make the mid-engine monster go faster than normal. It has been confirmed that the tuning house will soon offer some upgrade packages that will give the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray up to 1,000 hp or more.

As for now, what Hennessey has are packages for the previous-generation Corvette C7. You can choose one of the three available tuning kits for the 755-hp ZR1; either the HPE850, HPE1000, or the HPE1200 if you’re brave enough to handle 1,200 hp.

The package slotting in the middle of the range is what we’re going to talk about a little longer here – the HPE1000. As the name suggests, it gives 1,000 hp to the ZR1, as well as 966 lb-ft of torque. At this level of performance, the sports car can dash from zero to 62 mph in just 2.3 seconds before maxing out at 230 mph.

The brutality is gained through the new high-flow air induction system added by the tuner, in addition to ported cylinder heads, a custom HPE camshaft, and upgraded Intake valves and exhaust valves among others.

You may wonder how much capable the tuned Corvette actually is when pitted against other fast cars. We expected something more powerful, but the show presents to us the Ferrari 488 GTB as the opponent of the ZR1 in a rolling start drag race. Of course this is hardly a fair battle since the 488 GTB is completely unmodified. In other words, it still packs the same 3.9-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine that delivers 661 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque.

We all know from the beginning that the Hennessey ZR1 easily wins the race. Still, you’ll want to watch the video to find out more about the result. This fight isn’t just about which one goes faster, but about how big the gap between the Chevy and the Ferrari is. Plus, you’ll be entertained by the loud, angry scream of the ZR1.