The stock 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a very nice car, but can it go 200 mph?
Hennessey Performance Engineering is never satisfied with stock, which is why less than a year after the C7 Corvette’s debut, the Texas tuner has pushed one past the double-century mark.
As with many of Hennessey’s high-speed shenanigans, the HPE600 Corvette stretched its legs on a closed section of Texas State Highway 99. That’s the brand-new toll road with an 85 mph speed limit, by the way.
The ‘Vette achieved 200.6 mph, as recorded by the highway’s RFID toll system. Clearly, toll dodging on this road is not a good idea.
The HPE600 package upgrades the 6.2-liter LT1 V8 with ported cylinder heads, a new camshaft, and retuned software. There’s also a freer-flowing exhaust system and the Texas test car had a 100-shot nitrous-oxide system from Nitrous Express just for good measure.
The result is a staggering 700 horsepower, compared to 460 hp for the stock Stingray. Hennessey said the increase in power was necessary, even though 200 mph is only about 20 mph faster than the stock car’s top speed. At high velocity, aerodynamic drag becomes a major issue.
If you saw The Fast and the Furious and think nitrous is just an invitation to have your car consumed in a ball of green flame, Hennessey also plans to offer an HPE700 upgrade package with a supercharger, which the company says will reliably get a Stingray past 200 mph.
If you want your barnstorming bow tie to have four doors, Hennessey also offers an HPE600 Chevrolet SS. It’s already achieved 164.2 mph, although Hennessey says it will go faster with better gearing.
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