Throughout its 60-year history, America's sports car has been synonymous wîth performance, and the newest generation is clearly no exception. The C7 Corvette Stingray has a vastly stiffer aluminum structure that's 99 lb lighter than before, a new LT1 6.2-liter V-8 wîth 460 bhp and improved fuel economy, plus a wedgy, low-slung shape that's fresh yet instantly identifiable as a Corvette. But it's not the Hennessey way to leave well enough alone-even if that 'well enough' baseline already represents one of the quickest-accelerating sports cars on the planet.

The Hennessey HPE700 Corvette, expected to debut in October 2013, will pre-empt the factory's C7 ZR1 and may well out-accelerate it too wîth Hennessey's 700-bhp performance package incorporating the Eaton TVS R2300 supercharger. Packing 8 psi of boost through custom CNC-ported factory cylinder heads, working wîth proprietary intake and fueling systems plus a recalibrated ECÚ, the system should provide enough sheer thrust to thrill even the most jaded enthusiast. Transmission choices include either a 7-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.

Visually, the HPE700 Corvette can be made to hit as hard as its powertrain, wîth Hennessey's optional CarbonAero™ body treatment consisting of an aggressive front splitter, notched rear spoiler, side sills and a hood-the last wîth a deeply drawn power dome and dramatic central vent that both decreases underhood temperatures and increases downforce by evacuating air. The body pieces are made of hand-laid carbon fiber, and in typical Hennessey fashion they increase downforce while still striking that delicate balance between lòòking aggressive and not being overdone. 'We're only interested in changes that deliver a measurable increase in performance, period,' says company founder John Hennessey. Optional 10-spoke H10 alloys shod wîth Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires fill out the wheel wells wîth the appropriate amount of menace.

Special touches and options can further individualize the HPE700 Corvette. Interior details haven't been finalized at this early date, but each car will come wîth dash and engine plaques displaying the serialized build number. An optional coilover suspension system utilizing Penske double-adjustable shocks will be offered, as will a Brembo brake upgrade wîth carbon-ceramic rotors. Less powerful variants-a normally aspirated HPE500 and supercharged HPE600-will be offered too, and all components that comprise the HPE complete cars will be available individually.

All Hennessey cars are dyno-tested at HPE's headquarters in Sealy, Texas, and performance-validated at the company's on-site test track, Lonestar Motorsports Park. The HPE700 Corvette is covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile powertrain warranty, and can be ordered directly through Hennessey Performance Engineering or through any local Chevrolet dealership.

In association with AutoNation, Hennessey Performance (HPE) will display the company’s most powerful Corvette Stingray built to date—the 2014 HPE700 Twin Turbo—at the Boca Raton Concours in south Florida. The HPE700 Twin Turbo will be unveiled on the evening of Friday, February 21 at the Boca Raton Airport Hangar Party that kicks off the concours weekend.
The heart of the HPE700 is its twin turbo system that utilizes a pair of precision ball bearing 62-mm turbochargers producing 7 psi of boost pressure. The handcrafted HPE system utilizes mandrel-bent stainless steel tubing throughout, and also incorporates dual turbo wastegates. Twin blow-off valves on the intercooler’s TIG-welded aluminum plenum are prominently displayed when you pop the hood, and help keep the turbos spooled with lift throttle, exhaling with that muted whoosh that’s music to an enthusiast’s ears.

The HPE700 Twin Turbo delivers 707 bhp @ 6,400 rpm and 661 lb-ft of torque though either a 7-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. Equipped with optional 20-inch drag radial tires, the HPE700 Stingray hits 60 mph from a standing start in just 2.9 seconds while blowing through the quarter mile in just 10.5 seconds @ 135.4 mph. Top speed is estimated to exceed 210 mph—faster than the Hennessey C7 Corvette that broke 200 mph on a Texas toll road back in December of last year.

“We’ve taken America’s sports car and transformed it into an American supercar,” said company founder and president John Hennessey, “and it’s a testament to the soundness of Corvette engineering that the new Stingray not only copes with this massive infusion of power, it seems to thrive on it.”
Power is nothing without control, and at higher speeds, Hennessey’s CarbonAeroTM carbon-fiber front spoiler, side sills and rear lip spoiler provide additional overall downforce to this steroid-injected Stingray. “I’d describe the look of our HPE700 Twin Turbo with CarbonAeroTM bodywork as being tastefully aggressive,” said Don Goldman, CEO of Hennessey Performance. Completing the vehicle are 10-spoke Hennessey H10 forged monoblock wheels, which accept the factory Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Compared to the Z51Package wheels, the set of Hennessey H10 alloys reduce weight by over 19 lb., significantly reducing both rotational mass and unsprung weight for improved acceleration and handling.

With a turn-key price tag of nearly $120,000 (including the base Corvette Stingray with 3LT and Z51 factory options), the HPE700 Twin Turbo does not come cheap. However, the company offers a comprehensive powertrain warranty for its Corvette upgrade systems, while delivering a level of performance on par with European supercars like the Lamborghini Aventador and McLaren MP4-12C.

The company plans to produce just 24 examples of the HPE700 Twin Turbo Corvette for the 2014 model year, ensuring that HPE700 owners not only have one of the fastest C7 Corvettes on the road but also one of the most exclusive. Said Don Goldman: “The HPE700 experience is a rush, and will absolutely ruin driving a stock Stingray…there’s just no going back.”

Power
• 700 bhp @ 6,300 rpm

HPE700 Supercharged Upgrade Includes
• High Flow Supercharger System
• High Flow Cylinder Heads
• Custom HPE Camshaft
• HPE Air Induction System
• All Necessary Gaskets & Fluids
• Professional Installation
• HPE Engine Management Calibration
• Dyno Tuning & Road Testing
• Serial-Numbered Dash & Engine Plaques
• Hennessey Exterior Badging
• Hennessey Premium Floormats
• Hennessey Carbon Fiber Door Sills
• 3 Year / 36,000 Mile Limited Warranty

Optional Upgrades
• Hennessey CarbonAero Rear Lip Spoiler, Side Sills & Front Lip Spoiler
• Hennessey Carbon Fiber Door Sill Plates
• Hennessey H10 Monoblock Wheel Upgrade
• Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires
• Brembo Carbon Ceramic Brake Upgrade
• Penske Adjustable Suspension Upgrade
• Custom Interior Leather Upgrades
• Carbon Fiber Interior Upgrades