First C7 Corvette to pass 200 MPH does it on a Texas toll road
Tue, 17 Dec 2013
We knew that once Hennessey Performance got its hands on the seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, big things were going to happen. A 200.6-mile-per-hour run on a closed section of Texas' brand-new State Highway 99, was just a shade bigger than what we were expecting. The run was also a test of the new toll road - which Hennessey founder John Hennessey called "perfectly smooth" - and the RFID toll system, which was still able to tag the Corvette at 200 miles per hour (toll dodgers beware). The blistering run was, naturally, caught on video, which we've included at the bottom of the page.
The car you see here is fitted with what Hennessey calls the HPE600 package, and includes long-tube headers, ported cylinder heads, high-flow catalytic converters, and an HPE camshaft and engine tune. There's also a 100-shot of nitrous oxide available from a Nitrous Express kit, just for that little extra bit of punch. The result is 700 horsepower, up from the standard Stingray's 460 ponies.
If you're still scoping out that list of modifications and are wondering why the word "supercharger" doesn't appear, then take solace in the fact that Hennessey will deliver a blown Stingray, which it claims can crack 200 without the laughing gas. Called the HPE700, it adds a TVS2300 supercharger and new induction system to the list of goodies found on the HPE600, and will cost $22,500.
We have the entire video of the run down below, along with photos and videos of the epic run.
Hennessey Corvette Breaks 200 MPH on New Texas Toll Road
John Hennessey pilots first C7 Corvette to eclipse the double century mark
December 17, 2013
Houston, Texas-Only a handful of supercars exist that can rightfully lay claim to achieving 200 mph and beyond. With a serious injection of horsepower from Hennessey Performance (HPE), the new Corvette Stingray has entered that exclusive club. On December 11, 2013, an HPE-upgraded C7 Corvette, driven by company founder John Hennessey, achieved a top speed of 200.6 mph, making it the first C7 Corvette to break the double-century mark. The run was verified with both the VBox GPS-based data acquisition system and by radar courtesy of Texas DPS State Troopers who were on hand.
The record run took place on a closed section of the newly completed segment E of Texas State Highway 99, also known as the Grand Parkway that's located west of Houston, made available by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The new toll road section, which opens to the public on Saturday, December 21st, connects Interstate 10 with Highway 290. The day also gave TxDOT officials and their toll road engineers from TransCore the chance to test its toll tag RFID system with Hennessey vehicles.
"The road is perfectly smooth and the Corvette was very stable and easy to drive at 200 mph," said driver and company founder John Hennessey. "I'd put the Texas highway system up against any other highway in the world, including the German Autobahn. Our roads have proven to be smooth and safe at speeds well above 200 mph."
In 460-bhp production form, the production C7 Corvette Stingray straight from the Bowling Green factory is certainly no slouch-it's a true 180-mph road car. But as aero drag increases with the square of velocity, the Corvette needed to supply serious power-700 bhp at 6500 rpm-to break through the aerodynamic brick wall and achieve that extra 20 mph. The record-setting C7 utilized the HPE600 package (long-tube headers, ported factory cylinder heads, high-flow cats, HPE camshaft and HPE tune) plus a Nitrous Express 100-hp nitrous oxide system to break the 200-mph barrier.
Hennessey Performance will soon be releasing its HPE700 supercharged upgrade-also capable of 200-plus-mph performance, but without nitrous-that employs a TVS2300 supercharger, HPE custom camshaft, air induction system, high-flow heads, long-tube headers and HPE tune. Installed price for the package is $22,500.
Said Don Goldman, Hennessey CEO: "We're thrilled to have validated our upgraded C7's performance at one of the best possible highways not only in America, but the world."
In addition to the 200-mph C7, Hennessey also brought out its first HPE600 supercharged Chevrolet SS that, despite being gear-limited, easily achieved 164.2 mph on the Grand Parkway.
By Brandon Turkus