It’s fairly common knowledge that the horsepower figures automakers parade around don’t reflect power at the wheels. Rather, it’s how much hp the engine makes at the crankshaft. Therefore, we need a dynamometer to measure just how much power is getting to the ground.
Thankfully, Hennessey Performance Engineering has one, and it strapped the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to the dyno to see just how much power the Corvette turned supercar makes.
The final result? 654 hp at the rear wheels, which reflects a 13 percent drivetrain loss from the 755-hp engine rating.
The results are slightly different compared to when we first saw a Corvette ZR1 hit the dyno. Back in April, Race Proven Motorsports of New Castle, Delaware, registered between 664 and 668 horsepower at the wheels.
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 by Hennessey Performance Engineering
Nevertheless, over 600 hp at the wheels is plenty of power to shove the driver back into the seat, even if Hennessey is looking at a loss of 101 hp from crank to wheels. Even with 654 wheel hp, the Corvette ZR1 hustles from 0-60 mph in 2.85 seconds, and that’s supercar territory.
Like dozens of other companies across the U.S., Hennessey will remedy any drivetrain loss with some help from the aftermarket. Specifically, Hennessey plans for an HPE800 package for the Corvette ZR1 that will push 850 hp and an HPE1200 package that will swap the 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 for a 7.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine to make 1,200 hp.
Ahead of the packages rolling out, have a look at what Hennessey has to say about the stock ZR1 in the video up above.
