Sure, 705 HP and a 2.9 second zero to sixty time is one thing to brag about, but that's not the brass ring Hennessey is going after with the Z700. They're taking this ZR1 upgraded with even more carbon fiber goodies like super-light carbon fiber wheels, seats, and an aero-kit that develops 300 lbs of downforce at speed and a healthier supercharger and bigger exhaust for a scream around the Nurburgring, aiming at the Corvette ZR1's 7:26 lap time.

It's worth the extra second to read all the way to the bottom of the press release to see the "optional upgrades" which include the "Z750" package, good for 755 HP, and the modest Z1000, which is not a 70's Kawasaki, but a 1000 HP ZR1. We'll be waiting on the edges of our seats to hear more about that tire liquification system.

[Hennessey Performance]

Hennessey's only producing 24 HPE700 Camaros for $109,000, but with 705 HP and 717 lb-ft of tire melting torque on tap, we could let go of some of the kiddies college fund. Don't judge. You're thinking the same thing.

Here's the specs on this Corvette ZR1-powered monster:

# Power: 705 bhp @ 6,400 rpm
# 717 lb-ft Torque @ 4,400 rpm

Performance (Estimated):
# 0 - 60 mph: 3.7 sec.
# 1/4 mile: 11.3 @ 125 mph
# Top Speed: 201 mph
# Skidpad: 0.96 g
# 60 - 0 mph braking: 105 ft.

Hennessey's first order of business was to take a 2010 Camaro SS and massage its 6.2-liter LS3 V8 to help it pump out mo' powa. They do this by first giving the pony car a little belt-driven boost to the tune of 6 psi, helping it achieve a 2010 Shelby GT500-besting 562 horsepower and 557 lb-ft of rotational fortitude. These numbers will reward owners with a 4.1 second 0-to-60 MPH time and a run down the 1320 in just 12.1 seconds at 119 mph.

Rounding out the package is a Hennessey-designed appearance package with 20-inch rollers and Hennessey badging throughout the interior. Expect to fork over roughly $59,500 for one of the 500 Texas-tuned ponies.

Out of 24 of these ultra-Camaros, only 13 are currently left which means you had better start making decisions on parting ways with your hard earned $109,000 or else you'll never get to feel the adrenaline rush of 705 ponies running through your long, luscious mulletard hair. What you're looking at here is just the first step in the process of turning the meager-Camaro SS into a supercharged and carbon-fibered UFC fighter. If the Corvette ZR1 is anything to go by, this swapped ride will come with a swift kick in the pants standard. We can't wait.

Hennessey Motorsport makes claim that the 2010 HPE550 will lay waste to its 20-inch drag radials via a 562 HP (at the crank), 557 lb-ft of torque blown LS3 and is capable of hitting 3.6 second 0-60 times with a stellar 11.7 @ 121 mph jaunt down the 1320, but this clip claims a 4.3 second 0-60 and a 12.1 @ 120 mph quarter-mile. Either way, this baby's quick. Only 500 HPE550 Camaros will be built and sold via your friendly local Chevy dealer, so get a move on before someone else swipes them all up first. Color us impressed.

If you guessed the 2010 Hennessey HPE550 Camaro — good for you. Now take a gander at the official specs below.

2010 HPE550 Camaro

Specifications, Options & Pricing

Power:
* 562 bhp @ 6,200 rpm
* 557 lb-ft Torque @ 4,200 rpm 



Performance (estimated):
* 0 - 60 mph: 3.9 sec.
* 1/4 mile: 11.9 @ 119 mph

2010 HPE550 Camaro Package (available for 6sp & auto) Includes:

* Magnuson / Hennessey Supercharger System
* Corsa Stainless Steel Exhaust System
* Hennessey Air Induction System
* Hennessey High Flow Fuel Injectors
* Hennessey Engine Management Calibration
* Hennessey Aluminum Wheel Upgrade (uses factory tires)
* Hennessey Cam-Aero™ Urethane Body Components: Rear Lip Spoiler, Front Splitter & Side Rocker Panels
* Hennessey Exterior Graphics Package (rear quarter panels)
* Hennessey Premium Floor Mats
* Hennessey & HPE550 Exterior Badges
* Serial Numbered Plaque in Interior & Engine Compartment
* Parts Cost: $18,950 US Dollars plus Shipping
* Installed Cost: $24,950 plus Vehicle Shipping

Options:
* Hennessey Front Brake Upgrade $4,500
4-Piston Calipers with 14 inch Rotors
* Hennessey Coilover Suspension Upgrade $3,500
* 15 inch Brakes with Carbon Rotors $19,500
* 5-Speed High-Performance Automatic Transmission $6,500
* Torque Converter Upgrade $2,500
* Differential Cooler $3,500
* Connolly Leather Interior with Custom Colors $8,500
* 705 hp LS9 Engine Upgrade $39,500
* 850 hp Twin Turbo Upgrade $54,500
* 1000 hp Twin Turbo Upgrade $59,500

Hennessey's been getting mighty cozy with GM's new line of supercharged small blocks, first tuning the Corvette ZR1 to create the amazing ZR700 and ZR750, and now getting their hands dirty on the wolf in sheep's clothing 2009 Cadillac CTS-V to create the Hennessey V700 CTS-V. The only real numbers that matter are the following; 700-horsepwer @ 6,300 rpm, 701 lb-ft of torque @ 3,400 rpm, 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, 1/4 mile in 10.9 @ 129 mph and a top speed of 211 mph when you're rowing your own gears. You can't deny that those are impressive numbers, especially considering that they're being made by a 4200 lb luxury sedan.

Hennessey's first order of business was to open up the lungs of the 6.2-liter supercharged LSA V8 by strapping on a 4-inch cold air induction system, 1 7/8-inch long tube stainless steel headers, 3-inch stainless steel mid pipes and high flow cats. Next they tapped into the brain with an engine management software upgrade. The nice Eaton supercharger sitting in-between the cylinder banks received a new pulley and snout and the intercooler received a heat exchanger upgrade. The Houston crew then cracked open the motor to give the V700 a nice upgraded camshaft as well as new high flow cylinder heads.

Included in the package are an aggressive looking set of 20-inch HRE wheels neatly wrapped with 305/45-20 Nitto drag radial tires, Hennessey embroidered head rests, and a serial numbered plaque on both the dash and under the hood. Hennessey hasn't released the price for the package just yet, but you can purchase any of these upgrades for your '09 CTS-V separately. We beg to ask the question why you'd purchase them separately when this is such a badass complete package. If we had the money... well, our Dad told us not to dream like that anymore.

If 700-horsepower isn't enough for you, Hennessey is also developing the V800 Twin Turbo that has, you guessed it, 800 horsepower @ 6,200 rpm @ 15 psi and 780 lb-ft torque @ 4,400 rpm via a twin ball bearing turbo setup. We'll bring you updates when we learn more. [via Hennessey]

The HPE550 Camaro gets a supercharged LS3 under the hood breathing at a mild 6 PSI and good for 562 HP and 557 lb-ft of torque. The car is otherwise very similar to the HPE700 with a new front lip, side sills, 20 inch wheels like those on the Corvette ZR1, and subtle decklid spoiler out back. Anyone plopping down the dough for one will also get half a day of performance driving training at Lonestar Motorsports Park. A grand total of 500 will be built and sold through select Chevy dealers, where a whole monster list of other optional parts will also be available.

John Heinricy stepped down this past October from his position as Director of GM Performance Division, likely knowing that his group would be disbanded in the wake of the Carpocalypse. But all is not lost. Another performance guru with the same initials has brought him on as a consulting engineer to test the Corvette ZR1-based HPE ZR700. Should be fun considering this is the same guy who set the fastest production sedan lap time in a 2009 Cadillac CTS-V on the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife.

John Hennessey has gotten a bad wrap in recent times due to a supposed scandal involving a couple of his customers Dodge Vipers. The internet lit ablaze with this news, but here's proof that he's still considered to be one of the best in the business.

Maybe it's time for another visit out to the Lonestar Motor Park.

[via Hennessey]

Hennessey, still hot from tuning the Corvette ZR1, will soon offer performance upgrades for the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO. The EcoBoost 365 HP, 350 lb-ft twin-turbocharged V6 may have been developed for performance with fuel economy in mind, but the two snails lurking under the hood can easily be turned into something that can beat the hare. The initial Hennessey upgrade package will include an exhaust system, air filter, boost controller, boost gauge, turbo upgrades, intercooler upgrades, suspension and more when it's released later this year.

With John Hennessey owning one of the original Taurus SHOs, we can only imagine the rest of the fun he has in store for this new MoTown hotrod.

[via Hennessey]

With the usual round of tuner tweaks, Hennessey has cranked the ZR1 from a crazy full-bore hypercar to a "We're going to hell in four dimensions" doom rocket. With a basic intake, pulley, tune and exhaust, the ZR1's output screams up to 705 HP and 717 LB-ft of torque in a completely streetable, reliable package.

The first part of the clip has the drag launch money shot. You'll enjoy it.

[Streetfire]

We're giddy at the thought of Hennessey Motorsports LS9 swapped 705hp HPE700 Camaro that we showed you earlier in the month, but the $109,000 price tag makes us a little weak in the knees because it's. Still. Just. A. Camaro. Now, give us that performance package in the Corvette and we'll be ever grateful. Thankfully John Hennessey knows what we like as evidenced by the clips of the HPE ZR700 Corvette running on a rolling-chassis dyno and launching down the 1320.

Hennessey ZR700 Quarter Mile: 11.03 @ 136 mph


The HPE ZR700 package will exchange your hard earned dollars for a 67 horsepower increase over your stock Corvette ZR1. That's a total of 705 horsepower and an extra healthy dose of 717 lb-ft of torque, enough to rocket this blue collar supercar to an estimated 212mph and as evidenced above, a 11.03 quarter mile time at 136mph. It doesn't matter what anyone says- that's fast. Helping to reach these power numbers are a supercharger pulley and blower snout upgrade, increasing boost from 11 to 14 psi; an intercooler upgrade; K&N air filter system; stainless steel 1 7/8 inch headers; high flow catalytic converters with mid pipes; and a reprogrammed engine management computer.

While a price has yet to be set, we spoke with Mr. Hennessey himself last month and he told us that you could buy the whole package from HPE or you can purchase the parts individually for a lower price. That doesn't neccessarily clue us into a price, but if you know Hennessey Motorports, it won't come cheap. Also in the pipeline is the ZR750, a 755 horsepower version with an earth rotating 730lb-ft or torque, though it'll come at a later date.

If you're reading this John, we'll put our Moms up for sale to be first in line to drive either of these beasts. Hell, we'll sell our entire families. And no, we're not kidding about that.

For comparisons sake, the baseline dyno run with a stock 2009 Corvette ZR1:


Here are the specs:

ZR700 - 705 HP Engine Upgrade

# Power: 705 HP @ 6,400 rpm
# 717 lb-ft Torque @ 3,800 rpm

Performance:
# 0-60 mph: 3.1 sec.
# 0-150 mph: 13.9 sec. (stock = 17.1 sec.)
# 1/4 mile: 11.0 @ 136 mph (tested on factory Michelin tires)
# Top Speed: 212 mph (estimated)

Inlcudes:
# Supercharger Pulley & Blower Snout Upgrade (increases boost from 11 to 14 psi)
# Intercooler System Upgrade
# K&N Air Filter
# Re-program Engine Management Computer
# Stainless Steel 1 7/8 inch Headers
# High Flow Catalytic Converters with Mid Pipes
# Hennessey & ZR700 Exterior Emblems (Optional)
# Hennessey ZR700 Premium Floor Mats
# Professional Installation at HPE
# Dyno Testing & Tuning
# Available Now on an Installed Basis at HPE. Includes Limited Warranty
# Mail Order Kit Available by May, 2009

ZR750 - 750 HP Engine Upgrade

# Power: 755 HP @ 6,600 rpm
# 730 lb-ft Torque @ 4,000 rpm

Inlcudes:
# Supercharger Pulley (increases boost from 11 to 14 psi)
# Blower Gasket
# K&N Air Filter
# Re-program Engine Management Computer
# 6600 rpm Rev Limiter (200 rpm over stock)
# Stainless Steel Headers
# High Flow Catalytic Converters with Mid Pipes
# High Flow Cylinder Heads
# Camshaft Upgrade
# Hennessey & ZR750 Exterior Emblems (Optional)
# Hennessey ZR750 Premium Floor Mats
# Available as a Mail Order Kit as well as Installed at HPE

Rear Wheel Horsepower: Stock ZR1 vs Z700 Upgrade.


Rear Wheel Torque: Stock ZR1 vs Z700 Upgrade.

Yum.

[via Hennessey Motorsports]

No matter how the new Camaro ends up, that's a huge pile of tithing for a mullet-mobile. If you're happy with a monster supercharged mill, carbon brakes, carbon fiber bits and pieces and epic badassery, it may be worth it, but otherwise, wow. Click HERE for a full resolution image, and all the details lurk below.

HENNESSEY PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING ANNOUNCES LIMITED EDITION 705 HP LS9 POWERPLANT FOR THE 2010 CAMARO HPE700 CAMARO

Extreme Performance Makeover Transforms the 2010 Camaro from Muscle Car to Super Car!

SEALY, TX – Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), well known for their extreme performance sports cars and muscle cars, announces their Limited Edition 2010 HPE700 Camaro.

At the heart of the beast is GM’s new LS9 supercharged V8 tweaked as only HPE could to 705 horsepower and 717 lb-ft torque. To qualify as a supercar under the HPE banner it can’t just go, it has to whoa. With optional 15 inch carbon brakes from the stunning new Corvette ZR1, light weight HRE wheels with Michelin PS2 tires and full suspension upgrades the HPE700 Camaro will be able to make full use of its new found power.

In addition to the power and handling upgrades., Hennessey will also be offering an exterior aerodynamics package to improve downforce at high speed. Penned by British designer, Steve Everitt, Hennessey’s Cam-Aero ™ body upgrades include: Carbon fiber rear lip spoiler, carbon fiber side rocker panels, carbon fiber front splitter, front fascia with hideaway-look headlights and front billet grille. Completing the look of the HPE700 is a ZR1 inspired hood design with window showing off the Hennessey’s tweaked LS9 powerplant.

“The HPE700 Camaro allows our customers to combine supercar power and performance with classic American muscle car looks in a modern, daily-drive usable sportscar with a backseat and a trunk!,” said John Hennessey, President and CEO of Hennessey Performance Engineering. “We will be announcing other Hennessey turnkey vehicle packages for the 2010 Camaro in the near future along with an extensive list of aftermarket performance parts and accessories. But for now, the LS9-powered HPE700 Camaro, replete with ZR1 inspired looks and performance promises to be at the top of the American muscle car food chain later in 2009.

HPE700 buyers will also receive a 1-day performance driving course at Lonestar Motorsports Park – a ¼ mile dragstrip facility located adjacent to Hennessey’s 24,000 square foot production facility and showroom.

Hennessey is offering the first HPE700 Camaros exclusively to registered bidders at the 2009 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, AZ. Orders can be placed at the Hennessey display at the show or by phone or email beginning Tuesday, January 13 through Sunday, January 18, 2009. On Monday, January 19, 2009 the HPE700 Camaro will be available to the general public and can be ordered from select Chevrolet dealers as well as directly from Hennessey Performance Engineering.

Base price for the 2010 HPE700 Camaro is $109,500.

Located just west of Houston Texas at the Lonestar Motorsports Park complex, HPE has been building American supercars for nearly two decades with its Veyron-beating Venom Vipers, Ford GT’s and recently released Dodge Challengers.

The first thing you notice upon arrival to the shop along Interstate 10 is that there's really not much to notice. The new headquarters is operational but not completely finished. Therefore they've elected not to create much in the way of attention-grabbing signage other than a small sign proclaiming "Lonestar Motorsports Park." But when you're driving all manner of supercars around, you're going to get attention.

Attention, of course, is a good thing. Known for outrageously tuned vehicles, especially Vipers, the Hennessey operation does almost no major advertising outside of the DuPont Registry. When you're able to post a YouTube video of your Twin Turbo Viper racing to 220 mph, the news sort of spreads by itself.

Though their showroom isn't complete, an Audi R8 and a pair of Vipers make the only necessary statement sitting alone on the shiny red floor. If that doesn't work, there's always John Hennessey. It's hard to say whether he excels more at tuning or selling, but he's managed to keep doing both for a while in a state known for shops that fly too close to the sun. While it's true some question Hennessey's service record, it's hard to argue with people continuing to come back.

Besides, the real fun isn't in the showroom, it's on the shop floor, which looks as though it was built as an answer to the question: "Why mess with perfection?" On the day of my visit there are half a dozen Vipers, the first Hennessey Challenger SRT600 in prep, an SRT600 Cherokee, a GT40, a Porsche 911 peppered about a room already littered with vehicles.

My expectation was the Hennessey people would be power-mad tinkerers. While certainly dedicated to the extremes, no one tried to assault me with a Hemi-powered golf cart. However, it is a shop with mechanics who ritually test their tuned cars on the quarter-mile dragstrip behind the shop on the way home. And on the day I visited, John was on his way back from autocrossing in Siberia. They may not be power-mad, but power's most definitely on their minds.

After performing the perfunctory gawk-and-shoot with my camera, it was time to get down to business. My first question is also the most obvious, what do you do when the Viper dies? Dave Golder, long-time LeMons racer and Hennessey General Manager, points out the car is going to be around for a short time and the cars already built aren't going to suddenly disappear. The company is also expanding into new models like the Challenger, opening up a Tuner School and expanding their strip into a full race course.

There are those who would scoff at the audacity of the company's mission, which is to take already powerful cars to their extreme. There are those who turn their noses up to the company's owner — calling him audacious. But dropping the hammer on my normally-aspirated car as I charged down the track towards I-10, I couldn't help thinking what the car might sound like with a pair of turbochargers. Audacity, apparently is contagious... though affluence, unfortunately, is not.

(also see Future Hennessey Plans , Hennessey Challegner SRT600 Exclusive First Look and Weird Hennessey Vehicles)

Here's what Hennessey found on their dyno: On the first pull, the Challenger put down 527 HP (rear wheel) and 575 lb-ft of torque. The second time they were able to squeeze out 536 HP (rear wheel) and 582 lb-ft of torque.

The SRT600 is going to get its debut at their track this weekend during the Midnight 1320 drags so we'll have a better idea of how well that power gets to the ground. Either way, we can say that this Challenger is going to be quite the sleeper driving around town.

(also see our tour of Hennessey HQ, Future Hennessey Plans and Weird Hennessey Vehicles)

John's boys from Texas are still in the process of tweaking the Challenger, but expect a 0-to-60 mph time in the low four-second or high three-second range, and a quarter-mile time in the sub-12.0 second area. Hennessey only plans to make a limited numbers of their extremest Challenger, so now there's one more hoop to jump through for those who already did the footwork to get an SRT8.

Photo Credit: Matt Hardigree / Jalopnik