New Hennessey H700 C8 Corvette – a 708bhp answer to the Maserati MC20 Cielo
Hennessey's H700 is a Corvette convertible with sledgehammer performance. Is it a genuine supercar alternative?
Hennessey is gunning for the production car top speed record with its Venom F5 this year, but for those who can't stretch to the hypercar, this should provide a healthy dose of V8 fury. Meet the H700 – a modified C8 Corvette convertible offering more power than Chevrolet's own Z06.
As we've come to expect from Hennessey, the numbers are absurd. Beginning with a standard C8 convertible, the Texan tuner modifies the 6.2-litre V8 with a new induction system, a supercharger and an air-to-water intercooler to achieve 708bhp and 638lb ft of torque. That’s an astonishing 218bhp and 173lb ft more than the base car, and beyond the reach of thoroughbred supercars like Maserati’s MC20 Cielo.
The engine breathes out through a bespoke cat-back exhaust system, and Hennessey offers a host of other upgrades – including an active exhaust valve, forged 19-inch wheels and unique liveries – to go with the extra power.
No chassis changes have been detailed, and while the standard C8 has composure and precision in abundance, asking it to deal with 44 per cent more power could be a step too far. For reference, the Z06 gets bigger brakes, larger wheels and tyres, stiffer springs and an aero pack to help transfer 670bhp to the road.
The C8 convertible weighs 37kg more than the coupe at 1767kg, and comes with the Z51 Performance Package as standard in the UK. This includes larger brake discs with uprated pads, retuned suspension, an improved cooling system and a unique final drive ratio for the eight-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. Needless to say, we wouldn't fit the H700 kit without this extra equipment…
The upgrade can be applied to any C8 convertible built from 2020 onwards, and is available through authorised Corvette dealerships. As of now a new C8 convertible will set you back around £100,000 – pricing for the H700 package hasn’t been announced, but the kit is backed up by a three-year/36,000 mile warranty.
