The world has an addiction to speed, and this new car from an iconic American manufacturer has that in spades. The electrification of the automotive sector has led to the development of some truly incredible vehicles. Despite the world’s embrace of the electric motor, this new supercar runs on good old gasoline. Speed records are a great yardstick to measure a car’s performance and downforce, not to mention how the car harmoniously puts those two together on the road. This new car is a symphony of power and downforce with its 1064 HP engine and purpose-built body.
The exclusivity of the 1,000 horsepower club is shrinking by the day
Not that long ago, if you wanted to buy a car that had 1,000 HP, your choices were limited. The first notable car that had the 1,000 HP tag was the revolutionary Bugatti Veyron. The Veyron completely changed what was previously thought possible in a road car. The 1,000 HP came from a beast of an engine; the heart of the Veyron was a quad-turbocharged W16, essentially two narrow-angle VR8 engines joined together at a 90-degree angle, sharing a common crankshaft.
While the Veyron was officially the fastest car in the world and completely changed the possibilities of what an engine was capable of, the rest of the automotive world was eager not to be left behind. The problem was that to create a car that could challenge the kind of power that the Veyron had, huge investments in research and development were necessary.
Being a nation that lives out of their cars, America was keen to get in on the 1,000 HP game. Hennessy is a Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and car modifier. Their first attempt at the 1,000 HP was developed in partnership with Dodge. The Hennessy Venom 1000 Viper was a modified Dodge Viper with an upgraded 8.5-liter V-10 engine. Since then, the hypercars that we are being presented with mostly feature an electric motor, turning them into hybrids.
Which American carmaker is responsible for the 1,064 HP hypercar?
With Hennessy laying the foundation for the future, more American manufacturers have dedicated a substantial amount of time and resources in an attempt to bring the speed and power records back to the shores of the United States. The “big three” American auto giants have massive budgets and huge resources that they can use to create something truly special, and now one American icon of the industry has done so with one of their flagship models.
The Corvette ZR1 has just been released, and it is breaking records. The 1,064 HP comes to us via a 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged LT7 DOHC flat-plane crank V8 engine. The ZR1 broke the speed record on a test track in Germany, with General Motors President Mark Reuss at the wheel. The car looks exactly like a Corvette should, with sharp lines and a futuristic body shape designed for speed and downforce.
The very first Chevrolet Corvette was made in 1953 and has served Chevrolet extremely well over the years. Chevrolet is a brand steeped in American tradition and values. They have achieved massive global success through strategic partnerships and incredible cars like the Corvette. The electrification of America’s roads and cars has led to the EV becoming the car of choice for the climate-conscious car buyer, but none of that sentiment exists here with Corvette.
Is this the last gasoline-powered Corvette we will see in our lifetime?
America’s fascination with speed has never been in doubt. The new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 could be the very last gasoline-powered, 100% American, record-breaking car we see in our lifetime. Chevrolet released their vision for an electric Corvette with the 2024 Corvette E-Ray, a hybrid Corvette with a 6.2L V-8 engine and an electric motor to power the front wheels. The ZR1 has the speed record of 233 MPH, for now. The hybrid cars being developed by the world’s automotive giants may look to dethrone the ZR1. For now, at least, Chevrolet holds the title.
