How long has it been since you last heard about the Chevrolet SS? Too long, probably, but the performance sedan that didn’t manage to make a strong case for itself has been brought back to our attention by Hennessey.
The tuner took a red example and fitted it with the HPE650 upgrade, which consists of a 2.9-liter supercharger, upgraded camshaft, high flow fuel injectors, valvetrain parts, air induction system and long-tube stainless steel headers. After an engine management calibration, the result is an impressive 585 wheel horsepower and 515 pound-feet (698 Nm) of torque on 93-octane gasoline.
Also Read: Review: It’s OK To Nerd Out With The Chevrolet SS
If you’re having a hard time remembering how much the 6.2-liter V8 engine produces in the stock SS, that would be 425 horsepower at the crank, or about the same as the next-gen Mercedes-AMG A45 hot hatch. This means that the, now defunct, sedan can now mix it with the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat – in theory at least, as you can in Hennessey’s dyno test at the bottom of the page.
The HPE650 package can be joined by optional transmission, driveline, exhaust and headers upgrades. Furthermore, Hennessey can also update the suspension and brakes, and will throw in some aftermarket wheels too, which, combined with some exterior, interior and engine plaques and exclusive floor mats, will make the tuned SS stand out even more. As is customary for Hennessey’s products, the HPE650 kit comes with a 3-year / 36,000-mile (57,936 km) warranty.