With 650 hp and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) of torque, one could argue that the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is more than fast enough for the street. Hennessey Performance begs to differ.
Back in 2017, the Texas tuner released ‘The Exorcist’, an upgrade package for the Camaro ZL1 1LE launched as a direct response to the Dodge Challenger Demon. The company has been making the Exorcist for a few years now, and in this video, details the process that goes into building it.
Read Also: The Exorcist Is Hennessey’s 1,000 HP ZL1 Rival To The Challenger Demon [w/Video]
Whereas the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 of the ZL1 1LE is capped at 650 hp from the factory, Hennessey has been able to extract 1,000 hp at 6,400 rpm and 966 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. Key upgrades made to the engine include upgraded camshafts, a larger supercharger with 14 psi of boost, ported cylinder heads, long-tube stainless steel headers, custom engine management and a high-flow air induction system.
During this clip, we can see that Hennessey doesn’t actually remove the engine from the Camaro and instead disassembles it while the block remains positioned in the engine bay. Complementing the upgraded engine is a beefed-up transmission that can handle the extra grunt. The video also details the installation of the new Magnuson supercharger that is at the core of the engine upgrades.
Once the car is built, Hennessey straps it to the dyno where it pumps out 849 hp and 750 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. Interestingly, the customer of this ‘Exorcist’ requested the aforementioned Magnuson supercharger as opposed to the Whipple one usually used by Hennessey, as, at 2.65 liters, it is slightly smaller compared to the 2.9 liters of the Whipple unit.