Deliveries of the 2020 Corvette C8 are currently underway and one of the first went to John Hennessey.
Instead of just picking it up at a local dealership, Hennessey flew to Detroit and took delivery of the model on Friday. Since Detroit is nearly 1,400 miles (2,253 km) away from their base in Texas, Hennessey decided to turn the journey into a road trip.
Almost instantly, Hennessey and his daughter remark how comfortable the car is. John says it’s more comfortable than a McLaren and “drives like a dream.”
Also Read: This Is How Hennessey Will Tune The Corvette C8 Up To 1200 HP
Later in the journey, Hennessey describes the C8 as a “great road trip car” as it’s spacious and comfortable. He goes on to praise the visibility and say the Corvette impressed more than he was expecting.
One of the only things he wasn’t thrilled about was the mandatory break in period. This limits the 6.2-liter V8 engine to just 4,500 RPM for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Later in the trip, the pair stop at the Circuit of the Americas for some baseline testing before beginning modifications. They tapped 15-time SCCA national champion John Heinricy to drive and he posted a lap time of 2:33.
Of course, the whole entire point of getting the Corvette was to modify it. As we have previously reported, Hennessey plans to offer a 1,200 hp (895 kW / 1,217 PS) variant that features twin-turbochargers and an upgraded V8 engine with forged aluminum pistons.
The company is also planning a stainless-steel exhaust system upgrade, CarbonAero accessories and a supercharged variant that produces up to 700 hp (522 kW / 710 PS).
More recently, the car was taken to a dyno where it posed 466 rear wheel horsepower and 451 lb-ft of rear wheel torque. That’s not too shabby considering the Corvette Z51 is rated at 495 hp (369 kW / 502 PS) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque.
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