There’s a subset of American tuning companies that likes to take the country’s most brutal cars – Mustangs, Challengers, Corvettes – and endow them with even greater performance figures.
Callaway is one of the best-known, a long-time proponent of making already-brisk Corvettes go very fast indeed. Its latest, with 757bhp and 777lb ft of torque, is its fastest yet.
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The performance numbers are impressive too – 60mph is reached in 2.8 seconds, and the all-important quarter mile falls in 10.5sec at 131mph.
As Callaway puts it, ‘size matters’ – a line of thinking that’s led to a physically larger supercharger for the 6.2-litre LT4 V8 than the standard Z06 unit, at 2300cc compared to 1740cc.
The GenThree Supercharger thus adds over a hundred horsepower to the standard Z06’s 650bhp, and an extra 127lb ft of torque. The torque band is wider too – while its peak extends to 6200rpm, a full 500lb ft is produced in a wide band between 2000 and 6400rpm.
Extra power requires extra cooling demands, to which end Callaway fits a triple-element intercooler to reduce inlet charge air. Like the previous-generation ZR1, the supercharger has little room under the standard bonnet, its housing poking through for all to see. The practical benefit of this is extra convective cooling – airflow over the car helps carry away heat.
A three-year or 36,000 mile warranty matches that of the standard factory warranty, welcome peace of mind with such large power gains. Other standard equipment includes carbonfibre engine covers, a new high-flow air intake, interior embellishments, a unique Callaway plaque and special badging.
All that runs to $16,995, on top of the Z06’s $79,000 base price – equivalent to around £10,900 on top of £50,500 at current exchange rates. In other words, you get 757bhp for the price of the new, 370bhp Boxster Spyder. Few will cross-shop the two cars, but America’s ‘bang for buck’ reputation certainly remains intact.
You can watch our video review of the standard Chevrolet Corvette Stingray below:
