One-up your neighbor’s Hellcat with the 1000-hp 2019 Yenko Corvette Stage II
The Yenko name traces its performance roots back to the mid-1960s, when a dealership of the same name in Pennsylvania was stuffing big-blocks under the hoods of Chevrolets. That dealership closed up shop in the 1980s, but Specialty Vehicle Engineering (formerly known as Street Legal Performance) wants the legacy to live on through models like the 2019 Yenko/SC Corvette Stage II.
The starting point is the track-capable Corvette Grand Sport. SVE dials the LT1 engine up to 1000 hp and 875 lb-ft of torque by boring and stroking the short block to a displacement of 6.8 liters (up from 6.2 liters) using a forged rotating assembly that can handle plenty of boost. A 2.9-liter supercharger pressurizes the intake charge as it flows through a larger throttle body and LT4 cylinder heads.
Of course, there is also the requisite sticker and embroidery package that announces the heritage of your 1000-hp beast to the world. Buyers can choose between an eight-speed automatic or seven-speed manual transmission, with the option to have the automatic receive additional strengthening.
The whole package also has an apparent ease of ordering to it—just drop by your local Chevrolet dealer, as long as they work with SVE. Once the order is placed, Chevrolet leaves your Grand Sport on SVE’s doorstep where it undergoes a month-long transformation. The bill, however, is not as easy to swallow—expect to fork over $68,995 on top of the cost of a Corvette Grand Sport with the Z07 package, and an additional $9000 if you want the automatic, according to pricing obtained from SVE.
SVE is planning just 25 examples of the 1000-hp Stage II, however the company does offer an 835-hp Stage I version as well. While the Yenko treatment does void the standard car’s warranty, SVE offers for the Stage II a three-year/36,000-mile warranty for the engine and supercharger components, and also a three-year/36,000- mile warranty for non-powertrain components. If you opt for the heavy-duty automatic transmission, it carries a one-year/12,000 mile warranty.
