Hennessey C7 Corvette Runs 200 MPH on Texas Toll Road - Video

Not many cars today can put a 200-plus-mph run on their resumes, but thanks to Hennessey Performance, the 2014 Corvette Stingray can rightfully lay claim to this remarkable feat.

Hennessey Performance broke the 200-mph barrier with its souped-up Corvette Stingray. With company founder John Hennessey behind the wheel, the 'Vette achieved a top speed of 200.6 mph. The Corvette's run was verified by both the VBox GPS-based data acquisition system and by radar courtesy of some Texas state troopers observing from the sidelines.

Texas State Highway 99, located just west of Houston, played host to the Stingray's run. This particular section is brand new and known as the Grand Parkway. The new toll road section will open to the public Saturday, Dec. 21, but thanks to the Texas Department of Transportation, it provided a perfectly pristine location to test the Hennessey Performance Corvette.

Straight from the factory, the base C7 Corvette Stingray's total output comes to 455 hp, making it a 180-mph road car. Traveling at speeds close to 200 mph, factors like aerodynamic drag come into play. The Corvette needed to supply serious power to become a member of the elite "over 200" club, so HPE bumped up horsepower to 700 at 6,500 rpm, helping the Stingray break through that "aerodynamic brick wall" as Hennessey likes to call it.

The C7 sported the HPE600 package, which includes long-tube headers, ported factory cylinder heads, high-flow cats, HPE camshaft and HPE ECU tune, as well as a Nitrous Express 100-hp nitrous system.

Hennessey Performance CEO Don Goldman said, "We're thrilled to have validated our upgraded C7's performance at one of the best possible highways not only in America, but the world.