John Hennessey and the team at Hennessey Performance recently got thier hands on a brand new 2017 Camaro ZL1. After being hyped up by Chevy for months before its official release, John decided to overlook the mere 26 miles on the odometer and see what this baby could do– taking it from zero to its top speed of 173mph.

As many of you probably already know, the 2017 ZL1 shares the same motor as the Z06 Corvette, the LT4 V8. There’s no doubt that it’s an incredible engine, as it’s pushing around 640 horsepower straight out of the factory.

Soon following Hennessey’s video showing us the ZL1’s top speed, he released a comparison video where he lined up these two incredible cars. Even when two cars like these house the same motor, there are many factors that play a role in getting them to deliver that power in the same way– in this case, we expected quite a difference. The ZL1 was equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission and the Z06 with a 7-speed automatic; there is quite a difference in weight between the two and both are on different tires. But, undeniably (as there is now video proof), these cars perform very similar. “[It was] a lot closer than we were expecting,” said John.

As we are approaching a time where a mid-engined ‘Vette is extremely likely, many are wondering… Will the new mid-engine vehicle replace the Corvette as we know it, or will it be just another option, like the release of the Grand Sport? Well, after seeing this comparison, we think both are completely possible! While probably all of us would be sad to see the classic Corvette platform retire, the 2017 ZL1 could easily take its place.

At this rate, do you think the ZL1 has what it takes to replace and throw out the Corvette as we know it?