John Hennessey, the Carol Shelby of this generation, has made a name for himself in high performance upgrades for already powerful sports cars. Mostly known for his Hennessey Vipers, Hennessey has upgraded many GM vehicles as well. The latest car coming from Hennessey is the HPE600 Hennessey Camaro convertible. Recently, Jay Leno took a look at this fine piece of machinery. Thanks to Camaro5 for bringing us the news.

The Hennessey Camaro that appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage went straight from the factory to John Hennessey at Hennessey Performance to gain a few exterior modifications and an extra 200 HP. While three-piece Hennessey wheels, larger tires, carbon fiber rocker panel and front splitter, hood stripes and badges were added to the car, it still maintains a relatively stock look. But it’s not the exterior that makes this car unique. It’s what’s under the hood.

In true Hennessey fashion, an Eaton Supercharger was added to the car, creating 602 BHP. Tucked under the factory hood, the supercharger is a 2300cc TVS blower. In addition to the supercharger, the Camaro is also equipped with a K&N air intake, long tube headers and high-flow catalytic converters. Because the Camaro runs at about 10.3:1 compression, only 8 pounds of boost is used. Although this is a high performance package, it still runs on 91-octane pump gas and can get about 20 miles to the gallon.

While the Hennessey Camaro that Leno just tested was an automatic, the HPE600 package can also be put on the manual Camaro. This package can be bolted on any new Camaro, but John Hennessey suggests starting off with an SS if you want the full potential of the Hennessey conversion.

So how much does this Hennessey Camaro convertible run? For the base convertible, you’ll spend about $40,000. To add the Hennessey package, you’re looking at about $15,000 for the engine upgrades installed and with a warranty. The extra upgrades, such as wheels, tires and carbon fiber trim pieces, will cost about another $10,000. All together, you’re looking at about a $65,000 car. While this is a bit pricey, Leno states that he thinks Hennessey cars are going to increase in value and be collectors items in the future. Complete with a Hennessey serial number, each car is documented and part of an elite few that have undergone modification from Hennessey Performance.

Leno definitely seemed to enjoy himself driving the Hennessey Camaro convertible around. He even seemed impressed at how quiet the car was at cruising speed but powerful and throaty when he got on it. We must say, we were just as impressed as Leno was with the car. Although this doesn’t come as a surprise to us- after all, it is a creation of automotive great John Hennessey.