Key Takeaways
Hennessey boosts already powerful cars to insane levels, like the VelociRaptoR 1000 & TRX Mammoth 6×6.
The Venom 1200 Mustang GT500 and Twin-Turbo Dodge Demon 1700 are beasts with over 1,000 horsepower each.
Hennessey’s craziest creation, Project Deep Space, features six wheels, gullwing doors, and a unique design.
When it comes to tuning and modification, there’s nothing quite like Hennessey Performance. The Texas-based tuner is never content with stock figures, regardless of how powerful cars have become. It will always find a way to extract more power from a vehicle – be it a truck, a sports car, or even a station wagon.
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While the recently unveiled H850 Cadillac Escalade-V is already an incredible build, it pales in comparison to Hennessey Performance’s other creations in its portfolio, which have grown larger each year. We’ve listed below some of the company’s wildest creations, all with a stamp of approval from John Hennessey and his team of wrench-wielding mad scientists.
1
Hennessey VelociRaptoR 1000 – A Truck That Can Beat Supercars
The Ford F-150 Raptor R is by no means a slacker. The top-dog full-size truck is the most potent version of the performance truck, yielding 700 horsepower and 640 lb-ft of torque from the 5.2-liter V8. But those figures aren’t enough for Hennessey, equipping the Raptor R with an upgraded 3.8-liter supercharger, high-flow air induction, billet fuel rails, a heavy-duty supercharger belt, upgraded fuel lines, an air/oil separator system, and Hennessey’s engine management calibration.
The result is the VelociRaptoR 1000, which delivers 1,043 hp, which is a 40% increase in power. The so-called “Super Truck” can hit 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.1 seconds, while a quarter-mile sprint is doable in 11.4 seconds at 122 mph – supercar performance from a vehicle that towers above almost anything on the road.
“The VelociRaptoR 1000 is now the apex predator of pick-up trucks. The Raptor has been the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of trucks ever since it went into production. Our VelociRaptoR 1000 upgrade, with new wheels, tires, and big Brembo brakes takes this amazing, all-purpose vehicle and makes it the 911 Turbo S of trucks. It’s as good as it gets, period.” – John Hennessey, company Founder and CEO
2
Hennessey TRX Mammoth 6×6 – When Four Wheels Aren’t Enough
There have been several versions of the Mammoth 1000 over the years, Hennessey Performance’s version of the Ram TRX. They all proudly churn out 1,000 hp and 969 lb-ft of torque, thanks to an upgraded supercharger system and engine control management, among several other upgrades inside and out.
But probably the wildest of all the Mammoths is the Mammoth 6×6, which, as its name implies, adds another axle to the equation, resulting in a truck that’s not to be trifled with. Even better, the show-stopper of a truck comes with locking rear axles for maximum off-road capability.
Many 6×6 conversions don’t bother hooking up the third axle to the four-wheel drive system, which means the extra set of wheels is simply dragged along. That’s not the case with this truck. All six wheels are constantly driven, so this really is as good as traction gets.
3
Hennessey Venom 1200 Mustang GT500
Before the Ford Mustang GTD or the Shelby American Super Snake – both producing over 800 hp – the most powerful Mustang you could buy was the Mustang Shelby GT500, producing 760 bhp and 625 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged 5.2-liter V8. But for Hennessey Performance, these were not enough, which is why it introduced the Venom 1200 Mustang GT500 in 2022.
Armed with enhancements like a higher capacity 3.8-liter supercharger, a high-flow induction system, new fuel rails and injectors, and an air/oil separation system, the Venom 1200 Mustang GT500 makes 1,204 hp and 902 lb-ft of torque – an incredible 58% increase over stock.
There is a bit of controversy around the claimed power output, however. Shortly after it went on sale, an example was put on a dyno, and it could only muster 1,000 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque. Still, that’s still a lot more than the standard GT500.
4
Hennessey-Tuned Audi RS6 Avant
We’ve seen several tuned examples of the Audi RS6 Avant, and as long-roof lovers, we are always delighted by their existence. However, Hennessey Performance took this further in 2021 by taking its tuned RS6 Avant, owned by John Hennessey’s wife, and subjecting it to a ridiculous speed record. With a six-foot Douglas Fir strapped on top, the RS6 Avant hit 183 mph, making it the world’s fastest station wagon with a Christmas tree on the roof. It’s an odd record, but as gearheads and fans of the festive season, we love it.
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Unfortunately, most of these never made it to the USA.
As for the modifications, they’re relatively mild by Hennessey standards. The RS6 has a modified exhaust system and an ECU tune, which is enough to increase the standard 600 horses to 800 hp. Interestingly, John Hennessey initially wanted to break this record with his tuned Porsche 911 Turbo S, but the coupe could only hit 175 mph.
Breaking this record has now become a tradition, and Hennessey did it again in December 2022. It used the Mustang mentioned above and took that tree all the way to 192 mph.
5
Hennessey Twin-Turbo Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is the most powerful version of the muscle car and the last of its kind, producing 1,025 horses right off the showroom. That’s literally enough power to lift the front wheels on a prepped surface, so did Hennessey really need to tune this devilish whip? Of course, it did.
However, Hennessey Performance, with its penchant for increasing horsepower, announced that it’s upgrading 12 examples of the Demon 170, turning them into the Demon 1700. This will be done by replacing the blower with a pair of turbos, resulting in a 1,700 hp output. That’s effectively the power output of a Demon 170 and a Challenger Hellcat combined.
Hennessey Performance has yet to introduce the production version of the twin-turbo Demon 1700 but claimed that the target performance is a quarter-mile time of 7.9 seconds at 175 mph while burning E85 ethanol.
6
BONUS: Hennessey Project Deep Space
Project Deep Space is definitely Hennessey Performance’s maddest creation. It has six wheels, each with an electric motor, gullwing doors, and a central seat for the driver. Much like the Koenigsegg Gemera, it’s a four-seat hyper-GT with the capacity to carry four pieces of luggage up front and four golf clubs in the rear.
There’s only one reason it’s added as a bonus to this list. The company has yet to introduce a production version since its announcement in 2021. In an interview with CarBuzz earlier this year, Hennessey’s Director of Design, Nathan Malinick, said that Project Deep Space is on pause and will be launched later. He also shared that customers wanted an internal combustion engine instead of electric motors, which is why the Deep Space was put on ice while Hennessey started working on a modern American version of the Porsche Carrera GT.