A Closer Look At The Hennessey VelociRaptor 600-HP Off-Road Beast

2022-08-26 21:44:40 By : Ms. Patty Tsai

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With the VelociRaptor, Hennessey has built the ultimate Ford pickup monster!

Hennessey recently announced the start of production of its new VelociRaptor 600 that's based on the awesome Ford F-150 Raptor truck. The VelociRaptor makes 558hp and 672 lb-ft of torque, as opposed to the stock Raptor's 510 lb-ft of torque. When Hennessey put the Ford VelociRaptor to the test on a drag strip, the way the truck pulled was satisfactory enough to tell if it was faster than the stock Raptor.

Initial acceleration was reported to be great, and under hard acceleration, it simply darted ahead, leaving the stock Raptor far behind. The additional 162 lb-ft of torque was more than evident. The VelociRaptor 600 4x4 pick-up can sprint from 0-60mph in just 4.2 seconds - it looks like it's fit to take on sports sedans, and have them bite the dust!

The folks at Hennessey have worked on improving air induction by incorporating a high-capacity intercooler with a blow-off valve and a heavily revised engine-management system in the stock Raptor, to ensure a bump-up in performance of the 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine. This is no ordinary Ford!

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Hennessey shouldn't be new to you if you've heard about their record-breaking hypercars: the Venom GT and the Venom V5. Those cars are fast enough to tear up the wind, instead of the wind tearing them up. Hennessey also specializes in tuning and re-engineering normal vehicles into high-performance ones.

The Texas-based company has worked on over 12,000 vehicles from all around the world and has never left a single customer dissatisfied. Apart from modifying sports cars and muscle cars since 1991, Hennessey also works on some of America's favorite trucks and SUVs.

Every vehicle that exits the facility is tested on a dyno, a track, and is warrantied, apart from being street-legal. Customers are spoiled for choice - Hennessey doesn't spare Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches either.

Give Hennessey a stock car, SUV, or truck, and they'll turn it into a machine that'll make you scream. The company works on brands like Dodge, Ford, Jeep, and Chevrolet, and should you want your new whip dialed up to eleven, there is a range of high-performance upgrades to choose from.

The company has its test track as well, a team of 80 members, with a capacity to work on about 50 vehicles at a time. These guys are huge on skills, and the all-new V8-powered Venom F5 hypercar says a lot about John Hennessey and his passion for building extremely fast cars.

The Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 looks largely similar to the stock Ford F-150 Raptor. You'll have to look hard to spot the details that make it a Hennessey-tuned product. The front and rear bumpers look so much more imposing with integrated LED lights and massive 20-inch Hennessey wheels.

Opt for the 'Off-Road' upgrade, and you get 37-inch off-road tires plus a suspension-leveling kit. You can also have huge, six-piston Brembo front brakes that will improve braking performance.

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If you've seen too many Ford F-150 Raptors on the road, it's most likely that half of them are tuned by Hennessey. The company has been belting out thousands of VelociRaptor trucks over the years now, to customers across the globe.

The common choice is believed to be the performance upgrade, along with the off-road package which includes off-road tires, bumpers, and wheels. But you'll first have to buy yourself a stock Raptor and then have Hennessey work on it, taking the price up a fair bit. The 2022 VelociRaptor is limited to just 250 units.

As part of Hennessey's testing evaluations, the vehicle is put through some intense off-roading in different temperatures to test if all the upgrades made to the exhaust, engine, and suspension are up to the mark. Extreme environments are a part of the list, but we don't see too many customers taking their expensive VeloiRaptors out in the open - unless they've got enough money in the bank to buy another.

However, carrying out these tests is a way of proving to people that these are not your average pick-ups. Hennessey took the VelociRaptor to the Glamis Sand Dunes, one of the most challenging terrains in California. It's not just hot weather the truck is tested in, but cold weather too. So they tested the VelociRaptor 600 in the mountains as well. It was tested for grip and evaluation of the upgraded mechanical components.

With something that's tested in extreme conditions, and looks the way it does in these images, we'd say go ahead and make a deal with them, because, with Hennessey, you're upgrading your truck to be the best one on the street; one that'll have all the attention in the world - and a comprehensive, 3-year/36,000 warranty is the cherry on the cake!

Rehan got published for the first time at the age of 17, having written a feature on a Triumph Herald in print. He uses his writing as a tool to express his fondness for all things automotive even today, aged 28. Collecting scale models is a hobby close to his heart, and he wishes to sprinkle pixie dust on them only to see them grow into full-sized cars. He now represents HotCars.com.