Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Hennessey Venom 1000 Sounds Like Muscle Heaven

Those who believe the standard output figures are too low can always turn to the aftermarket. Case in point: Hennessey Performance Engineering has a tuning package rated at 900 horsepower on 93 octane or 1,000 horsepower on E85 flex-fuel. Torque is tremendous at 850 pound-feet (1,152 Nm), and better still, these numbers are backed up by a three-year limited warranty.

In addition to blistering performance on the drag strip, the Venom 1000 sounds like it’s eating Hellcats and Demons for breakfast. As it’s often the case with extreme builds from the Sealy-based tuner, this fellow is flexing a high-flow air induction upgrade and an upgraded supercharger. That’s why the Venom 1000 sounds even more aggressive than the stock car.

Hennessey also works its magic on the fuel injectors, fuel rails, fuel line and fittings, tensioner, as well as the intercooler brick. The list of improvements further includes a different calibration of the dual-clutch box and an air/oil separator that avoids oil build-up and loss. The separator also protects against detonation by preventing excess oil from getting to the cylinders.

Every Venom 1000 is tested for up to 400 miles (644 kilometers) before delivery, and every single example of the breed comes with serialized plaques for the interior and engine compartment. Pricing information hasn’t been released, but I can assure you we’re looking at a $100,000-plus car.

Lest we forget, a brand-new GT500 can be had for $72,900 excluding taxes and extras. The most expensive option of the lot is the Carbon Fiber Track Package at $18,500, while the Carbon Fiber Handling Package is $10,000.