For some reason or another, most likely its all-electric trucks, GM refuses to shoehorn a supercharged V8 under the hood of the Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500. Be that as it may, the aftermarket is much obliged to right this wrong.
Enter Hennessey Performance Engineering and the Hennessey Goliath 650, a supercharged upgrade for the direct-injected small block of the GMC Sierra 1500. This package adds $27,950 to the MSRP of the Sierra 1500 with said engine. There's also something called the Goliath Off-Road, which adds $22,950 worth of go-anywhere parts. Unfortunately, the off-road package is exclusive to the AT4 trim level.
Let's take a moment to run those numbers. The GMC Sierra 1500 with the double cab, short, bed, 6.2-liter V8, and 4x4 retails at $64,745 for the SLT. Adding the Whipple-supplied blower means $92,695. The AT4 retails at $69,990 for the very same configuration as mentioned earlier. The power upgrade and off-road package further add $50,900 to the final price, which is $120,890 at the very least.
The Ford F-150 Raptor R and Ram 1500 TRX are better value, there's no mistaking that! On the other hand, a Hennessey-tuned overlanding rig is way more special than a stock off-road truck, even something as exhilarating as the Predator-engined R and Hellcat-engined TRX. The question is, what kind of goodies are included in the Goliath 650 Off-Road's price?
Let's kick this off with the power upgrade, shall we? In addition to the 3.0-liter Whipple, the Texas-based tuner improves the GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 with high-flow air intakes, high-flow intercooling, chromoly pushrods, a crankcase ventilation system, a cat-back exhaust, and Goliath 650-specific engine management calibration. Every build is tested for up to 500 miles before delivery, and every build is beautified with Hennessey and Goliath badging.
Photo: Hennessey
Covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty, the Goliath 650 can be further improved with optional performance wheels and brakes. The Off-Road package comprises 10-spoke wheels (20-inch wheels at every corner), 35-inch rubber, off-road suspension upgrades, a badass front bumper, a similarly badass rear bumper, and some LEDs for the front bumper.
As you're well aware, GM's truck-specific 6.2 comes with Dynamic Fuel Management whether you want it or not. The system, which can shut off seven of the eight cylinders under light driving loads to save fuel, is – no surprises here – deactivated by the tuner. Hennessey also deactivates the auto stop/start.
Hennessey Performance Engineering didn't mention whether it received GM's blessing to crack open the Sierra's engine control unit or not. Alternatively, the Texas-based tuner could use a third-party solution. Think either HP Tuners or Trifecta Performance.
On that note, what if you're not a fan of the Sierra's design? Hennessey offers three alternatives in the form of the F-150 (either supercharged V8 or twin-turbo V6), the Ranger Raptor, and Ram 1500 TRX. What's more, both the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX can be had as six-wheeled behemoths.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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