At the present moment, Chevrolet can’t do better than the small-block V8 in free-breathing specification for the Silverado 1500. The horsepower and torque figures are more than adequate for a light-duty pickup truck, but the competition can do better. Much better, as a matter of fact, thanks to forced induction.
On the one hand, we have the Ford Motor Company with the EcoBoost V6 and plug-in hybrid PowerBoost V6. Ram has also joined the party for the 2021 model year, promising more than 700 horsepower from the all-new TRX.
General Motors, however, doesn’t intend to take them on because electrification is the name of the game for the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit. Not long now, the GMC Hummer EV will be revealed with an astounding 1,000 horsepower, a stupefying 11,500 pound-feet of torque, and a diagonal driving mode.
In other words, your only chances of performance-oriented ‘Rados is to go aftermarket. Hennessey is much obliged to crank out the small-block V8 to eleven for the right price, and on this occasion, the Texas-based tuner has treated us to Goliath 700 donuts to the tune of V8 burble and supercharger whine.
This package consists of a 2.9-liter blower and high-flow everything in addition to CNC ported heads, a hotter camshaft, and Chromemoly hardened pushrods. Every Goliath 700 comes with exterior and interior badging from Hennessey, serialized plaques for the dashboard and engine, as well as a limited warranty.
Three years or 36,000 miles, to be more precise. On top of the “standard package” if you can call it that, Hennessey Performance Engineering offers an off-road upgrade in the guise of 35-inch Toyo rubber shoes, a 6.0-inch lift, 20-inch wheels with a 10-spoke design, and a Goliath heavy-duty front bumper.
Care to guess how much these babies cost? Well, the power upgrade is close to $27k while the off-road shenanigans add $15 to the tally. Add up the numbers and include the starting price of the Silverado 1500 in Z71 guise, and you’re looking at a more expensive truck than the F-150 Raptor and Ram TRX.
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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