Let’s face it, ladies and gents! Without the burble of a good ol’ V8, the F-150 Raptor can’t compete with the aural pleasure of the VelociRaptor V8 from Hennessey. On the other hand, upgrading from six to eight cylinders will set you back the princely sum of $147,950.
For that kind of money, Hennessey is much obliged to demonstrate the VelociRaptor V8 accelerates off the line a bit quicker than the Chevrolet Camaro SS. By the end of the quarter-mile run, it’s the win of the small-block pony car from General Motors. Looking at this race from a different perspective, when was the last time you’ve seen a ‘Maro with 37-inch all-terrain tires, a six-inch suspension lift kit, and dune-bashing capabilities?
Strapped to the dyno, the VelociRaptor V8 posted 557 horsepower and 449 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels. At the crankshaft, by comparison, Hennessey quotes no fewer than 758 horsepower from the Coyote engine and thumpin’ great supercharger. 4.1 seconds to 60 miles per hour and 12.2 seconds for the quarter-mile at 115 mph are other highlights.
Red brake calipers from Brembo, a stainless-steel exhaust system with a cat-back layout, and off-road bumpers are also featured. If you were wondering, the supercharger runs a rather conservative seven pounds of boost. John Hennessey claims that a different wheel-tire combination could translate to an additional 40 horsepower, but nevertheless, the VelociRaptor V8 ticks all the right boxes from the get-go in our book.
With more than 20 orders to date, the no-nonsense pickup also happens to be a commercial success by Hennessey standards. The Texas-based tuner can also work on the EcoBoost V6, and more demanding customers can even go for an impressive 6x6 conversion.
There’s talk Ford Performance could come out with a V8-engined F-150 Raptor as a special edition for 2020 or 2021, but nothing more is known about this topic except for the hearsay in the rumor mill. On that note, have you heard the F-150 Electric is currently in development?
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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