The Ford F-150 Raptor R is already one of the most powerful pickup trucks that money can buy today, with way more than enough power from the factory than mere mortals know what do to with. Still, leave it to those mad Texans over at Hennessey to up the ante and turn the wick up to 11, with the brand’s new Hennessey VelociRaptoR 1000 “super truck” adding 40% more power than Ford’s skunkworks was able to crank out. That puts the VelociRaptoR 1000’s total output to about 1,043bhp… A huge increase of 300+ horsepower over Ford’s factory specs.
It’s already the best-selling modified sports truck, given that Hennessey has built thousands of these VelociRaptoR trucks since 2009. Since then, the VelociRaptoR 1000 has raised the bar for the levels of performance you can really put in a pickup. We’re talking about supercar-like speeds, hitting 0-60mph in just 3.1 seconds. And, blasting through the 1/4-mile in a mere 11.4 seconds, hitting 122mph. Yet, Hennessey is still happy to offer you a comprehensive 36,000-mile or 3-year warranty (whichever comes first). So, what kind of black magic is going on here?
Supercharging A Super Truck
The biggest changes come courtesy of a 3.8-litre Whipple supercharger, an uprated high-flow air induction system, anodized billet fuel rails, and a heavy-duty supercharger belt. On top of that, they’ve added an upgraded fuel line (with heavy-duty fittings), and an air/oil separator system. Most importantly, to keep these in check, Hennessey has thrown in their bespoke HPE engine calibration and management system. They’re really pushing the limits on that distinct cross-plane V8 on the Ford F-150 Raptor R, though that won’t compromise its truck-ness.
To ensure that you could still make use of the F-150’s go-anywhere capability, the Hennessey VelociRaptoR 1000 comes with a 3-inch lift, in addition to a front and rear suspension levelling kit. These are then paired with unique front and rear bumpers, as well as a set of gargantuan 20-inch Hennessey-specific wheels, and huge 37-inch off-road tyres. And, to make sure you’d still be able to climb up and into your super truck, the VelociRaptoR 1000 features power fold-out side steps. All in all, that ought to ensure that you can off-road with maximum swiftness.
Super-Fast, On-Road Or Off-Road
As you can imagine, with this much power at hand, the Hennessey VelociRaptoR 1000 is going to need a large set of brakes to stop it on a dime. Thankfully, Hennessey offers an optional set of 6-piston upgraded Brembo performance brakes. The default brakes should be sufficient, but hey, if you’re going to push it that hard, it should be worthwhile adding that safety net. Unlike smaller-scale tuning shops, with 33 years of experience under their belt, Hennessey does take tuning quite seriously. All of their vehicles go through extensive dyno tuning and road tests.
And, you can rest assured knowing that this tyre-shredding performance is backed by rigorous R&D and testing. It’s by far the most impressive and refined modified super truck we’ve seen so far, with supreme on-road performance, yet it retains the F-150’s off-road capability. Although, if you’re thinking of getting one, it’s best to hurry. Hennessey only plans to make just 500 units of the VelociRaptoR 1000, and they’re expected to sell out quite fast. If you’re interested, check out Hennessey’s website to see if you could be one of the lucky few to own a piece of history.
