Hennessey Performance Engineering was founded in 1991. The company’s headquarters are located in Sealy, Texas, 45 minutes west of Houston.
One of the first offerings from Hennessey was the Hennessey Venom 650R, a package for the 1996 Dodge Viper GTS. The upgrade brought the engine’s power output to 650 hp (659 PS; 485 kW) at 5,800 rpm and 650 lb⋅ft (881 N⋅m) of torque at 4,500 rpm. The package cost US$108,500, excluding the price of the stock Viper GTS.
In 2010, Hennessey revealed the Hennessey Venom GT, based on the Lotus Exige, with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine rated at 1,244 hp (928 kW). In 2014, three “World’s Fastest Edition” Venom GT coupés were produced to commemorate the car’s speed record run. A roadster variant, the Venom GT Spyder, was launched in 2012, at the request of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, based on the Lotus Elise. Production of the Spyder was limited to five units, with a one-off “Final edition” model bringing the total to six. The final edition gained 204 hp (207 PS; 152 kW) and was 9 lb (4 kg) lighter than the regular Spyder.
The Hennessey Venom F5, successor to the Venom GT, was unveiled at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 1, 2017. The Venom F5 features a bespoke 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, rated at 1,817 hp (1,355 kW; 1,842 PS) and 1,193 lb⋅ft (1,617 N⋅m) of torque. Pennzoil and Shell partnered with Hennessey for the project, aiming for a 300 mph (483 km/h) top speed. Hennessey predicts a 0–186 mph (0–300 km/h) acceleration time of under 10 seconds and 0–249 mph (0–400 km/h) in under 20 seconds. Only 24 Venom F5s will be built, each costing US$1.6 million.
In 2017, Hennessey established the Hennessey Special Vehicles division, tasked with building the Hennessey Venom GT line-up and applying lessons learned to the new Venom F5.
Hennessey has been the subject of numerous lawsuits and Better Business Bureau complaints, with many complaints left unresolved. Court records show judgements have been entered against Hennessey. Jalopnik published an article outlining customer service issues and potential fraud, and Thetruthaboutcars reported on Hennessey allegedly taking customer money without delivering a car.
Hennessey also produces the VelociRaptor SUV, a luxury off-road vehicle modified from the Ford SVT Raptor. Over 400 versions have been made, despite being limited to 30 per year. A second-generation version is based on the 2015 Ford Super Duty Lariat. In 2018, a 6×6 version was made available, featuring an extended frame and extra axle. Two main variants are offered: the VelociRaptorR 1000, based on the 2025 Ford Raptor R, and the VelociRaptorR 500, developed from the Ford Bronco Raptor, producing 500 bhp (373 kW) at 5,700 rpm and 550 lb⋅ft (746 N⋅m) of torque. Other tuning packages include the Hennessey CTS-V, a 2016 Cadillac CTS-V tuned to 1000 horsepower, and the Hennessey Exorcist, an upgrade package for the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, rated at 1,000 hp (1,014 PS; 746 kW) and enabling a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds.
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