Behold the Hennessey VelociRaptoR 6x6
700hp F-150 not crazy enough? Hennessey has a solution, of course
Perhaps one day a car will emerge from its factory sufficiently wild that Hennessey won’t see fit to offer anything in terms of upgrades. It will already be more than powerful enough, more than daft enough, more than, er, six-wheeled enough. But we aren’t there just yet.
Almost, though. While perhaps not the most noteworthy feature of this Hennessey VelociRaptoR 6x6, it’s worth stating that this has no more power than standard. Quite a big deal for a company that’s forged its reputation in four-figure power outputs. So buyers, for now, must make do with the standard 700hp and 640lb ft from the GT500-donated supercharged V8. Don’t bet against Hennessey adding to that total in time.
Especially with all the extra traction afforded by a second locking rear axle (!). Hennessey reckons there’s more than 50 per cent extra tractive grip than standard, which is encouraging given there’s only 50 per cent more axles and tyres. The extended box frame to accommodate has practical benefits too, if you ignore how difficult getting a six-wheeled truck anywhere might be: cargo capacity is up more than 45 per cent, from a 1.67-metre long load bed to a 2.4m one. Hennessey has jacked the VelociRaptoR 6x6 up three inches to better accommodate its 20-inch wheels and the 37-inch off-road tyres.
It wouldn’t be a Ford Raptor truck without looking mean as hell, and it wouldn’t be a Hennessey Raptor without cranking the intimidation factor up a notch. So this new 6x6 gets new bumpers, lights and badging, which ought to get the message across if the other modifications don’t quite do the job.
Hennessey’s dimensions for the VelociRaptoR read more like those for a small ship than a roadgoing craft: nearly 27 feet long (8.2m), and about 7 feet (2.1m) in height and width. The weight is quoted as ‘approximately’ 6,500 pounds, which is actually less than three tonnes. Could be worse…
John Hennessey said of the truck: “The supercharged V8 in the Raptor R perfectly complements our limited edition ‘VelociRaptoR 6×6’ package. The upgrade boosts traction and improves utility, which makes the 6x6 practical and functional. It's a real blast to drive – I consider it a go-anywhere supertruck with head-turning stage presence!” Amazingly, the 6x6 can be ordered through certain Ford retailers as well as Hennessey themselves, and is available for international shipping - yikes. What a way to blow half a million bucks…
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