Hennessey cranks Jeep Gladiator to the Max(imus)

Regular V6 Gladiator too puny? Hennessey will put a 1000hp Hellcat V8 in - for a price...

Hennessey has a habit of producing cars that come with four-figure power outputs, but we wonder how many predicted that its latest 1,000hp creation would come in the form of the new Jeep Gladiator. The Texan firm has swapped the Wrangler pick-up's petrol V6 motor for the thumping supercharged 6.2 V8 it uses in the Cherokee HPE1000 Trackhawk, a process that turns the brand new truck into one capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds.

To produce its 1,000hp (and 933lb ft) the 6.2-litre engine works with an uprated ECU, wiring loom and radiator, as well as the HPE1000 fuelling system, like it does in the Trackhawk. In the Maximus, it comes mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox as well as heavy-duty driveshafts and differentials at both. Giving it the vocals to match the aesthetic and performance is a stainless-steel exhaust system.

As you may have noticed from the Maximus's stance, Hennessey has also uprated the Gladiator's chassis with a six-inch-higher off-road suspension kit to leave those thicker diffs visible for your viewing pleasure. It gets aluminium wheels and proper off-road tyres supplied by BFG, toughening up a car that was already butch to begin with. Naturally, the makeover continues inside, where there's new leather trim and embroidered seat.

It's fair to say this is a proper job, although with only 24 Maximuses set for production after a SEMA show debut in Las Vegas next week, Hennessey is asking interested parties to hand over $225,000 (£174k) to bag one. Ouch. Somewhat sets the tone for what we can expect with the company's upcoming Venom hypercar, the 'Fury' V8 of which was recently claimed to be producing 1,842hp, which is expected to contest for a new top speed record now that Bugatti has cracked 300mph with the Chiron.