The 2017 Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 is a Ford Raptor in beast mode

By Albert Khoury Published March 5, 2017

The power-hungry folks at Hennessey Performance (HPE) have been modifying cars of all types for over a quarter century. Where founder and CEO John Hennessey and his firm originally used sporty models from the likes of Porsche, McLaren, Lotus, and Ferrari (among others) as their templates, the offerings have expanded to include SUVs, sedans, and pickup trucks. It is the last of these that is the focus of the latest project from the Texas tuner: The 2017 Hennessey VelociRaptor 600.

The team at Hennessey took the stock Ford Raptor’s 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6 engine and massaged its 450 horsepower up to 605 hp. Torque was also increased from 510 pound-feet to 622 lb-ft. As a result, the 0-60 mph time went down to 4.2 seconds, while the quarter mile time measured 12.9 seconds at 110 mph.

“Our last VelociRaptor 600 was very popular with our V8 Raptor customers,” said John Hennessey. “We are very excited about our latest upgrades for the twin turbo Ecoboost V6 engines and for our clients upgrade who want even more power, performance, and off-road capability from their new Raptor trucks.”

HPE installed higher-flowing turbos that breathe through a less restricted air induction system. Boost pressure was increased from 18 psi to 21 psi, which is fed through an upgraded front-mount intercooler. A free flow dual stainless steel cat-back exhaust replaced the stock system. The Raptor’s ECU was upgraded to maintain power without adversely affecting drivability.

“We only plan to build 100 units for the 2017 model year,” said Hennessey. “Our customers like having something special and exclusive as well as fast and fun to drive.”

The VelociRaptor 600 upgrade costs $22,500 (on top of what you’ll pay for the stock Raptor) including installation. It can be ordered directly from HPE or Ford dealerships. The VelociRaptor 600 twin turbo upgrade comes with a 3-year/36,000 mile limited warranty from Hennessey.

For an additional $12,995, you can upgrade your 600 with Hennessey’s VelociRaptor Off-Road Package, which includes heavy-duty front and rear bumpers, LED lights, 20-inch Hennessey wheels with 35-inch Toyo tires, and a 3-inch lift.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Al started his career at a downtown Manhattan publisher, and has since worked with digital and print publications. He's…

Cars

2021 Tesla Cybertruck vs. 2021 Ford F-150

Tesla strongly hinted the Cybertruck won't compete in the same segment of the market as the popular Ford F-150, and whether they'll appeal to the same target audience remains to be seen, but the two pickups will inevitably overlap in many areas. Both were designed to tow, haul, venture off the beaten path, and commute.

Keep in mind Tesla won't begin building the Cybertruck until 2021 at the earliest. You can't walk to the nearest Tesla store and take one for a test drive because it's not in production; we haven't even seen the production version of it yet. The comparison with the F-150 is largely hypothetical, and all specs listed here are subject to change.
Design and tech

Cars

Ram 1500 TRX vs. Ford F-150 Raptor

ram trx vs ford f 150 raptor 2021 launch edition jpg image 2880

Trucks are big, powerful, and capable. But the Ram 1500 TRX and Ford F-150 Raptor are bigger, more powerful, and more capable. These aren't normal trucks. When Ram revealed the insane off-road-specced 1500 TRX, comparing it Ford's Raptor was an easy given. The F-150 Raptor has been the champion of full-size off-road trucks since its release for the 2010 model year. Ram wants that title and is using 702 horsepower to claim it. But power isn't everything for these types of trucks; they have to crawl through rocks, jump sand dunes, traverse mud pits, creep through high water, and plow through snowbanks. It takes a lot of engineering to make a 3-ton truck do that. Below, we compare both crazy trucks. Is the TRX the new champ? Decide for yourself.
Power, acceleration, and towing
Ford F-150 Raptor

Ford’s Raptor is powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine that churns out an impressive 450 hp and 510 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic backs the engine. According to Car and Driver, the big truck will hit 60mph in 5.1 seconds on its way to a quarter-mile time of 13.9 seconds at 99mph. If you have towing or hauling duties, the Raptor can tow up to 8,000 pounds and has a payload capacity of up to 1,200 pounds. However, all that can soon change if the rumors of the upcoming Raptor getting the Mustang Shelby GT500’s supercharged V8 are true.
Ram 1500 TRX

Cars

Ford’s plan to go carbon neutral by 2050 is big on promises, light on details

Ford announced this week that it aspires to be carbon neutral by 2050. It's an admirable goal, but actually reaching it will require fundamental changes to the car company’s business -- including cutting emissions from its factories, from its suppliers, and from the vehicles it manufactures -- and some experts want Ford to spell out its interim steps more clearly.

While details on Ford's plan are scarce, one thing that is clear is that the automaker's vehicles make up the biggest piece of the sustainability puzzle. They generate 135 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to Fords most recent sustainability report. That’s 36 times the amount of its facilities' greenhouse gas emissions.