Hennessey is taking its most powerful muscle car, the Venom 1200 Mustang GT500, to production. Stock muscle cars will have to duck and cover.
Hennessey belts out fast cars that go even faster at the same rate the World Wrestling Entertainment introduces new fighters to the ring. The Texas-based tuning firm, which also manufactures one of the fastest hypercars in the world, has just confirmed production for its new Venom 1200 Mustang GT500.
For Hennessey, a stock car is great, but it simply isn't fast enough, which is why its latest reveal is based on the fire-breathing, factory-produced Ford. Yup, we are talking of the mighty Mustang Shelby GT500 – a car so iconic, that scale model manufacturers of all kinds are fighting tooth and nail to bring out the most detailed replicas for us lesser mortals.
Without beating around the bush too much, the Venom 1200 Mustang GT500 is one of the most ridiculously powerful muscle cars ever made by Hennessey Performance. Beneath the hood of the factory-stock Shelby GT500 sits a temperamental, hand-built supercharged 5.2-liter V8 with an output of 770hp and 625 lb-ft of torque.
Ford claims – and as journalists have proven – it is the most powerful factory engine plonked into the pony car. However, Ford's a little liberal by way of letting tuners like Hennessey get their hands on it, and transform it into a supercar slayer.
We've known Hennessey and what they do for quite some time now, and it's no surprise to see what they've made of the stock Shelby Mustang GT500. The grease monkeys at the Texas-based tuning firm experiment, test and incorporate a wide range of enhancements, making a factory-setup car almost disappear in thin air by bumping up horsepower and torque figures to margins that make you read them twice.
The car you see in these images comprises a higher-capacity, 3.8-liter supercharger, a high-flow induction system, new fuel rails and injectors, and an air/oil separation system. It also features tensioners, lines, belts, and other fittings that have seen enhancements, while the dual-clutch transmission has been re-calibrated for the maximum power output possible.
The Venom 1200 Mustang GT500 has even been calibrated on Hennessey's in-house dynamometer before being put to the test. The moment you've been handed the keys to your new go-faster Mustang, you'll have 1,220hp and 902 lb-ft of torque under your right foot – that's an eye-popping 58% increase in power over the stock GT500.
John Hennessey himself is hugely impressed by the stock GT500, but he's not going to utter a word about why he wouldn't make it go faster, sound louder, and look cooler because that's what he does to pay his bills. They've pushed the envelope with the Venom 1200. The engineers have squeezed out 400 more horses from the engine, taking performance levels right up there, with some of the best supercars.
There aren't too many cars in the world that offers a blistering performance of this kind, specifically at this price point. The Venom 1200 package offers professional upgrades to the stock 5.2-liter V8 engine. Plus, you get cool exterior badging and an exclusive serial-numbered plaque.
Hennessey will build only 66 units of the car for the global market. Customers will also get to treat themselves to the iconic 1966 24 Hours of Daytona Ford Mark ll GT40 livery, which includes the red, white, and black theme you see in the images, but it'll set you back by $4,950. Which isn't a lot of money, if you're buying one of these hot-blooded muscle cars.
For a car that's got a supercharged V8, huge brakes and tires, adaptive suspension, and aerodynamic bodywork, the Mustang GT500 is a bit more than a muscle car: it's a muscle car with the intent of a track car – and one that'll do the errands very well. You're lucky if you're living in the United States, working a well-paying job, because Ford made the GT500 for someone like you: the hardcore, deserving enthusiast.
From what we've learned about the GT500 so far, it's a car you can live with, but not without a bit of yelling from the neighbors. Mustangs have to be daily-driver-friendly, and the GT500 is no exception. You can race it at a drag strip, scare the wits out of your grandmother with 0-60 acceleration times, or pick up some cheese from the superstore, and it still won't break.
It's a fast car that's not expensive to run, and apart from routine maintenance, the Mustang is highly unlikely to bother you. Owning a high-performance car like the GT500 is a thing of pride – and getting yourself the Venom 1200 should make you feel like you've just demolished the stock muscle car establishment.
The stock GT500 is an easy car to drive if you're responsible, and the Hennessey-tuned Venom 1200 shouldn't be any different, although it does have everything dialed up to eleven. Ford has created a masterpiece, and Hennessey has come into the picture, and turned it into what could easily be a muscle car with multiple steroid shots in the arm!
Sources: Hennessey, Ford
Rehan got published for the first time at the age of 17, having written a feature on a Triumph Herald in print. He uses his writing as a tool to express his fondness for all things automotive even today, aged 28. Collecting scale models is a hobby close to his heart, and he wishes to sprinkle pixie dust on them only to see them grow into full-sized cars. He now represents HotCars.com.
