Dodge has been running a long, drawn-out teaser campaign ahead of the New York Auto Show, drip-feeding the hungry public information about the Demon. And it's working – we're excited – but it's also given an opportunistic team of Texan tuners at Hennessey a chance to stake its own claim on supernatural muscle car performance and create a rival. Dodge Demon, meet The Exorcist.
Based on the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, the Hennessey Exorcist throws caution to the wind, bumping peak power from 640 hp (477 kW) to a whopping 1,000 hp (746 kW). Peak torque jumps from 868 Nm to 1,310 Nm – almost as much as the quad-turbo W16 in the Bugatti Veyron. All this extra grunt comes courtesy of a high-flow supercharger and intercooler system producing 14 psi of boost.
Hennessey has also rolled up its sleeves and done some old-fashioned tuner work on the engine. Along with ported factory cylinder heads, the team has fitted a new camshaft, long-tube stainless steel headers, a high-flow induction system and, as you'd expect, custom engine management software.
"Equipped with rear drag radial tires, The Exorcist will deliver 0-60 mph times under 3 seconds while running the quarter mile in less than 10 seconds," says company founder and president, John Hennessey. "However, The Exorcist is not just a quarter-mile racer. It's a well-rounded super muscle car that is just as happy on a road course as it is on the dragstrip and street."
It might come from a Texan tuner, but The Exorcist can be ordered from Chevrolet dealers like a regular production model. Alternatively, current ZL1 owners are able to send their cars to Hennessey for the upgrade, but the conversion doesn't come cheap either way. Expect to pay US$55,000 for the 1,000 hp engine modifications and sticker package, along with a two-year/24,000-mi (38,624-km) warranty.
Anyone who wants an automatic Exorcist will also have to stump another $9,950 for a 10-speed transmission, proving a manual is always the correct choice in a muscle car. If the car is being run on the drag strip, Hennessey will sell you a $8,995 drag pack with 315/30 drag radial tires, a tougher driveshaft and tool kit, while the optional road-race package with lightweight wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires will cost $6,995.
Not enough? Owners can have their cars delivered to the Lonestar Motorsports Park, just outside Houston. Given this 1,000 hp beast will hit 60 mph in less than 3 seconds, and hammer through the quarter mile in less than 10 seconds, coming to grips in a controlled environment is probably a good idea.
Just 100 examples will be built every year, and The Exorcist will be unleashed at the Houston Auto Show on April 5.
Source: Hennessey
