Automotive

Hennessey wants to exorcise Dodge's Demon with 1,000 hp monster

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The Dodge Demon isn't here yet, but it already has a mortal rival 
The Exorcist is aimed directly at the Dodge Demon
The stickers on The Exorcist are part of the Hennessey package 
Hennessey is taking this Exorcist name seriously 
The 1,000 hp Exorcist has been forged in the Hennessey factory
The ZL1 Camaro will need an automatic gearbox upgrade to handle the extra power of The Exorcist package
Hennessey is selling The Exorcist through Chevrolet dealerships
The Dodge Demon isn't here yet, but it already has a mortal rival 
Hennessey has turned up the wick on the ZL1 with a more powerful supercharger 
The interior of the Exorcist is unchanged from the ZL1
Hennessey will turn the car over to customers at Lonestar Motorsports Park
The drag pack Exorcist has a tougher driveshaft than the standard model 
The Exorcist has some old-fashioned engine mods along with the bigger supercharger 
Hennessey lets The Exorcist loose
Hennessey will sell The Exorcist with lightweight wheels and sticky tires 
The Exorcist can be set up to work on the track or drag strip
The ZL1 Camaro isn't slow, but the Hennessey Exorcist should blow it away in a straight line 
The sticker package is surprisingly subtle given the power output of The Exorcist 
Just 100 examples of The Exorcist will be built every year 
The Dodge Demon hasn't been unveiled, but Hennessey is already taking aim
The Exorcist will smoke its rear tires on demand 
The Exorcist can be bought with a drag pack, or a road-race kit
Hennessey is cranking up the drama on The Exorcist
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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."

The drag pack Exorcist has a tougher driveshaft than the standard model 

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

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4 comments
Bob
Once you get beyond 400hp, a manual transmission becomes more of a handicap than an advantage. When you have so much power that you can spin the wheels at any speed, traction control becomes the biggest obstacle. It's a weird feeling when you have so much power that driving on dry pavement feels like driving on ice if you get too heavy on the throttle and the back wheels break loose. Performance cars will need to upgrade to all wheel drive and even better tires along with computerized traction control to handle all this power. High powered burnouts may look impressive but notice the car isn't going anywhere very fast. I've driven 600hp on the racetrack in a car that could do 200mph and I can't even imagine driving 1000hp there. That will be the domain of the professional race driver.
habakak
Well said Bob. AWD is a must in powerful cars. The weight of the car matters too, at 400 hp, but at 1000 hp it does not matter too much.
WarrenHarding
Wow! Looks like it just might edge out a Tesla P100D family saloon at the drag strip.... just.
Michael Wilson
This needs awd with that much power, but rwd tends to be more fun. I can definately understand the desire to keep it manual and rwd. However, they should offer selectable awd for true track work.
As for the Tesla vs this, the Tesla is a full 1 second slower than this on the drag strip or a good 10 car lengths. They're quick, but tend to lose momentum rapidly past 110mph.