Six-wheeled vehicles aren't new, but they're certainly eye-catching, and we've seen a few 6x6 versions of already impressive 4x4s over the years. From Mercedes Benz's AMG G63 6x6, to Kahn Design's Flying Huntsman Defender mod, and even Hennessey Performance's own F-150 Raptor-based VelociRaptor 6X6 but there's always room for more. Now Hennessey has finally released its limited run of 24 Goliath 6x6s (based on the 2019/2020 Chevrolet Silverado) and it's a beast.
Announced late last year, some wondered if the Goliath 6x6 might ever see the light of day. In reality, it's not uncommon for custom shops like this to delay projects. It's a hell of a lot of work after all, but this week's announcement confirms that the Goliath 6x6 is officially a real thing. With a limited production run of 24 you'll need to be quick, because as of now, there are only 23 left as the very first Goliath 6x6 sold went to the owner of the largest potato farm in Wisconsin. Oh and you'll need US$375,000 too. That's a lot of potatoes.
A 6x6 formation is more commonly seen on military and industrial vehicles, so what's the big deal? Oddly, Hennessey doesn't go into details on its website, which either means it doesn't matter – because they just look so cool – or its target market is so well informed about the 6x6 concept, it doesn't need it spelled out. Either way, one can assume that besides looking just tough-as-all-heck, the extra two wheels would mean more traction and better articulation on undulating terrain. Weight distribution over three axles rather than just two probably can't hurt either, and one can probably assume more traction and braking on the highway, too.
But really, you just want to know what Hennessey did to that Chevy Silverado, so here we go. The specs are pretty close to those announced last year, with the primary difference being in the grunt department. Originally, the 2.9-liter supercharger (producing 7 psi of boost) was meant to help push the Silverado's 6.2-liter, eight-cylinder engine to an outrageous 705 horsepower (526 kW), but in the final production model, that's been downgraded to 450 bhp (335 kW), which isn't much more than the stock V8 produces, so it's not quite clear what's going on. Still, it's more muscle than many people would know what to do with, so we'll leave it at that.
Other additions include an eight-inch lift kit which floats the Goliath above Hennessey's own 20-inch rims, wrapped in BFGoodrich 37-inch off-road tires. There's an additional axle (of course), upgraded suspension and brakes, an extended truck bed, a rollbar upgrade, LED headlights, Hennessey front and rear bumpers (and custom graphics all over – including the seats), a stainless steel exhaust upgrade, and it's all covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. Nice.
Hennessey Performance has an interesting history. It all began in 1991, when racer John Hennessey wanted to pursue his dream of entering the Pikes Peak Hill Climb event with his Mitsubishi 3000GT vr4. From there he set up shop doing the odd bit of custom tuning and grew this two-man garage business into a 36,000 square foot workshop and showroom, sitting on 143 acres near Sealy, Texas (about 45 minutes west of Houston). Why would a workshop need 143 acres? It doesn't, but Hennessey's fully operational 1/4-mile dragstrip and test track sure do.
With customers like Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, pro-skater Tony Hawk, comedian Jay Leno, and well-heeled potato farmers, there's little doubt that there'll be a marketplace for big, beefy, super-tuned custom trucks at equally big prices for years to come. The promo video for the $375,000 Hennessey Goliath 6x6 can be viewed below.
Source: Hennessey Performance