The upgraded three-row SUV gets two extra inches of ride height, different all-terrain tires, steel front skid plates, and revised suspension. If you're a fan of fast cars, then you're probably familiar with Hennessey. The Texas tuner, founded in 1991, grabbed headlines with the Lotus-based Venom GT supercar—at one point the fastest road-legal car in the world—and followed it up with the Venom F5, wearing unique styling and built around a bespoke carbon-fiber monocoque.
Besides high-powered supercars, Hennessey also modified American trucks and SUVs, and its latest creation turns up the wick on Ford's three-row family SUV. The new Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV Expedition is described by the company as the "ultimate go-anywhere family hauler," with a focus on enhancing the full-size SUV's off-road capability.
View Price on AmazonBased on the Expedition Tremor, the exterior changes are fairly tame, with a revised front bumper featuring steel skid plates to protect the important mechanical components, a small bull bar, and auxiliary lighting to illuminate the trail ahead. The Expedition branding above the grille has been replaced by the word "Hennessey," and the VelociRaptor rides on black 20-inch Hennessey Performance wheels.
Unfortunately, Hennessey didn't extract any extra power from the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6, although the stock engine does make a respectable 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. Instead, Hennessey focused on all-terrain ability, fitting the three-row SUV with a two-inch lift and a reworked off-road suspension.
Those mean-looking black wheels are shod in Nitto Recon Grappler all-terrain tires, a change from the 33-inch General Grabber rubber on the standard SUV. Hennessey has equipped the SUV with Brembo front brakes and a power side step to help passengers overcome the extra ground clearance when getting in and out of the SUV.
No pricing was announced for the Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV, but we're sure that it will fetch a decent amount more than the $84,495 required for a standard Expedition Tremor. The VelociRaptor SUV is covered by a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty, and Hennessey says it will be built in "extremely limited numbers" and sold through authorized Hennessey Ford dealerships.
Source: caranddriver.com
