SEALY, TEXAS - Hennessey Performance Engineering recently unleashed what is surely the ultimate road menace, in the form of a 1000 horsepower (745kW) hellcat-powered Jeep Gladiator called the Maximus 1000, and now the US tuner is showing it off in a new on-road video.
“We wanted to create the ultimate Jeep Gladiator,” said company founder and self-proclaimed chief horsepower evangelist, John Hennessey. “Maximus 1000 - the name says exactly what it is: Badassery on 4-wheels."
The key ingredient here is Chrysler’s 6.2-litre supercharged V8 Hellcat engine, which has been cranked up to 745kW and 1265Nm. According to Hennessey, the Maximus 1000 will roar from zero to 96km/h in 3.9 seconds.
The vehicle also comes with heavy-duty off-road axles as well as a King Off-Road suspension system, Dana 60 front and rear differentials and BFG Off-Road tyres.
Now check the Maximus 1000 in action, and remember to crank up the volume:
“Our clients want exclusive, extreme vehicles that deliver a fun and an exciting driving experience both on and off-road,” Hennessey said. “Our Maximus Jeep with 1000 HP is pure ridiculousness on 4-wheels.
“What other vehicle can climb to the top of Aspen Mountain with a KTM dirt bike in the back in the morning and then run 0-60mph (96km/h) in 3.9 seconds at the dragstrip later the same day?”
The Texan tuning company is planning to produce just 24 of these incredible hulks, at a price - in the US - of $225 000 (R3.3 million), which includes a three-year / 57 000km warranty.
At this stage the Maximus 1000 remains forbidden fruit for South Africans, as does the Jeep Gladiator donor model, which has yet to be confirmed for South African introduction.