Hennessey unleashes 1,200-hp ‘Venom’ Mustang

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If the stock Shelby GT500 and its 760 supercharged horsepower is too pedestrian for your tastes, Hennessey Performance out of Texas has the answer. Even though the 5.2L V8 is the most powerful factory engine ever dropped into a Mustang, the speed demons from Texas felt the need to juice the stock setup, significantly increasing horsepower and torque.

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How significantly? Try an eye-popping 1,204 hp and 902 lb-ft of torque. That’s up from Ford’s 760 hp and 625 lb-ft, if you’re wondering.

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How does all this power make its way into the pony’s corral? A massive 3.8-liter supercharger helps, as do a high-flow induction system, new fuel rails and injectors, and an air/oil separation system. It is worth noting the bit which is added on top of the V8 mill measures nearly twice the displacement as the entire engine in most hot-hatches.

In addition, gear such as fittings, lines, belts, and tensioners are upgraded, while the dual-clutch transmission has been recalibrated for its high-output mission. “The stock Shelby GT500 is an extraordinary muscle car, but we take it to the nth degree with our Venom 1200,” said John Hennessey, company founder and CEO. “Only a handful of vehicles in the world offer this level of power… especially at this price point.”

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What is the price point? Try $59,950 — if you bring yer own Ford Shelby GT500, of course. Hennessey is making 66 of them in a nod to Ford’s accomplishments at Le Mans. Hewing to that theme, customers will have the choice of adding the historic 1966 24 Hours of Daytona Ford Mark II GT40 red, white, and black livery to their build. That’ll hoover an extra $4,950 from your wallet.

Speaking to the level of reliability on tap in this age of horsepower, Hennessey is backing the Venom with a one-year 12,000-mile warranty. It wasn’t too many years ago that gearheads were on their own with this type of horsepower, generally resulting in a track surface scattered with formerly useful engine parts and a transmission reduced to 10,000 oily bottle caps.