Hennessey, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle creator, pushes its vehicles to the limit with unique ‘Fire & Ice’ durability testing. The multi-venue program challenges its re-engineered vehicles – including the Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 – to extreme cold and hot temperatures while driving under brutal conditions.
In its most recent challenge, Hennessey pitted its powerful VelociRaptor 600 truck against shifting dunes and temperatures exceeding 100°F (~40°C) in an arid Southern California desert. Utilizing its enhanced 672 lb-ft of torque, the truck tackled extreme inclines to climb 300 ft high dunes, plus underwent punishing launches and high-speed driving. The Hennessey engineering team also pushed the VelociRaptor’s powertrain and suspension to its limit, sprinting up steep dunes and executing multiple high-speed jumps.
“Our team builds around 500 high-performance vehicles a year for passionate customers who rightfully expect mainstream manufacturer levels of quality, reliability, and service together with extreme performance. Our torturous ‘Fire & Ice’ program is the real-world culmination of hundreds of hours of research and development that each model line undergoes at our Texas headquarters. Our goal is to combine ultimate performance with complete peace of mind.” – John Hennessey, company founder and CEO
Hennessey’s exhaustive testing evaluates the performance of each vehicle’s upgrades, from engine and suspension to tires and exhaust. Conducting these programs in extreme environments – often more challenging than any owner will attempt – ensures that customers won’t have issues. This provides confidence and the highest satisfaction levels.
The desert test occurred at the Glamis Sand Dunes, California’s largest mass of windblown sand. The dune system extends more than 40 miles across the state’s southeast in a band averaging five miles wide. The hot weather program followed a set of cold-weather tests that the Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 and Mammoth 1000 TRX underwent in the freezing mountains of Colorado. There, with temperatures dipping below 10°F (-12°C), the trucks explored their limits of grip while evaluating the performance of the upgraded engines, intake systems, and exhausts.
Testing for all Hennessey models begins at the company’s headquarters in Sealy, Texas. Under the guidance of Hennessey Director of R&D Jason Haynes, each model line is subjected to hundreds of hours of research and development. This helps guarantee that Hennessey upgrades enhance every aspect of the vehicle while retaining complete usability and manufacturer driving modes.
After lab-based evaluation, development moves to Hennessey’s various on-site dyno bays for live assessment. The final phase sees development models pound the Pennzoil Proving Ground at Hennessey’s headquarters to evaluate the modifications in the real world. Even after each model line is signed-off, every customer vehicle undergoes its series of quality assurance tests, including a detailed test drive by Hennessey’s engineers.
Customer satisfaction is at the core of every Hennessey vehicle. Emphasizing this point, the company provides a comprehensive warranty on each model to provide total peace of mind. Customers are also invited to the Texas HQ to see the final testing phase, with many experiencing their new vehicle for the first time on the Pennzoil Proving Ground.
Available for global shipping, the Hennessey range of high-performance muscle cars, trucks, SUVs, and supercars is available through authorized retailers or directly from Hennessey by calling +1 979.885.1300 or visiting HennesseyPerformance.com.
