Key Takeaways
- HSO will focus on ultra-high horsepower and limited builds, providing clients with bespoke bodywork options to make their dreams a reality.
- HSO will only build 15-20 vehicles annually, with clients required to apply and have their requests vetted before the modification process begins.
- The division aims to transform existing platforms into unique creations, allowing for extensive customization and massive power gains for enthusiasts.
When Hennessey announced the launch of a new division called Hennessey Special Operations (HSO), it did so with a statement of intent like no other – a 1,700-horsepower version of the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170. That’s quite the way to steal headlines, and steal them it did, but it also meant that HSO went under the radar a little bit. But speaking to Nathan Malinick, Design Director at Hennessey, CarBuzz learned a little more about the new division and what it will achieve.
While models like the Hennessey Venom F5 form one arm of the company’s business and 1,000-hp tuner kits form another, HSO will be the third prong, focusing on ultra-high horsepower and low volume. But as Malinick tells us, it’s also the arm from which Hennessey can make clients’ dreams come true, a la Rolls-Royce Coachbuild.
Hennessey Will Entertain Bespoke Bodywork For HSO Commissions
When asked whether HSO would design bespoke bodywork for these low-volume builds, Malinick responded positively. “Yeah, that’s definitely a consideration, and we’ve got some really cool stuff coming from HSO,” he explains.
The Demon 1700 Twin Turbo might be the first project, limited to just 12 units, but Malinick says there’s plenty to come and several projects already in the pipeline. But HSO products won’t be rushed out, and time will be taken to ensure they’re properly developed. That’s why Hennessey never committed to a firm timeline for the Demon 1700 Twin Turbo, instead saying that John Hennessey’s personal Demon 170 would be the first car to undergo the treatment “within the next several months.”
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What Exactly Does Hennessey Special Operations Do?
Everyone tends to think of Hennessey as one company, but there are three distinct divisions now. They can be simply broken down as follows:
|
Division Name |
Description |
Examples of Products |
|
Hennessey Special Vehicles |
HSV is responsible for the creation of ground-up supercars on bespoke platforms |
Hennessey Venom F5, Project Deep Space |
|
Hennessey Performance Engineering |
Responsible for tuning packages that include supercharger kits, 6×6 pickup trucks, and more |
Hennessey VelociRaptor, Exorcist Camaro ZL1 |
|
Hennessey Special Operations |
Ultra-high horsepower, low-volume builds with extensive customization based on existing platforms |
Hennessey Demon 1700 Twin Turbo |
HSO will only build 15-20 vehicles a year, and customers are required to apply to have their cars modified. Once the application is submitted, Hennessey will vet the owner’s requests to see whether the build is viable and within HSO’s wheelhouse, and thereafter, the process can begin. This is not unlike the process Rolls-Royce uses for its own Coachbuild vehicles. For cars like the Demon 1700 Twin Turbo, Hennessey has provided the blueprint for buyers to opt into, but if an enthusiast approaches Hennessey with a unique idea, this may be entertained, too.
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Hennessey has realized it needs to do more than just modify a Lotus to be considered a bona fide supercar manufacturer.
As Malinick explains, “If there’s something a client wants to do on an existing platform, we’ll do it.” Combined with his statements about coachbuilt bodywork, it means that if you asked HSO to take your current Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and turn it into a retromod with custom bodywork to emulate that of a 1969 Challenger, Hennessey Special Operations could do it… and give it 1,500 horsepower as an added bonus.
Malinick wouldn’t go into too much detail about the division’s forthcoming projects beyond the Demon 1700 Twin Turbo but assured us we’ll see more soon.
While a $200,000 custom Dodge (that’s what the Demon 1700 Twin Turbo costs, excluding the donor car) sounds exclusive, though, before we label HSO the American Rolls-Royce Coachbuild just yet, it’s worth remembering that the latter’s creations cost much, much more. Rolls-Royce currently has the honor of selling the most expensive car in the world, the $30 million Droptail – a coachbuilt beauty limited to just four units.