Hennessey Demon 1700: Twin-Turbo, 1,700 HP, 7.9s Quarter-Mile
Muscle cars are supposed to have humongous, gas-guzzling naturally aspirated V8 engines, with a high-performance oddball flaunting a supercharger. However, Hennessey just broke the unspoken rule. They ditched the Demon's supercharger in favor of a set of turbochargers, much like Chevy did with the ZR1. Usually, this would result in outrage. A turbocharged muscle car? A modern Dodge muscle car without a whine? That's like microwaving a steak. But when your name is Hennessey, you can get away with pretty much anything. After bumping its displacement from 6.2 to 7.2 liters and adding two turbochargers, the V8 generates a staggering 1,700 hp and about 1,400 lb-ft of torque on E85, as you can see on the video below.
When you mash the accelerator pedal in the standard 1,025-hp Demon 170 from a standstill, you're met with clouds of smoke, the smell of rubber, and a 0 to 60 mph time of 1.66 seconds. The quarter-mile is said to arrive in a brisk 8.91 seconds, but Hennessey claims the 1,700-hp Demon 170 will do it in 7.9 seconds, making it the fastest car down the drag strip in the world. That title is currently held by the McMurtry Speirling, with the electric fan car clocking a time of 7.97 seconds.
During this dyno test, Ram's CEO, Tim Kuniskis, can be spotted in sheer disbelief. While this doesn't necessarily confirm anything, it gives petrolheads hope that this monstrous V8 might stumble its way into a RAM truck, or perhaps even save the brand-new Dodge Charger from remaining a laughing stock. One thing is certain, though: there's more than enough reason to celebrate Hennessey's Frankenstein creation, and we're on the edge of our seats waiting to see what's coming next.
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