The Hennessey Exorcist Tested To 217 MPH

March 12, 2018 by Hennessey

Hennessey's 1000 HP Camaro ZL1 becomes the world's fastest muscle car

Uvalde, TX-Move over 2019 Corvette ZR1 with your top speed of 213 mph. On February 12, 2018, professional driver and director of the Ford Performance Driving School, Brian Smith, drove THE EXORCIST, a 1,000 horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 built by Hennessey Performance (HPE) to a top speed of 217 mph. In the process, THE EXORCIST became the world's fastest Gen6 Camaro.

The run was made on the 8.5-mile high-speed oval at the Continental Tire Proving Grounds located in Uvalde, TX. This is the same test track where the Hennessey team ran their HPE750 Supercharged Mustang to over 200 mph with Jay Leno's Garage in 2015. During both tests, speeds were validated with Racelogic's Video VBox GPS data logging system.

'We wanted to see if THE EXORCIST could exceed the top speed of the new ZR1 Corvette, which is 213 mph. Mission accomplished', said president and company founder, John Hennessey. 'This is just the first high-performance validation test for THE EXORCIST. We also plan to test our car's 0-60 mph and ¼ mile performance at the dragstrip as well as handling and braking on a road course. Stay tuned.'

Not only is THE EXORCIST faster than the ZR1 Corvette, but it's also faster than supercars like the McLaren 720S, Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Ferrari 812 Superfast, Lamborghini Huracan, and many more.

The team from Hennessey Performance (HPE) increased the factory's supercharged LT4 V8 engine from 650 bhp to 1,000 bhp by the tried and true method of increasing airflow through the engine. The Hennessey-tuned ZL1 Camaro makes its power by upgrading the factory 1.7L supercharger to a new 2.9L supercharger system with a larger intercooler system plus CNC ported cylinder heads, camshaft and valvetrain upgrades, 1 7/8 inch long-tube stainless steel headers with high-flow catalytic converters, high-flow intake cold air induction system, engine management recalibration and chassis dyno tuning.

Hennessey utilized the factory wheels and tires on THE EXORCIST for this test but they do offer upgraded wheels and tires for the dragstrip and a road race wheel and tire package. The factory 10-speed transmission was also used and the 217 MPH speed was achieved in ninth gear.

To date, HPE has delivered 20 EXORCISTS to clients and the company plans to only build 100 units in total. Each EXORCIST has its own distinctive Hennessey serial number with a plaque in the interior and engine bay. THE EXORCIST can be ordered directly from Hennessey or from authorized Hennessey Chevrolet dealers. All EXORCISTS come with a three year/36,000 mile warranty.

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'THE EXORCIST offers supercar performance while still retaining everything that you would want in a daily driver with a backseat and room for golf clubs in the trunk.', added Hennessey. 'It's kind of like having a new ZR1 Corvette with room for 4 people – but faster.'

THE EXORCIST 2018 ZL1 CAMARO Specifications

Power:

1000 bhp @ 6,500 rpm

883 lb-ft torque @ 4,500 rpm

Performance

0-60 mph: < 3.0 sec.

1/4 mile: < 10.0 sec.

Top speed: 217 mph

Includes:

High-flow Supercharger System

Custom HPE Camshaft

Ported Cylinder Heads

Upgraded Valve Springs and Retainers

Upgraded Intake valves & Exhaust Valves

Upgraded Lifters and Pushrods

High Flow Intercooling System

Intercooler Heat Exchanger Upgrade

Long-tube Stainless Steel Headers

Stainless Steel Midpipes

High Flow Catalytic Converters

All Necessary Gaskets & Fluids

Professional Installation

HPE Engine Management Calibration

Dyno Tuning & Road Testing

Serial-Numbered Dash & Engine Plaques

Hennessey Exterior Badging

Hennessey Premium Floormats

Optional Upgrades

20 inch Rear Drag Radial Tires

Hennessey H10 Monoblock Wheel Upgrade

Automatic Transmission Upgrade

Track Tool Kit

Total price as tested

$119,950

About Hennessey® Performance

John Hennessey and the Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) team have been making fast cars go faster since 1991. Over the last 27 years, John and his team have built more than 10,000 vehicles with more than 400 of those in 2017 alone. HPE operates a 36,000-square foot workshop and showroom facility situated on 143 acres near Sealy, Texas (about 45 minutes west of Houston). HPE offers a wide variety of dyno-proven, track tested high-performance engine upgrade packages & parts for a variety of modern performance vehicles. Hennessey Performance is also the only tuner in North America that operates its own test track-the Lonestar Motorsports park 1/4-mile dragstrip facility which is adjacent to the HPE workshop & showroom.