There’s nothing smooth or appeasing about this new package from Hennessey
by Kirby Garlitos, onHennessey Performance’s new engine upgrade package for the Challenger Demon raises the muscle car’s output to 1,200 horsepower. Called the HPE1200, the program makes the Demon’s standard output of 840 horsepower look like a puppy by comparison. Hennessey put its crown jewel Challenger Demon program to the test, and as you’d expect it, “mercy” wasn’t in the muscle car’s vocabulary.
Just when you thought Hennessey couldn’t raise its own ante, the American automaker/car tuner does it without batting breaking a sweat. Hennessey released a 90-second video of the 1,200-horsepower hell-raiser, and it is as lethal and as powerful as advertised.
So how exactly did Hennessey add that kind of power to the Challenger Demon’s 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine? Obviously, it’s not as easy as adding boost or remapping the V-8’s engine control unit.
Hennessey performed upgrades on the supercharger, headers, and exhaust system.
The tuner also used forged internals to help the engine hold up with that much power at its disposal. Throw in the obligatory engine tune and the finished product is as scary as it sounds. This is a 1,200 horsepower Dodge Challenger Demon, and it’s ready to terrorize anyone that stands in its way.
Outside of the massive engine upgrade, Hennessey also installed a roll cage to make the muscle car compliant with the safety regulations of the NHRA. The tuner also added a parachute to help slow it down. In the end, that’s all you really need to know about this tuning program for the Challenger Demon. It actually needs a parachute to help it slow down.
Somewhere along the way, Hennessey’s probably going to sit down and take a breather from all the engine upgrades it’s been developing in recent years. This is, after all, the same company that routinely rolls out 1,000-horsepower packages for a number of American muscle cars, including the 1,000-horsepower, Chevrolet Camaro-based The Exorcist.
A tuning program with 1,200 horsepower might be groundbreaking for other tuners, but it’s old hat for Hennessey.
Still, a 1,200-horsepower Dodge Challenger Demon is something to behold. All you need to do is watch the video and see it for yourselves.
Further Reading
Read our full review on the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
Read our full review on the 2018 Dodge Challenger.
Read more Dodge news.
