Hennessey VelociRaptor V8 Bronco
When More is never enough
The Ford Bronco has been smeared with the level of hype that is normally reserved for a new Tesla but it is not an EV but the Bronco which is without doubt the star car at the moment. You need to be patient to get one with the waiting list stretching to more than a year with high reservations. Production of the Bronco is rumored to start from early next year, however if you have day-dreamed about a V8 Bronco then it might be a tad disappointing that Ford will never install its 5.0-liter V8 in the Bronco- with the line-up being restricted to twin-turbo V6’s. Or is it?
Enter Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) and as we have known in the past, their penchant for putting gigantic engines in equally big SUVs and trucks is pretty well known hence it was very much expected that the new Bronco would also get the same treatment. Yes, what you see here is the VelociRaptor V8 Bronco that packs in a slightly ludicrous 750 hp courtesy a supercharged 5.0 liter Ford V8.
All that power and torque is harnessed via a Ford 10-speed automatic transmission. As you might guess, the performance figures would put many sports cars to shame with HPE estimating that the added power and performance will significantly reduce the vehicle’s 0-60 mph time to just 4.5 seconds.
It is however not that easy to just bolt on a big engine as other upgrades have also been done including a beefed up suspension, fuel injector and system upgrade, stainless steel cat-back exhaust, an upgraded off-road suspension system plus huge off-road tires.
Styling wise while the Bronco in itself is not short on visual theatre, HPE has added a custom hood with scoop, larger wheels and VelociRaptor V8 racing livery graphics. Inside you have a custom Hennessey leather interior including Hennessey embroidered headrests etc.
HPE says that production would be limited to a total of 24 units for the 2021 model year and the VelociRaptor V8 Bronco would be available in both 2-door and 4-door configurations. The price is around $225,000 plus vehicle shipping costs. Thus this SUV promises to be rarer than a super car!
Now if looked at the price, it is no-doubt expensive and for that money you can get a standard “super-SUV” but we suspect nothing else in the market can match up the charm and the brutish appeal that this beast conjures up in flash.
“Over the past two years we have built over 70 Gen 2 Ford Raptors for our customers by removing the EcoBoost V6 and replacing it with the same 750 HP supercharged 5.0 V8. I wanted to build the ultimate Ford Bronco for myself and for our customers,” said company founder John Hennessey. “The 2021 Bronco may be one of the most highly desired vehicles since the introduction of the Ford GT. We look forward to taking the new Bronco to the next level and beyond.”
Indeed the Bronco is the return of an iconic name-plate and HPE have only increased its appeal and exclusivity. For the money you are getting a supercar for all seasons plus a bona-fide rock-star status that only sweetens the deal.