Hennessey announced the Maximus 1000, its Hellcat V-8–powered Jeep Gladiator pickup in May of last year. But after nearly a year of testing—at least some of which took place in the desert—the crazy powerful modified Jeep is finally making its way to perspective owners. Oh, and Hennessey put together a sweet video showing just how extensive (and awesome) its “testing” really was.
When we say “testing” we’re using air quotes, because it looks to us like the Hennessey crew had an absolute blast tearing around on some sand dunes in a Gladiator with Bugatti Veyron levels of power. Consider that the original Veyron 16.4 made 987 horsepower and 922 lb-ft of torque, and the Maximus makes an eye-watering 1,000 horsepower and 933 lb-ft of torque. It also sounds absolutely tremendous, and you can check that out for yourself in the video below.
A custom exhaust setup, ECU (engine control unit) tune, radiator, and fuel system were added to help the supercharged V-8 reach Veyron-topping power. But thankfully, the people at Hennessey didn’t stop at the Jeep’s engine bay. The Maximus also receives a six-inch suspension lift and Hennessey-branded 20-inch wheels with massive off-road tires. It also comes with a custom interior and a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. That’s not bad for something aftermarket.
Hennessey says it is only going to make 24 of these $225,000(!) Jeeps, and recently told us that four have already been sold. That means if you want one of these ridiculous machines, you might want to put in a call to Hennessey sooner rather than later.
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