Hennessey unveiled its Bronco-based Velociraptor before the original Raptor - and was promptly trumped by it in terms of power. Now the tuner straightens the picture again.
The one with the dinosaur names for particularly tightly inflated off-roaders is no longer so original, especially since Hennessey Performance itself has been sticking the Velociraptor lettering to the in-house interpretations of the Ford F-150 for a long time . Of course, that doesn't change the fact that the US tuner traditionally makes the Raptor family particularly fat cheeks.
This also applies to the latest example, the Ford Bronco. Since it went on sale in the USA, it has developed into an absolute cult object and accordingly also inspires the relevant tuners to earn money. Clear the stage for the Hennessey Velociraptor Bronco, the first version of which with the number 400 had put the Texans in the limelight before Ford itself unveiled the hardcore version of its SUV (which, as is well known, is also badass on the road).
First less, then more power
The type designation 400 was still a bit understated, because the engine revised by Hennessey produced 417 hp (at 4,400 revolutions) and poured a massive 682 Newton meters of torque (at 3,200 crankshaft rotations) into the gearbox . When Ford then announced the official figures for the production Raptor, the Hennessey Velociraptor was suddenly behind - at least in terms of performance. If its double-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 is allowed to feed on premium fuel, it delivers 424 hp and a maximum of 596 Newton meters.
In Hennessey's defense, it must be mentioned that this engine was not used as the basis for the upgrade, but rather the 2.7-liter counterpart of the standard Bronco, which normally has 335 hp and a maximum of 563 Nm. The increase in performance is achieved with a modified high-flow intake system, an optimized intercooler and an adapted engine control. The stainless steel sports exhaust also makes its contribution to the power plus. The reward for all this is a time of 4.9 seconds from 0 to 60 mph (96.6 km/h); that's okay for a 2.4 ton SUV.
Velociraptor 500 with a tuned three-liter V6
Now Hennessey is further developing the real Raptor engine and calling the car it drives the Velociraptor 500 Bronco. As usual, the number stands for American horsepower, which corresponds to 507 DIN PS. The maximum torque increases to 746 Newton meters. The measures correspond almost exactly to those made by Hennessey on the 2.7-liter engine: high-performance intercooler, improved air intake, specially tuned engine management and modified stainless steel exhaust system.
As visual accessories, the 400 as well as the 500 Velociraptor come with the usual goodies: 35 (400) or 37 inch tires (500) on 18 inch ten-spoke wheels, new Velociraptor bumpers at the front - here with LED auxiliary lights - and at the rear as well as electrically extendable running boards. There is also a special paint finish and a few plaques distributed around the vehicle on the outside and inside; such can also be found in the engine compartment. In the interior, the tuner initially left it with embroidered headrests and weatherproof floor mats.
Six-digit price for the 500
The tuning package for the Velociraptor 400 is priced at $24,950. That for the 500 costs $32,950. So if Hennessey uses the basic Bronco model including the 2.7-liter engine as the basis for tuning, the Velociraptor 400 complete package including paint will cost 60,735 dollars. If it is to be the Velociraptor 500 based on the Bronco Raptor, which costs at least $73,780, the total investment is $106,730.
Conclusion
After various large devices from Ford, Hennessey takes on the new Bronco several times. Up to 507 hp turn the off-roader into a traffic light rocket, with Hennessey relying on classic tuning of the standard engine for both the 400 and 500 Velociraptor instead of a retrofitted power engine.
