EPA? What the heck is an EPA?

When the Chevy Trailblazer SS was discontinued back in 2009, fans of muscle/SUV mashups began to fret. There have been multiple attempts and sales failures at achieving the perfect performance SUV. Nameplates like the GMC Typhoon would create a cult following, but never really sell enough to survive. While this genre is cool in its own respect, the sales were never there to support it for the long haul.

Aside from Chrysler’s Jeep SRT-8, there hasn’t been much longevity for performance SUVs in an ever-changing automotive marketplace. Heck, the Jeep has only been around since 2006 as one of the longest performance SUVs in production.

This is mostly due to the fact that they are very much a niche vehicle. They’re too expensive to maintain as a daily driver and aren’t too easy on the wallet when it comes to going fast, either. With all that aside, I think we can all agree on one thing: When they’re done right, performance SUVs can be quite awesome. We here at Off Road Xtreme are completely and utterly thrilled by one of the latest creations from the depths of the mind of John Hennessy.

When a completely stock Ford Raptor passed through the doors at Hennessy Performance, it would recognize the same fate as many other Hennessy products. The truck would never be the same again. The guys at helm of the crazy train that is Hennessy went to the drawing board to create a Franken-utility vehicle which combined your typical Ford Raptor with the stylings of a Ford Excursion. When all was said and done, the Hennessy Velociraptor was born.

Hennessy explains the under-hood improvements.

Now, of course if it has the Hennessy name on it there is a slim-to-none chance that the vehicle will remain stock under the hood; the Velociraptor is no exception. After the massive facelift, the Excursion-like SUV was fitted with a TVS 2300 blower which adds 7 pounds of boost and pumps up power ratings to 600-ish horsepower from the 411 in stock form. Now, with the added weight, you would think that the truck would need all that power to get out of its own way, but an energetic John Hennessy says otherwise when spending some time behind the wheel.

When Hennessy addressed the possible options on this monster, you should have seen the look on this author’s face. The possibilities start off simple with more stopping power via Brembo brakes accompanied by a snazzy wheel and tire package. What really got me going was when he brought up the idea of armor plating the beast for security purposes, or even turning the truck into a mobile office. In other words, Hennessy Performance is ready to do just about anything your twisted mind can dream up–just add cash.

Perhaps the coolest part of the whole build–the truck maintains a seemingly stock appearance to those who aren’t hip to the industry. A quick walk around and interior and you would think this thing came straight off of a Ford assembly line. They’ll never even know what hit them.

Looks like somebody forgot to tell this truck that it’s … a truck.