Ford introduced the 14th generation F-150 earlier in 2020, so it was only a matter of time before an array of immensely powerful trucks emerged from the aftermarket and followed in its wake. Texas-based tuner Hennessey fired first by releasing a limited-edition pickup named Venom 800 that offers supercar-like power and acceleration.
Hennessey starts with a 2021 F-150 SuperCrew equipped with the time-tested 5.0-liter V8 and four-wheel-drive. It then demonstrates the Coyote’s dazzling tunability by topping it with a 3.0-liter supercharger that provides 8 psi of boost and upgrading a long list of parts, including the intake, fuel pump, and fuel injectors. Exhaling through a stainless-steel exhaust system, the eight-cylinder easily makes 805 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 727 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm when it’s fed E85 pump fuel. It gives the Venom a 102-horse advantage over Ram’s Hellcat-powered 1500 TRX, and about twice the horsepower available in an unmodified F-150 with the V8.
All told, the Venom 800 takes 3.6 seconds to reach 60 mph, a figure that makes it three-tenths of a second slower than the Mustang GT500 and nearly a full second faster than the 1500 TRX, though we suspect the 4.5-second time published by Ram is seriously understated. It blasts through the quarter mile in 11.9 seconds at 116 mph.
Brembo brakes (including six-piston front calipers and 15.1-inch front rotors) bring the behemoth to a stop. Suspension modifications are part of the package, too, but you’re knocking on the wrong door if you’re looking for a buttoned-down truck that takes a turn like a train. Hennessey instead increased the F-150‘s off-road prowess by adding a six-inch lift kit, beefier shocks with external reservoirs, and 20-inch wheels wrapped by 35-inch tires.
LED lights embedded into a custom-designed front bumper, a model-specific grille, and an assortment of emblems and decals round out the modifications. Inside, the tuner adds a numbered plaque to the dashboard.
Hennessey will build only 100 examples of the Venom 100 for the 2021 model year. The supertruck is on sale now, either directly through Hennessey or via select Ford dealers, and it’s priced at $149,500. That figure includes the donor F-150 and a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty but it excludes delivery and options.
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