BETTER PARTSThe Hennessey Exorcist Camaro ZL1 Final Edition wants to beat the Challenger Demon one more time
The biggest muscle cars go down fighting
Hennessey not only makes cars from Ford, Chevrolet or Dodge stronger, but also from, er, Hennessey. Earlier this year, the tuner presented the Exorcist: a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with 1,013 hp. The car above, folks, is the very, very last Exorcist that Hennessey will build. This time he is competing against the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170, which is also a farewell model.
In 2017, Hennessey gave itself the mission to “defeat the Dodge Demon.” To crush the last Demon, the American tuner uses a larger, high-flow supercharger, plus a ditto air intake and a fuel system with improved injectors and fuel pump. Furthermore, the cylinder heads have been modified to allow more air through them, new camshafts have been added and the intake and exhaust valves, valve springs and spring seats, valve tappets and pushrods have been upgraded.
Does the Hennessey Exorcist Camaro ZL1 Final Edition go faster than the Demon?
The power of the 6.2-liter V8 is still 1,000 American hp, which we note as 1,013 hp. The torque has increased compared to the previous Exorcist: from 1,197 Nm to 1,310 Nm. The latest Challenger Demon produces 1,039 hp and 1,281 Nm from its Hemi eight-cylinder. The Camaro's 0-96 time (60 mph) is 2.1 seconds, the Dodge's is 1.66 seconds.
In terms of top speed, Hennessey narrowly wins: 349 km/h versus 346 km/h. In the quarter mile, perhaps the most important benchmark for the Americans, Dodge wins again: less than 9 seconds compared to 9.57 seconds for the Hennessey. But that's on paper. At a drag strip on special asphalt, the Challenger will at least have a hard time with the Camaro.
Hennessey is making 57 copies of the Exorcist Camaro ZL1 Final Edition. The number is a nod to the Camaro's 57th anniversary. A sticker just behind the front wheel arches reveals that this is a special Exorcist. In addition, there are some special graphics in the interior. Hennessey does not want to say what the last Exorcist costs.
John Hennessey on the last Camaro
The big boss wants to say something about the Camaro. “Our upgrade to the Camaro ZL1 is one of my favorites of all time. The chassis, chassis and engine work seamlessly together to deliver the experience behind the wheel of raw, unbridled horsepower. There's nothing like our Exorcist, so we'd like to share this special limited edition with fans of this iconic car before it's gone forever.” You can hear what 'raw, unbridled horsepower' sounds like below.