Hennessey Performance's The Exorcist is essentially a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 where its latent power has been exorcised via a supercharger upgrade and can be further upgraded to have a 10-speed automatic transmission. To prove its potential, the tuner has pitted its Chevrolet-based Exorcist in a drag race against John Hennessey's very own, lightly tuned McLaren 600LT and captured it on video.
Superior To McLaren 600LT
The Exorcist – offered either as a complete turnkey vehicle or a conversion – isn't an ordinary Camaro ZL1. It's insanely powerful, reaching hypercar levels at 1,000 bhp of max output and 883 lb-ft of peak torque. It can zoom from nil to 60 mph in just 2.1 seconds and the quarter mile in 9.57 seconds (at 147 mph). Top speed is pegged at 217 mph.
Hennessey didn't provide any figures for the McLaren 600LT but said it was lightly tuned. In addition, it was able to go toe-to-toe with a McLaren 720S. Nonetheless, when The Exorcist battled the 600LT in a two-run roll drag race, the Camaro won each time. The Hennessey was able to exorcise the McLaren, leaving a large gap behind.
The Power Within
What's the secret behind The Exorcist? A factory Camaro ZL1 isn't a dull machine. With 650 hp of max output and 650 lb-ft of peak torque coming from its supercharged V8 engine, the Camaro can charge from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. That's pretty quick for a typical drive, but not for those needing some speed.
So, Hennessey came up with The Exorcist, which mainly features a 2.9-liter supercharger upgrade and the installation of related elements including a high-flow air induction system and a custom HPE camshaft. Further upgrades are available, including an automatic transmission upgrade, an Hennessey H10 monoblock wheel upgrade and an installation of 20-inch rear drag radial tires.
Racing Against McLaren 720S
In the video, Hennessey was implying that The Exorcist can beat a McLaren 720S in a drag race. But if numbers are allowed to tell the story – more power and better 0 to 60 sprint time (2.1 vs 2.8 seconds) – The Exorcist should win the contest.
Source: Hennessey Performance