We’re getting closer and closer to the on-sale date of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor, but time’s just not passing quickly enough, is it? If you think so and you just have to have an aluminum-bodied off-road monster right now, Hennessey has got you covered.
The Texas tuner is now accepting orders for its 2015 VelociRaptor 600 Supercharged. Only 500 of the 600-horsepower trucks will be produced for this model year.
Starting price? That would be $73,500. It includes a donor 2015 Ford F-150 FX4 SuperCrew with the 5.0-liter V8 and such things as a 2.9-liter supercharger running eight pounds of boost, upgraded injectors, 33-inch BF Goodrich tires wrapped around 17-inch Hennessey wheels, black fender flares, special badges, and a three-year/36,000-mile warranty. Professional installation, tuning, and road testing are included in that base price, too. A VelociRaptor upgrade package will also be available for EcoBoost-powered F-150s.
Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff you see in these pictures costs extra. For instance, the off-road front bumper goes for $3,950. Hennessey wants $2,450 for a hardcore rear bumper. The LED light bar up top carries a price tag of $2,650. You’ll need $7,950 for Hennessey’s off-road coilover suspension package. Other options include a $1,950 cat-back performance exhaust, a $5,950 yellow wrap finish, and a $1,950 front winch.
Hennessey says its 2015 VelociRaptor 600 Supercharged “can be ordered through your nearest Ford dealer, as well as any of AutoNation’s 37 Ford dealerships across America.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
