A BTS Look at the Building of Hennessey's Exorcist Camaro
Hennessey shows how it transforms a stock ZL1 into a proper Demon killer.
Demon Killer
Hennessey Performance is known for building some of the most powerful, quickest, and fastest vehicles on the planet. One of which is the wicked "Exorcist" Camaro, a top-of-the-line offering based on the ZL1 that's limited to just 100 examples. With 1,000 horsepower and 883 pound-feet of torque, the Exorcist certainly lives up to its name as a Demon-killer, and now Hennessey has given us a sneak peek at how it transforms a stock ZL1 to the Exorcist in this interesting video.
Starting the Process
In the video, Hennessey shop manager and lead technician Jerry Dellaports walks us through this process while it's being performed on an actual customer vehicle. Since the bulk of the work takes place under the hood, he first removes the front fascia and partially disassembles the car's supercharged LT4 V8 to gain access to the parts that will be swapped out.
Engine Upgrades
Engine upgrades for the Exorcist that include a hotter camshaft, ported cylinder heads, upgraded valvetrain components, lifters, and pushrods, intake and exhaust valves, and valve springs and retainers are all installed at this point. Then it's time for the biggest upgrade of all - a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger, or in this case, a customer- requested Magnuson Eaton TVS R265-based huffer.
Working Seamlessly
Once the blower is installed, a host of additional components go on as well. They include a high-flow air induction system, billet throttle body, upgraded fuel system, larger heat exchanger, long-tube stainless steel headers, and high-flow catalytic converters. Finally, Hennessey gives the car its own calibration to make all the new components work seamlessly together.
Lots of Calibrating
Everything is ironed out on the dyno, which is done not only to hit that lofty four-digit horsepower number, but also to ensure that the Exorcist is capable of giving its owner many miles of reliable cruising. After that's done, Hennessey takes each car to its own test track for more dialing in, an extensive process that explains how the tuner is able to provide a two-year, 24,000-mile warranty for its work.
Staggering Numbers
The results of all that work are quite staggering. The Exorcist rips off 0-60 in just 2.1 seconds, covers the quarter-mile in 9.57 seconds, and is capable of reaching a top speed of 217 miles-per-hour. And those that want more can have it too, as the car can be optioned with drag radials, monoblock wheels, and transmission upgrades, too.
Enticing Option
To date, Hennessey has built a little more than 50 Exorcist Camaros, and Dellaports is responsible for building 20 of them. That means there are a few still up for grabs, of course. This built ZL1 certainly doesn't come cheap, but for those that want a crazy fast Demon-killer with a warranty, it's certainly an enticing option.
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