Hennessey is one of those tuners that don’t need any introduction. But I’m going to give one anyway, especially since the company is responsible for the mind-blowing Venom GT, considered as arguable the fastest production car in the world. The American tuner doesn’t have anything remotely similar to the Venom GT here, but it does have a new tuning program for the Dodge Viper that borrows the Venom name. It’s officially called the Venom 800 and it packs 808 horsepower and 790 pound-feet of torque.

Those numbers may look eye-popping, but anybody who knows anything about Hennessey is aware that these are the kind of numbers the tuner is capable of producing. Heck, that Venom 800 program, as impressive as it looks, isn’t even the most powerful engine upgrade Hennessey has on offer for the Viper. It also has a bigger modification that squeezes out in excess of 1,000 horsepower out of the Viper’s 8.4-liter V-10 engine.

This is the kind of work that Hennessey is capable of. It’s not going to do wonders in the way of cosmetic and aerodynamic upgrades, but when it comes to working on those V-8 engines, there aren’t that many American tuners that can come close to achieving what the Texas-based outfit is routinely capable of doing.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

Exterior

With the exception of “Hennessey” and “Venom” badges added into the rear section of the Viper, Hennessey kept the exterior look of the sports car intact.

Interior

It’s the same story in the interior where in typical Hennessey fashion, the interior upgrades only consist of a set of premium floor mats and a numbered dash plaque.

Drivetrain

Hennessey has more than lived up to its reputation as one of the finest American tuning programs in the business and it's because of upgrades like this one that the tuner’s esteemed status in the industry is still intact. For this particular program, Hennessey added an air-to-air intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, and a supercharger that runs at five psi. The tuner also remapped the car’s engine management system to accommodate all the hardware changes and installed new gaskets and a three-inch stainless steel exhaust system. With all the modifications in place, Hennessey was able to increase the Viper’s output to an astounding 808 horsepower and 790 pound-feet of torque in so doing, it helped the Viper improve its standstill-to-60-mph time to just 2.9 seconds to go with a quarter-mile sprint time of just 10.5 seconds at 143 mph. Of course, the latter can only be achieved with the use of drag tires, which Hennessey is conveniently offering as an added option.

The numbers are incredible across the board, but if customers want something that’ll really make them scream in delight and/or terror, Hennessey is also offering the 1000 Twin Turbo upgrade. This upgrade literally comes with a grocery list-sized modification menu that includes ball bearing turbochargers, air-to-air intercoolers, custom intercooler hoses, headers and down pipes, upgraded fuel injectors, fuel pump, and fuel pressure regulator, and and an upgrade of the Viper’s ECU unit. The result is 1,120 horsepower and 1,092 pound-feet of torque, which translates to a 0-to-60-mph time of 2.7 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 9.7 seconds at a blistering 152 mph.

Pricing

Hennessey hasn’t released the price for the Venom 800 program, but it does want everyone to know that the program is available for all Viper variants from 2013 to 2017, including the GTS and ACR models. Considering how twisted these sports cars are already are in their own standard guises, I’d say that the Venom 800 program is something reserved especially for those with a seemingly insatiable thirst for power and speed. Should any of you be interested in the program, a quick inquiry to Hennessey should be enough to get a price quote on the Venom 800 upgrade program.

Competition

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 by Callaway

This program was introduced in 2015 and yet, it still holds up as a viable competitor to the Venom 800. It’s for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and it was prepared by Callaway. There was a lot of work put into the kit, but the most notable part of is the engine upgrade includes a high-flow intake system and a GenThree supercharger, among other nifty upgrades. The result is as impressive as it sounds as Callaway was able to produce an extra 107 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque out of the Corvette Z06’s 6.2-liter V-8 engine, bringing the total up to an impressive 757 horsepower and 777 pound-feet of torque. The undeniable increase in power also helps the Corvette improve its performance, specifically its 0-to-60-mph time, which now sits at 2.8 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the stock Corvette Z06. Top speed has also increased to an estimated 210 mph.

Read our full review here.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 by BBM Motorsport

I can’t blame any of you if you think Callaway’s program is a little too intense. If that’s not your cup of tea, BBM Motorsport has its own program for the Corvette Z06. This kit includes a specially designed air intake system, a Capristo exhaust that includes a CES-control system, and modifications to the car’s software system. All together, BBM was able to increase the Corvette’s output to a more palatable 690 horsepower and 672 pound-feet of torque, cutting the sports car’s spring to 60 mph in under three seconds to go with a top speed north of 200 mph.

Read our full review here.

Conclusion

Hennessey doesn’t need any convincing when it comes to selling its performance upgrades. It’s especially true for the Venom 800 because the numbers speak for themselves. The American tuner isn’t particularly known for ostentatious cosmetic and aerodynamic upgrades so it’ll be easy to forgive it for not putting any on this program. The real objective here is to bring the Viper’s output to knee-buckling numbers and Hennessey has done that, and then some. No complaints here.