Hennessey Debuts Supercharged Tahoe and Suburban With 625 Horsepower

Turns out, hypercars aren’t the only thing they like to make fast

John Hennessey’s go-fast shop based out of Sealey, Texas, has been churning out 1000-horsepower monsters for years. Crazy, speed demon hypercars like the Hennessey Venom F5 are often what make the headlines, but the company has always offered a suite of upgrades for domestic cars, trucks, and SUVs, too. The latest vehicles to receive the Hennessey treatment are GM’s bread-and-butter full-size SUV duo, the Suburban and Tahoe. With a few choice engine upgrades — and plenty of aesthetic and suspension modifications — the Texas tuner turned the duo into radically rowdier rides.

Big power is nothing new from Hennessey, but availability from your local Chevy dealer sure is

Hennessey, as usual, brings a slew of performance-enhancing modifications to the table when you spec out the special versions of their Tahoe and Suburban SUVs. Or, as they call it, “H600” models. All H600 Tahoe and Suburban models are powered by the same 6.2-liter V8 engine that’s available from the factory. Here, however, Hennessey dials things up by throwing on a supercharger kit, upgraded cooling, intake, crankcase ventilation, and software that allows the trucks to churn out 625 horsepower and 633 pound-feet of torque. That’s an increase of 205 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque, numbers that become even more grin-inducing when you realize that Hennessey has managed to do this with at least a modicum of guaranteed reliability.

Why do we say that? Because the HP600 Tahoe and Suburban SUV models mark the first time a Hennessey vehicle has been available to order straight from your local Chevy or GM dealership. Furthermore, Hennessey vehicles ordered this way are still covered by GM’s warranty. John Hennessey, the company’s CEO, says the HP600 trucks are available “complete with financing options, dealer support, and the peace of mind of the full GM warranty.” That sounds pretty enticing to us, and we’re willing to bet prospective shoppers will feel the same.

The Hennessey HP600 Tahoe and Suburban come with plenty of other goodies, too

Naturally, Hennessey invests heavily in the performance aspect of upgrading the Tahoe and Suburban, but don’t worry: other people will definitely know you’re driving something a little bit different from what those airport shuttle guys are driving. Massive 24-inch, black-painted wheels wear Hennessey-branded center caps alongside special Hennessey badging across the liftgate and on the driver and passenger side doors. HP600 trucks get red-painted Brembo brakes, a lower-slung suspension, and Firestone Firehawk Pursuit tires for added grip and go. Inside, drivers and passengers will find a serial-numbered engine plaque, reminding you of just how special these particular SUVs are. Only 100 examples will be upfitted, and we’re guessing that little plaque inside will tell you exactly where your truck fell in the production cycle.

Final thoughts

Hennessey has built a business out of making (primarily domestic) vehicles accelerate, stop, and look significantly different from how they left the factory. In that respect, the HP600 package is hardly news. Warranty, finance, and dealer support, however, are tremendous progress for the company. Neither Hennessey nor GM has indicated if this alliance could spread to other models, but we think there might be a solid chance. Assuming, of course, this first project goes off without any hitches.