Hennessey to debut supercharged Gladiator at SEMA

FAMOUS Texan tuning house Hennessey Performance is set to unveil the first production Jeep Gladiator Maximus 1000 at the 2019 SEMA Show.

Hennessey has dialled up the Gladiator to ‘God’ mode by dropping in a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 Hellcat engine, with an HPE1000 engine upgrade upping output to a whopping 1000hp (746kW) and 933lb-ft of torque (1265Nm). The V8 runs through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the vehicle is claimed to accelerate from 0-60mph (97km/h) in just 3.9 seconds.

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While it might win the traffic light GP, the Gladiator’s off-road credentials are also improved courtesy of a King off-road suspension system with a six-inch lift, heavy duty off-road axles and heavy duty front and rear driveshafts, Dana 60 diffs (4.88) front and rear, and Maximus front and rear bumpers with LEDs.

“We wanted to create the ultimate Jeep Gladiator,” said company founder, John Hennessey. “The name says exactly what it is: badassery on four wheels.”

Other additions include a stainless steel exhaust system, drop-down running boards, upgraded leather interior with Maximus seats, and Hennessy and Maximus logos scattered throughout the vehicle. Hennessey-branded aluminium wheels are wrapped in BFGoodrich off-road tyres.

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The Maximus 1000 is limited to just 24 units and is priced at US$225,000, which includes the price of the 2020 Gladiator. It comes with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty.

Hennessey Performance, with the Shell Pennzoil team, will officially unveil the Gladiator Maximus at the 2019 SEMA Show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre from November 5 to 8.