The power-hungry folks at Hennessey Performance (HPE) have been modifying cars of all types for over a quarter century. Where founder and CEO John Hennessey and his firm originally used sporty models from the likes of Porsche, McLaren, Lotus, and Ferrari (among others) as their templates, the offerings have expanded to include SUVs, sedans, and pickup trucks. It is the last of these that is the focus of the latest project from the Texas tuner: The 2017 Hennessey VelociRaptor 600.
The team at Hennessey took the stock Ford Raptor’s 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6 engine and massaged its 450 horsepower up to 605 hp. Torque was also increased from 510 pound-feet to 622 lb-ft. As a result, the 0-60 mph time went down to 4.2 seconds, while the quarter mile time measured 12.9 seconds at 110 mph.
“Our last VelociRaptor 600 was very popular with our V8 Raptor customers,” said John Hennessey. “We are very excited about our latest upgrades for the twin turbo Ecoboost V6 engines and for our clients upgrade who want even more power, performance, and off-road capability from their new Raptor trucks.”
HPE installed higher-flowing turbos that breathe through a less restricted air induction system. Boost pressure was increased from 18 psi to 21 psi, which is fed through an upgraded front-mount intercooler. A free flow dual stainless steel cat-back exhaust replaced the stock system. The Raptor’s ECU was upgraded to maintain power without adversely affecting drivability.
“We only plan to build 100 units for the 2017 model year,” said Hennessey. “Our customers like having something special and exclusive as well as fast and fun to drive.”
The VelociRaptor 600 upgrade costs $22,500 (on top of what you’ll pay for the stock Raptor) including installation. It can be ordered directly from HPE or Ford dealerships. The VelociRaptor 600 twin turbo upgrade comes with a 3-year/36,000 mile limited warranty from Hennessey.
For an additional $12,995, you can upgrade your 600 with Hennessey’s VelociRaptor Off-Road Package, which includes heavy-duty front and rear bumpers, LED lights, 20-inch Hennessey wheels with 35-inch Toyo tires, and a 3-inch lift.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.