Yes, the Christmas-Tree-on-the-Roof schtick gets a bit cluttered this time of year, but we’re still willing to drop some praise when we see a display like this. With runway rented for performance development, Hennessey Performance decided to try for top speed runs with a tree on top. First they tried Hennessey’s Porsche 911 Turbo S, netting 205 mph without the tree and dropping to 175 mph with the would-be fastest fir. Next came their 1,000 hp Jeep TrackHawk, which did a little better at 181 mph. However, when they wanted to throw down the fastest number they turned to John Hennessey’s wife’s Audi RS 6 Avant. How’d it go? Watch below, and check out the full press release and gallery below that.
Press Release: Hennessey’s Audi RS 6 is World’s Fastest Station Wagon – with a Christmas Tree on the Roof!
source: Hennessey Performance
Sealy, Texas (December 22, 2021) – Hennessey, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle creator, has achieved a 183 mph speed record for the fastest station wagon with a Christmas tree mounted on the roof! The seasonal speed record breaks Hennessey’s previous best – 181 mph achieved with a 1000 bhp Hennessey Jeep Trackhawk in 2019.
The Christmas tree record was set while the team was conducting the Venom F5 hypercar’s final high-speed validation testing. This last phase of F5 engineering focused on tires, braking and aerodynamics at speeds in excess of 250 mph ahead of an attempt to exceed 300 mph in early 2022.
The Hennessey engineers love a challenge, and they love Christmas too, so taking time to enjoy some festive fun as part of the intense F5 testing program provided some welcome light relief. The Audi RS 6 Avant (belonging to John Hennessey’s wife) was tuned by Hennessey to 800 bhp and featured a modified exhaust system, which enabled the 6ft Douglas Fir to hit the record speed. The vehicle was driven by professional driver and senior instructor at the Ford Performance Driving School, Spencer Geswein.
John Hennessey, company Founder and CEO: “We wanted to see what my wife’s Audi station wagon would run without the tree and we managed 205 mph. Then, the real holiday fun began when we mounted a real Christmas tree on the roof. To our surprise, her wagon ran a very respectable 183 mph.”
The 65+ team at Hennessey Performance build more than 600 high-performance cars and trucks every year. In 2021, they’ve fine-tuned the Hennessey Venom F5 hypercar and are already looking ahead to the company’s first fully electrified Hyper-Lux GT – Project Deep Space. The team has a focus on fun that goes hand-in hand with the high-pressure nature of making some of the world’s fastest cars faster, so spreading some high-speed holiday joy comes naturally to the team from Sealey, Texas.
John Hennessey: “This was a fun way to end our most recent high speed testing session with our Venom F5. Afterall, who needs reindeer when your wife has an 800 bhp sleigh?”
About Hennessey
Based in Sealy, Texas, the Hennessey business comprises Hennessey Special Vehicles, Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), Tuner School, and the Lonestar Motorsports Park ¼ mile dragstrip. The company has re-engineered more than 12,000 vehicles for performance enthusiasts from around the world to deliver unparalleled driving excitement. Alongside modifying a diverse range of sports cars and muscle cars since 1991, the company also applies its high-performance expertise to trucks and SUVs – and manufactures its own hypercar – the Venom F5.
Every Hennessey product is dyno-proven, fully track-tested, street-legal, and warrantied. Customers can choose from road-ready performance-enhanced cars by Hennessey from a wide variety of brands including Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and Jeep in addition to benefitting from a host of high-performance upgrades.
With its own test track, engineering curriculum for aspiring tuners, more than 60 team members, and capacity to work on 50+ vehicles at a time, Hennessey Performance is one of the world’s leading specialist vehicle engineering & manufacturing companies. HennesseyPerformance.com
About John Hennessey
As the company founder and CEO, John Hennessey lives and breathes fast, fun cars. John developed a passion for performance while competing at world-renowned motorsport events including Pikes Peak, the Silver State Classic, and the Bonneville Salt Flats (where he set a class world record).
What started in 1991, modifying imports out of his garage, soon morphed into building 1,000-horsepower twin-turbo Dodge Vipers that gained international recognition in car magazines such as Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Top Gear, and Road and Track. In 2009, John founded Tuner School, a 14-week high-performance automotive trade school, to help the next generation of enthusiasts get into the aftermarket performance profession. TunerSchool.com
Viewed as an American icon of speed, John has achieved his vision to be the top automotive tuner and builder in the U.S. With a global sales footprint covering the U.S., Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East, he continues to find ways to engineer greater performance from some of the world’s most iconic cars and trucks, alongside creating the company’s new world-class hypercar – the Hennessey Venom F5.
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