Enter the Maximus.
Not content to build 1,000 hp Chevrolet Silverados and Ford Raptors, Texas tuner John Hennessey has created the ultimate Gladiator. The modified Jeep pickup will make, you guessed it, 1,000 hp.
Jeep’s Gladiator is an impressive compact pickup. With top of the class specs for towing and payload capacity. Plus Jeep’s legendary off-road capability. But the biggest engine Jeep offers under the hood is a 3.6L V6.
Enter the Maximus. Named for Russel Crowe’s character in the movie Gladiator.
The Pentastar V6 is sent to the bin. In its place, a 6.2L Hellcat V8. But while that engine makes 707 hp in factory form, Hennessey has modified this engine even further.
It includes the HPE 1000 package. While the tuner didn’t detail that package here, on other HPE cars that comes with a 4.5L supercharger. That’s way up from the 2.4L stock blower. Helping that breathe are a larger throttle body plus stainless steel long-tube headers. New engine management and a modified fuel system make sure to help keep the big V8 fed.
It adds up to a monster pickup with 1,000 hp and 933 lb-ft of torque. No word on exactly how quick it will be. Or how much traction it will be able to find when launching on pavement using off-road tires. It probably won’t have a problem moving a trailer at the 3,470 max tow rating of the stock truck. John Hennessey calls the Maximus “badassery on 4-wheels,” and we think that sums it up nicely.
Other upgrades include 20-inch wheels with BFG off-road tires. Huge and special front and rear bumpers with LED lighting built into the front one. The suspension sits even higher than stock, up 6.0-inches over factory.
Hennessey also installs a leather interior that has seats embroidered with the company logo and the Maximus name.
This super pickup is going to be an extremely limited affair. Hennessey says that it’s only going to build 24 of them. That’s two per month starting in July, with the build taking around four months to complete. It’s not going to be a cheap truck by any stretch, either. Starting price will be US $200,000, though that includes the base Jeep to start the project.
Source: Hennessey Performance
Keyword: Hennessey Performance Builds 1,000 hp Gladiator