Hennessey has given the Ford Raptor its V8 back

Buy a brand-new Ford Raptor and it no longer comes equipped with a V8 engine, instead using a 3.5-litre V6 turbo. While derived from a Ford GT’s engine, this has displeased some people, and Hennessey is here to cheer them back up again.

The car before you is a current-gen Raptor – complete with fancy ten-speed automatic gearbox and much tech – but with a V8 slotted back in again. It’s the 2019 Hennessey VelociRaptor, and it’s just been unveiled at the SEMA tuning show in Las Vegas.

Being Hennessey, it’s no ordinary off-the-shelf V8. It’s a 5.0-litre Ford engine with Hennessey’s 2.9-litre supercharger strapped to it. Yep, a supercharger that’s almost as big as a standard Raptor’s engine, and enough to push the VelociRaptor towards 750bhp. Eek.

“Our customers have been begging for a V8 option for their new Raptors since the truck first came out in early 2017,” says John Hennessey. “We heard their calls and are so pleased to meet this need in the market.”

As ‘needs in the market’ go, the need for an off-road ready pick-up to cover 0-60mph in 4.1secs and the quarter-mile in 12.2secs is one of our favourites. If it’s a need you’ve been impatiently waiting to be answered, then the 2019 VelociRaptor costs $147,950 (around £115,000), including the donor car and a stocky three-year warranty.

Just 100 will be made, so you’ll get a bit of exclusivity too. Not to mention extreme bragging rights next time you pull alongside a regular Raptor with its piffling 450bhp V6…