If there are two things that American tuning company Hennessey is known for, it's their questionable customer service policies, and cramming as much power as possible into anything that they can get their hands on.
Hennessy's latest project was previewed earlier this year, but just ahead of SEMA, the first 'Maximus 1000' Jeep Gladiator has rolled off the production line complete with a huge footprint, and a monumental amount of power.
Starting at the business end of the truck, the standard 3.6-litre Pentastar has been replaced with a 6.2-litre supercharged Hellcat engine. As 707hp (527kW) wouldn't be enough power for this application, a range of modifications were installed to bring it up to a hefty 1000hp (745kW) and 1264Nm.
This massive power figure is 3.5 times the original Gladiator's figure, and makes for some serious performance despite its weight. A 0-100km/h time of just 3.9 seconds is now possible.
While it may be able to beat the supercars of yesteryear to 100km/h, the Maximus 1000 Gladiator was designed with off-roading in mind, and has been given a six-inch lift to help with ground clearance.
Other off-road accessories include the BF Goodrich off-road tyres, rugged front and rear bumpers, and a range of LED auxiliary lights.
On the inside, the Gladiator has received the standard Hennessey cabin treatment, which includes a set of leather acing seats, embroidered with Maximus logos and covered in a diamond stitch pattern.
Those that complain that a standard Jeep Gladiator is too pricey might want to skip this next part. Only 24 Maximus 1000 models will be built, and each comes with a $350,000 price tag.
To justify the monumental price tag, Hennessey CEO John Hennessey asked: "What other vehicle can climb to the top of Aspen Mountain with a KTM dirt bike in the back in the morning and then run 0-60 mph (096 km/h) in 3.9 seconds at the drag strip later the same day?"
Well, he has got a point there...
