Hennessey Goliath 800: When Your Supercharged Truck Needs More Juice
Sometimes, 700 horsepower just isn’t enough—but 6 wheels is too much. When Hennessey Performance Engineering unveiled the Goliath 6×6, it was a chance for Chevrolet fans to experience what HPE had already done with the VelociRaptor 6×6. Unfortunately, Hennessey will only make 24. Luckily, Hennessey recently revealed four-wheeled Goliaths that can be built on both the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. But the most powerful version, the Goliath 700, ‘only’ has 700 horsepower. For those wanting more, Hennessey has another supercharged truck: the Goliath 800.
How the Hennessey Goliath 800 compares to the other Goliaths
On the face of it, the Goliath 800 doesn’t seem too different from the Goliath 500 or 700. But that’s because the difference is under the hood. To make a Goliath 500/700, Hennessey fit a 2.9-liter supercharger to the stock 5.3-liter/6.2-liter V8. And the 800 has the same supercharger. But that’s about the only thing it shares with the ‘lesser’ Goliaths.
The engine from the stock V8 Silverado and Sierra is removed completely. In its place is a 416-cubic-inch V8 shared with the Hennessey HPE800 Escalade. But this isn’t your ordinary GM crate V8.
The pistons are custom-forged aluminum, and their connecting rods are billet steel. The pushrods are chromoly steel and the wrist pins are forged steel. The valve lifters are hydraulic, as is the camshaft. Hennessey even balances and blueprints the entire engine. Meaning, the tuning team fits every part to better-than-manufacturer tolerances. In short, every single part of this engine has been gone over. And then the supercharger comes into play.
Like the other Goliaths, Hennessey also fits a high-flow intercooler system and a crankcase ventilation system. The tuner also upgrades the engine management software. But the Goliath 800 also has a stainless-steel exhaust system. And because of all the engine and power mods, Hennessey also upgrades the 10-speed transmission.
Hennessey Goliath 800: what’s the deal with the power?
A brief note about the power. Drivers will have to run 93-octane to get full grunt. Hennessey claims the engine develops 805 hp. However, Road & Track claims the HPE800 Escalade develops as much as 842 hp. And Motor1 reports that SUV has 805 hp at the crank, but 742 hp at the wheels. But, considering the Hennessey Escalade can hang with a Ferrari in the quarter-mile, the Goliath 800 clearly has enough power.
Off-road packages
Just like the Goliath 500 and 700, the Goliath 800 also offers two off-road packages.
The Stage 1 package comes with “GOLIATH”-branded front and rear bumpers. The front bumper also comes with LED lights and an LED light bar. The stock wheels and tires are swapped out for 20” Hennessey-designed wheels and 35” Toyo off-road tires. The truck is also lifted 3.5-4.5”, depending on the specific Silverado/Sierra trim.
Stage 2 is Stage 1, but more. Tires are now 37” Toyo off-road units, and the lift kit adds 6”. To deal with this, Hennessey performs a complete suspension upgrade. And because the Goliath may now be slightly on the tall side, the tuner also installs electronic fold-out steps.
Hennessey Goliath 800 availability and pricing
Unlike the Goliath 500/700, which can be ordered from any Chevrolet/GMC dealer, Hennessey hasn’t revealed dealer-ordering info about the Goliath 800. Hennessey also hasn’t revealed Goliath 800 pricing, neither for the ‘base’ truck nor the off-road packages. However, R&T stated the HPE800 upgrade for the Escalade cost $55,000. Steep, considering a base Silverado WT is under $30k. But you are getting an entirely new engine for the price.
And it’s a new engine with a warranty. Hennessey offers a 1-year/12,000-mile warranty on the powertrain. The off-road packages come with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.
