Hennessey Hacks at it again

[bluestang]

I'm a little in shock right now at this hack piece of shit place. Never ends with them lol


[video=youtube;M08KT9gKNJ0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M08KT9gKNJ0[/video]

 

[M-Sport fan]

Yeah, they do have a VERY shitty rep in the aftermarket world, to the point of me wondering how they are still in business after all these years.

I am surprised that they are interested in the FoRS at all.
I certainly hope they don't eff up that one as there are too few of them around to begin with.

Also; IF they are going to be working on/modding/tuning AWD cars, they should invest in an AWD dyno, instead of disconnecting the driveshaft because they only have a 2WD dyno!

 

[Rhinopolis]

Yeah, they do have a VERY shitty rep in the aftermarket world, to the point of me wondering how they are still in business after all these years.

I am surprised that they are interested in the FoRS at all.
I certainly hope they don't eff up that one as there are too few of them around to begin with.

Also; IF they are going to be working on/modding/tuning AWD cars, they should invest in an AWD dyno, instead of disconnecting the driveshaft because they only have a 2WD dyno!

You might not have heard, and word around the various other tuning houses and with the FoRS is that dyno'ing in this way (2wd Dyno) is how you should dyno this car. For additional info, read this article.

http://www.cobbtuning.com/ford-focus-rs-power-gains-and-development/

 

[grnmachine02]

Did I miss something? When did Hennessy get such a bad rep? I mean the Venom is awesome.

To Google I go.

 

[MKVIIST]

Did I miss something? When did Hennessy get such a bad rep? I mean the Venom is awesome.

To Google I go.

Since the 90's when they were screwing over Viper owners.

 

[grnmachine02]

Ah. That explains why i never knew about it

 

[Noodles]

I wouldn't get that jackass a LeMons car to build let alone an RS. Toooooo many horror stories out there.

Sent from the Canyon's Edge

 

[BoostBumps]

Hennessey HPE400 packs 400 horsepower into the Ford Focus RS

8/31/2016 - AutoBlog

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/08/31/hennessey-hpe400-ford-focus-rs/?ncid=edlinkusauto00000016

Although Hennessey Performance Engineering is famous for bonkers vehicles like the Venom GT and the HPE1000 Cadillac CTS-V, the company produces more reserved and affordable products as well. After teasing us with images and video of a shiny new Ford Focus RS, it seems that the tuning house is nearly ready to unveil its finished product.

According to John Hennessey, the HPE400 Ford Focus RS will be ready within the next 30 days. That's good news for enthusiasts who feel that 350 horsepower from a hot hatch won't quite do. As you might have guessed, the HPE400 will make 400 hp from Ford's 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine. Hennessey is claiming that midrange power will be up by 75 hp and 80 lb ft of torque, so the car should feel significantly quicker throughout the rev range.

To make these gains, Hennessey is changing the engine management software, adding a high-flow air filter, and a new stainless steel mid pipe for the exhaust with an electronic dump valve. Of course, "HPE400" and "Powered by Hennessey" badges will come with the kit, which costs $2,995 for all the parts. Hennessey will perform the install, along with a dyno tune, for $4,995.

For reference, UK tuner Mountune's kit only adds an additional 25 hp, but since it's backed by Ford Performance, you won't risk ruining your warranty. Unfortunately, the Mountune kit isn't available in the US.

 

[OCS12]

Since the 90's when they were screwing over Viper owners.

He also branched out into screwing over Corvette owners. The best are some of his angry drunken ramblings on forums.

 

[Rhinopolis]

Hennessy's place is west of Katy, TX headed toward Austin, and about 45 minutes or so outside of Houston. They regular host drag strip events there, and a friend of mine spent over $20k having his brand new GT500 taken up to 800whp plus some other add ons and supporting mods.

He used to run that GT500 at Texas World Speedway near College Station (a little over an hour NNW of Houston) and he ended up selling it for every penny that he had in to it, after one too many higher speed spin outs freaked him out.

He says that the kicker was when he once tried racing a vette on a section of I-45 in Houston, and while attempting to go WOT in 4th gear at 80 mph, the car just lost traction and he spun off the hwy and in to a grassy area. He sold it to a guy in Florida, and he says that it was a great car and that he just couldn't handle the power.

I remember the days of reading about some of Hennesey's boondoggles in the 90's, but I also know a guy with a twin turbo Viper that Hennesey modified and that regularlyhits 200 mph at the TX mile, and that guy LOVES his Viper. I have met others at local car shows who are pleased and have been customers of Hennsey's as well.

My point is that not all reviews are bad, and I have no skin in the game just saying.....

 

[airjor13]

Does Hennessy do anything other then charge rich people tons of money to bolt-on parts made by other people? If you are lucky, he will over charge you but he won't screw you lol.

 

[Rhinopolis]

^ Lol

 

[Waterfan]

To make these gains, Hennessey is changing the engine management software, adding a high-flow air filter, and a new stainless steel mid pipe for the exhaust with an electronic dump valve. Of course, "HPE400" and "Powered by Hennessey" badges will come with the kit, which costs $2,995 for all the parts. Hennessey will perform the install, along with a dyno tune, for $4,995.

$3k for air filter, midpipe and software? They do know this is a Ford and not an <insert German auto brand here>? Is the Hennessey name worth a 200% premium? If so, more power to them, seriously.

 

[BoostBumps]

Hennessey Tunes Ford Focus RS to 400 Horsepower

here's a few more write-ups...

Original Article from Cheat Sheet.

Sept 2, 2016

Now that the Focus RS is finally here, hot hatch enthusiasts are already looking for ways to make it even more extreme, and aftermarket specialists are more than happy to oblige. While modifying something that already has 350 horsepower and the same amount of torque in order to "go further" may not be everyone's cup of octane, there is no escaping the fact that the fastest production Focus in the world makes for one hell of an ideal platform from which to build off of.

Tuners have been atwitter about the RS and its twin-scroll turbocharger ever since word came down that it would feature four different drive modes and the ability to hit 60 in under five seconds. It's a lightning quick, six-speed hatchback that begs to be built, and since the Brembo brakes and tricky suspension are already top notch in every way, the go-fast side of the equation seems to be the most logical place to start.

Enter Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), and its devout interest in making fast cars even faster. Over the years the Houston, Texas based tuning shop has been applauded for its ability to take cars like the Mustang, Camaro, Viper, and Hellcat and make them more insane than they already are. This is the same shop that was responsible for building the world's fastest open-top sports car, the Venom GT, and that turned Ford's Raptor into a 1,000-horsepower "Velociraptor."

But the Focus RS is a a bit of a divergence for the torque-hungry tuner, because of all the extreme machines that are listed on Hennessey's website, this is the only one listed with half the number of cylinders. That fact shouldn't be an issue though, because where the RS is lacking in displacement and V8 roar, it makes up for it in tuning potential, and while Hennessey has already massaged the motor to over 400 horsepower, more is on the way.

The first round of tuning adjustments for the Focus RS will reportedly be ready before September lets out, and based upon projected power gains, Hennessey is already calling the kit the HPE400. OK, so technically it says 405 horsepower on the company's website, but with 425 pound-feet of torque getting untapped, we hardly feel like there's room to complain.

In order to safely get to this level, Hennessey has recalibrated the Ford's engine management software, added a stainless steel exhaust mid pipe with an electronic dump valve, and put a free-flowing air filter on the intake side. Those three things, plus a set of "HPE400" and "Hennessey" badges will set you back a cool $2,995, and for $4,995 they will install everything for you and throw it on the dyno.

According to Hennessey Performance's website, in the future they "will be offering [more] high-performance upgrade systems for the 2016 Ford Focus RS." So expect full engine management tuning options instead of just a reflash, complete high-flow air induction systems, beefier intercoolers, stainless downpipes and exhaust kits, turbo upgrades, and every other imaginable tweak that hot hatch enthusiasts pine for.

Naturally, you have to be fine with voiding your warranty right out the gate when you plop down cash for kits like these, and while Hennessey is one of the first companies to develop aftermarket options for the RS, it certainly won't be the only one. Keep your eyes turned toward SEMA this year, because from the way things are shaping up, it looks like this practical and potent hot hatch will be making a strong presence in Las Vegas come November.

Article from Digital Trends

Sept 1, 2106

Rumors and whispers indicate that Ford is preparing a faster, more dynamic version of the vaunted Focus RS. American tuner Hennessey Performance is catering to enthusiasts who don't want to wait any longer by introducing a hot-rodded version of the Blue Oval's latest hot hatch.

The model is called Hennessey HPE400. And as its name loosely implies, it boasts 405 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque, generous increases of 55 horses and 75 pound-feet of twist over the stock model. Hennessey achieved the bump by upgrading the engine management software, fitting a high-flow air filter, and installing a new stainless steel exhaust with an electronic dump valve. Performance specifications haven't been announced yet; for what it's worth, an unmodified RS hits 60 mph from a stop in about 4.5 seconds.

There are no mechanical modifications to report, meaning the RS continues to use a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. A six-speed manual transmission spins all four wheels via a sport-tuned all-wheel drive system capable of sending up to 70 lb-ft. of the engine's torque to the rear axle.

Hennessey Performance will soon sell the parts needed to turn the Ford Focus RS into a HPE400 as a complete kit that will retail for $2,995. Alternatively, buyers who aren't mechanically inclined can ask the tuner to install all the parts and run the car on a dyno for $4,995.

What's next?
The Ford Focus RS has plenty of potential, and it sounds like Hennessey won't stop at 405 horsepower. The company has hinted that it's working on additional tweaks to upgrade the intercooler, the turbocharger, as well as the wheels and tires. We don't know how much more power the RS' four-banger can handle, but odds are brake and suspension upgrades will be part of the package, too, in order to keep the additional grunt in check.

 

[M-Sport fan]

You might not have heard, and word around the various other tuning houses and with the FoRS is that dyno'ing in this way (2wd Dyno) is how you should dyno this car. For additional info, read this article.

http://www.cobbtuning.com/ford-focus-rs-power-gains-and-development/

OK, that makes perfect sense for tuning this car, but what do they do for posted AWD power figures, subtract a 'standard' calculated/estimated power loss for the extra drive train equipment??

 

[OCS12]

Hennessy's place is west of Katy, TX headed toward Austin, and about 45 minutes or so outside of Houston. They regular host drag strip events there, and a friend of mine spent over $20k having his brand new GT500 taken up to 800whp plus some other add ons and supporting mods.

He used to run that GT500 at Texas World Speedway near College Station (a little over an hour NNW of Houston) and he ended up selling it for every penny that he had in to it, after one too many higher speed spin outs freaked him out.

He says that the kicker was when he once tried racing a vette on a section of I-45 in Houston, and while attempting to go WOT in 4th gear at 80 mph, the car just lost traction and he spun off the hwy and in to a grassy area. He sold it to a guy in Florida, and he says that it was a great car and that he just couldn't handle the power.

I remember the days of reading about some of Hennesey's boondoggles in the 90's, but I also know a guy with a twin turbo Viper that Hennesey modified and that regularlyhits 200 mph at the TX mile, and that guy LOVES his Viper. I have met others at local car shows who are pleased and have been customers of Hennsey's as well.

My point is that not all reviews are bad, and I have no skin in the game just saying.....

Oddly, that fits perfectly with the horror stories. Only going off what I've read from the lawsuits, the locals (who could check up on progress), were treated pretty well.

Then there's the other side... My favorite was the Viper owner who kept getting strung along, after a massive down payment, only to learn that no work had been done on his car, other than to remove parts that were sold!!!!! Hennessy actually sold the guy's hood! WTF?$? (And that's from court records, not forum chat)

 

[Rhinopolis]

$3k for air filter, midpipe and software? They do know this is a Ford and not an <insert German auto brand here>? Is the Hennessey name worth a 200% premium? If so, more power to them, seriously.

I know, and this is the part of this story that IMO is actually crazy.

 

[Rhinopolis]

Oddly, that fits perfectly with the horror stories. Only going off what I've read from the lawsuits, the locals (who could check up on progress), were treated pretty well.

Then there's the other side... My favorite was the Viper owner who kept getting strung along, after a massive down payment, only to learn that no work had been done on his car, other than to remove parts that were sold!!!!! Hennessy actually sold the guy's hood! WTF?$? (And that's from court records, not forum chat)

That's what litigation is for, and if that story as its been shared is true then Hennessey deserves the bad rep. From my experience there's always two sides to every story, and I try not to pass final judgement until I have more facts than from one side.

 

[Rhinopolis]

OK, that makes perfect sense for tuning this car, but what do they do for posted AWD power figures, subtract a 'standard' calculated/estimated power loss for the extra drive train equipment??

2cd page of this thread is the best answer that I have for now. Perhaps [MENTION=1333]BoostBumps[/MENTION] can elaborate further and as a FoRS owner?

http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/...-(304whp-340tq)-and-Stg1-(319whp-364tq)/page2

 

[BoostBumps]

2cd page of this thread is the best answer that I have for now. Perhaps @BoostBumps can elaborate further and as a FoRS owner?

http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/...-(304whp-340tq)-and-Stg1-(319whp-364tq)/page2

I don't own a FoRS ...But here was COBB's explanation (below) I had posted in that thread...

"The Focus RS does not have a center differential like other AWD vehicles in its class. Instead, there is an electronically controlled clutch pack that sends a variable amount of power to the rear differential. This system is called the Rear Drive Unit or RDU. When the RDU is active (sending power to the rear wheels), it causes the rear wheels to spin faster than the front. Keep in mind that the dyno rollers are linked front and back so they spin at the same rate. With the rollers spinning at a constant rate, and the vehicle trying to spin the front and rear wheels at different rates, things don?t mesh well. When this is the case, the car actually ?thinks? it is losing traction which results in it intentionally limiting power. The best way to dyno the vehicle is in FWD mode with the RDU disconnected. Even if we were able to prevent the car from limiting power in AWD mode, the gains expressed as a percentage will be identical in either FWD or AWD mode. The actual number isn?t too relevant as it will be different with varying dynos and conditions. Check out another post on Interpreting Dyno Results for more details." - COBB TUNING