Hennessey Gave This Camaro ZL1 1,000 Horsepower And It Feels Excessive
Hennessey Performance is marking the end of the sixth-gen Chevy Camaro with the limited production of a wildly powerful new trim: the Exorcist Camaro ZL1 Final Edition. "Exorcist" is an intentionally fitting name because Hennessey is explicitly "placing the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 in its crosshairs" with its new supercharged Camaro. The original Exorcist, introduced in 2017, was built to compete with the Dodge Demon's 840 horsepower. While Dodge announced its new Challenger SRT Demon 170 is capable of 1,025 horsepower, Hennessey's Exorcist Final Edition comes close with its upgraded LT4 V8 engine, which can generate up to 1,000 horsepower.
Hennessey says it's spent years on R&D and refining the new Exorcist, improving its HPE Engine Management software, as well as the Camaro's engine. The final product's four-digit horsepower is a 54% increase in power, and it also has a 49% boost in torque, now able to achieve 966 lb-ft. The Exorcist Final Edition can go 0 to 60 mph in 2.1 seconds, cover a quarter-mile in 9.57 seconds, and has a top speed of 217 mph.
John Hennessey, founder and CEO of Hennessey, says the Exorcist Final Edition is one of his "all-time favorites," adding, "The chassis, suspension, and powerplant work seamlessly together, so all the driver experiences is raw, unbridled horsepower." Unless you're racing a Dodge Demon, that much horsepower is overkill, but the new Exorcist isn't meant to be a day-to-day vehicle — it's a powerful send-off to the Chevy Camaro.
The Exorcist Final Edition doesn't mean the Camaro will be gone forever
The name "Final Edition" refers to the fact that Chevy is ceasing production of the current generation of Camaro after 2024. To celebrate the Camaro's run, Hennessey is only manufacturing 57 of the Exorcist Final Edition, in reference to when the Camaro first entered production 57 years ago. The limited-edition Exorcist will look different from the standard Camaro ZL1, with stripes along its side and circular emblems behind the front wheels. Each motor will include a unique, numbered engine bay plaque that reads "Final Edition __ of 57."
Chevrolet has already discontinued the Camaro's turbocharged four-cylinder and LS trims. But, in addition to the high-performance Final Edition Exorcist, Chevy introduced a limited run of 350 ZL1 Collector's Editions, which comes in Panther Black Matte with a metallic black stripe and red brake calipers. The Collector's Edition also comes with a Canfield sports watch from Shinola that's emblazoned with the Camaro logo.
However, don't expect the iconic Camaro to be gone forever. "While we are not announcing an immediate successor today," stated Chevrolet Global Vice President Scott Bell, "rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro's story." Until any new Camaros begin production, you'll still catch existing ones, like the Exorcist Camaro ZL1 Final Edition, on the road — if they slow down enough for you to see them.