Skip to main content

Hennessey’s tuned 2016 Cadillac CTS-V aims for 240 mph, thanks to 1,000 horsepower

2016 Hennessey HPE1000 Cadillac CTS-V
Image used with permission by copyright holder
With 640 horsepower courtesy of the Corvette Z06’s supercharged 6.2-liter V8, the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is already one of the world’s most powerful production sedans.

Texas-based speed shop Hennessey Performance Engineering calls that a “good starting point.”

Recommended Videos

While the car isn’t even out yet, Hennessey already has plans to turn the new CTS-V into something truly monstrous.

That includes removing the stock supercharger and replacing it with two turbochargers. Along with other modifications to the engine internals, Hennessey hints this setup will be good for an even 1,000 hp.

It also plans to take this HPE1000 CTS-V up to 240 mph. That means this four-door sedan will be about as fast as a McLaren F1, and faster than McLaren’s P1, not to mention the Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder.

Don’t think Hennessey won’t be able to put it off, either. It took a tuned version of the outgoing Cadillac CTS-V coupe up to 221 mph on Texas State Highway 130.

“It was still pulling when we ran out of road,” company founder John Hennessey claims.

That’s encouraging, but it will be interesting to see if all of that horsepower can overcome the aerodynamic effects on the CTS-V at those speeds, which are typically the domain of the fastest supercars.

It’s probably best to leave the CUE infotainment system off at those speeds.

In addition to the engine upgrades, the HPE1000 CTS-V will also feature larger brakes, bigger wheels and tires, and some bodywork modifications, including flared fenders.

Hennessey also plans to offer less-radical 750 hp and 800 hp options that retain the factory-installed supercharger.

The 2016 CTS-V joins a pretty extensive catalog of Hennessey-tuned models, which includes everything from sports cars like the Corvette, Viper, and GT-R, to full-size General Motors SUVs and the Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Hennessey even mashed up a Lotus Exige and a souped-up Corvette powertrain to create the Venom GT, which was clocked at 270 mph at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, last year.

2016 Hennessey HPE1000 Cadillac CTS-V
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and EVs offer big incentives as year nears its end
chrysler dodge jeep ev incentives record my24 hybrid gallery 04 exterior desktop jpg image 1440

It’s no secret that automakers and dealerships typically climb over each other to offer the best incentives before the year ends. But this year’s sales season is expected to be particularly competitive, with slowing sales translating to greater urgency to clear inventory.

According to research from Kelley Blue Book, the respected vehicle-valuation firm, overall incentives on new vehicle sales were up by 60% in October compared to the previous year.

Read more
Jeep, Ram EREVs will get 690-mile range with new Stellantis platform
A 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger sits in a vineyard.

Stellantis, the giant automotive group, is betting big on extending the range of both its hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs).

Last month, the company, which owns the Jeep, Dodge, and Ram brands in the U.S., invested nearly $30 million into an advanced wind tunnel at its research center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The goal is to study airflow around a vehicle’s wheels and tires to further optimize its EVs and boost their range.

Read more
Self-driving vehicle rules set to loosen under Trump, report says
self driving looser rules trump screenshot 2024 10 at 54 56 pm 6708947b14810

Tesla “has been very clear the future is autonomous,” CEO Elon Musk said in October, shortly after unveiling the Cybercab, Tesla’s self-driving robotaxi.

It now seems that Musk, who was recently nominated to lead a newly-created "Department of Government Efficiency," is sharing his crystal ball with the incoming Trump administration.

Read more