There are few names in the Mopar high performance tuning world that are better known than the people at Hennessey Performance and this week’s Truckin Fast Wednesday video takes a look at their awesome HPE500 package for the 4th generation Hemi-powered Ram 1500. This video of the HPE500 Ram shows the high performance pickup doing a big, nasty burnout and tearing up the pavement from a variety of angles – giving us a great look at the performance capabilities and the awesome sound of the Hemi Ram.
The Hennessey HPE500 package is available for 2009-2012 Ram 1500 pickups with the 5.7L Hemi V8 and the output of 505 horsepower is achieved by adding a TVS2300 supercharger, an HPE air intake system, a stainless steel exhaust system, higher volume fuel injectors and a tune to get the most out of everything. The result is 505 horsepower at 5,400rpm at the transmission and 422 horsepower at the wheels – enough to rocket the rear wheel drive Hennessey shop truck down the quarter mile in 13.1 seconds with a trap speed of 104 miles per hour. The package also includes some additions that don’t have any impact on the performance such as Hennessey exterior badging, Hennessey embroidered floormats and headrests and serialized dash and engine plaques.
The HPE500 Ram 1500 package costs $12,950 installed but those who want to do the work themselves can order the components for “just” $10,950. With a price like that, it isn’t a budget package but there is no doubt that the Hennessey supercharger package makes for one truckin’ fast Ram.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
