/// AUTOMOTIVE TESTING \\\


heads for the dunes


Niche vehicle manufacturer takes climatic testing away from the lab to put its vehicles through “fire and ice” endurance tests


Real world test


Hennessey moves its modified niche vehicles from laboratory dynamometers to the Glamis Sand Dunes in California and the Colorado mountains for final Fire and Ice testing


A


merican vehicle modification special- ist Hennessey has embarked on its Fire & Ice durability testing pro-


gramme to push its vehicles to the limit in real environments, rather than rely wholly on cli- mate-controlled laboratories. The multi-venue programme tests its re-engineered vehicles, including the Ford-based Hennessey Veloci- Raptor 600, in extreme cold and hot temper- atures while driving under brutal conditions. In its most recent challenge, Hennessey pit-


ted the large SUV against shifting dunes and temperatures exceeding 40°C in an arid Southern California desert. Utilising its en- hanced torque, the vehicle tackled extreme inclines to climb 100m high dunes, plus un- derwent punishing high-speed driving tests. The Hennessey engineering team also pushed the VelociRaptor’s powertrain and suspension to its limit, sprinting up steep dunes and exe- cuting multiple high-speed jumps. According to John Hennessey, the company


founder and CEO, the Texas-based company builds around 500 high-performance vehicles every year for customers who rightfully ex- pect mainstream manufacturer levels of qual- ity, reliability and service together with an


8 /// Climatic & Vibration Testing \\\ 2022


ability to withstand extreme conditions. “Our torturous Fire & Ice programme is the


real-world culmination of hundreds of hours of research, development and lab testing that each model line undergoes at our Texas head- quarters. Our goal is to combine ultimate per- formance with complete peace of mind,” he says.


Hennessey’s exhaustive testing evaluates the performance of each vehicle’s upgrades, from engine and suspension to tyres and ex- haust. Conducting these tests in extreme en- vironments – often more challenging than any owner will attempt – ensures that customers will have confidence in the vehicle. The desert test occurred at the Glamis Sand Dunes, California’s largest mass of wind- blown sand. The dune system extends more than 40 miles across the state’s southeast in a band averaging five miles wide. The hot weather tests followed a set of cold-weather tests that the Hennessey VelociRaptor 600 and Mammoth 1000TRX underwent in the freezing mountains of Colorado. There, with temperatures dipping below -12°C, the trucks explored their limits of grip while evaluating the performance of the upgraded


engines, intake systems and exhausts.


Laboratory testing /// Testing for all Hennessey models begins at the company’s headquarters in Sealy, Texas. Under the guidance of Hennessey director of R&D, Jason Haynes, each model line is sub- jected to hundreds of hours of research and development. This helps guarantee that Hen- nessey upgrades enhance every aspect of the vehicle while retaining complete usability and manufacturer driving modes. After lab-based evaluation, development


moves to Hennessey’s various on-site dy- namometer bays for live assessment. The final phase sees development models put through their paces at the Pennzoil Proving Ground at Hennessey’s headquarters to eval- uate the modifications in the real world. Even after each model line is signed-off, every cus- tomer vehicle undergoes its series of quality assurance tests, including a detailed test drive by Hennessey’s engineers. Hennessey’s customers are also invited to the final testing phase, with many experienc- ing their new vehicle for the first time on the Pennzoil Proving Ground. C&VT


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