Hennessey's 1,226 horsepower Cadillac CTS-VR

Talk about American muscle … Thumbing its nose at hippie ideals like fuel efficiency, the 6.2-litre Cadillac CTS-V is a monster muscle car in stock form, putting out 556 horsepower and 551 foot-pounds of torque straight out of the crate. But for those for whom too much is never enough, aftermarket tuner Hennessey Performance has released details of a souped-up "CTS-VR 1200" that brings together every performance upgrade in the Hennessey catalogue to produce an eye-watering 1,226 horsepower and 1,109 foot-pounds of torque. Handy if you need to tow a trailer … Just watch this thing light up on the dyno rollers.

Headquartered outside Houston, Texas, Hennessey Performance is a high-end performance tuning company that deals with all the major American brands, as well as a selection of European and Japanese models. It seems Hennessey's 2013 flagship model will be the VR1200, a 1,226 horsepower beast that's built out from the Cadillac CTS-V. In stock form, the Cadillac looks like this:

After the Hennessey treatment, it hits 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.9 seconds, handles the quarter mile (0.4 km) in a shade over 10 seconds, sprints to around 242 mph (389 km/h), and looks like this:

Engine upgrades

    427 CID (7.0L) Aluminum V8 Engine

    Forged Aluminum Pistons

    Forged Steel Connecting Rods

    Forged Steel Crankshaft

    Balanced and Blueprinted Rotating Assembly

    ARP Main Studs & Head Bolts

    High Flow Cylinder Heads

    Hennessey VR1200 Camshaft

    Upgraded Fuel Injectors

    Upgraded Fuel System (Includes Lines, Rails, Regulator & Pump)

    Twin Ball Bearing, Billet Wheel Precision Turbochargers

    Dual Wastegates

    Adjustable Boost Controller (800, 1000 & 1226 HP power settings)

    Stainless Steel Turbo Downpipes and Exhaust System

    Air-to-Water Intercooler

    High-Flow Air Induction System

    Professional Installation

    HPE Engine Management Calibration

    Dyno Tuning & Road Testing

    Hennessey Exterior Badging

    Serial-Numbered Dash & Engine Plaques

    3 Year / 36,000 (57,936 km) Mile Limited Warranty

Transmission & Drivetrain Upgrades:

    Manual: Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch Upgrade

    Automatic: Performance Build & Torque Converter Upgrade (Add US$20,000)

    Extreme Duty CV-Shaft Upgrade

Brembo Brake System Upgrades:

    15.1 inch Carbon Ceramic Rotors (Front & Rear)

    Calipers: 8-Piston (Front); 6-Piston (Rear)

Wheels & Tire Upgrades:

    Hennessey Wheels: 20x10 inch (Front); 20x13 inch (Rear)

    Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires: 275/30YR-20 (Front); 345/30YR-20 (Rear)

Suspension Upgrades:

    Lowered 1" (Front & Rear)

    Upgraded Front and Rear Swaybars

    Factory Magnetic Ride Control Tuned by John Heinricy

CarbonAero Widebody Body:

    Carbon Fiber Front Splitter

    Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser

    Carbon Fiber Front Fenders

    Carbon Fiber Extractor Hood

    Carbon Fiber Rear Fender Flares

Interior Upgrades:

    Alcantara Headliner

    Carbon Fiber Door Sills

    Upgraded Leather & Stitching

    Hennessey Embroidered Heardrests

    Hennessey Premium Floormats

 

Only 12 will be built, so if you like big biceps on your Caddie, you'll have to be quick. Get into the gallery to check out a boatload of pictures, or head over to the Hennessey site for more information.