Mustang Shelby GT500

Make
Ford
Segment
Coupe

Before heading off for the holiday weekend, Hennessey has left us with a fun video featuring a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, known in this case as the Grinch, and an unreasonably fast Christmas tree. It's really more of a now-slightly-disfigured Christmas tree. Hennessey says the video chronicles an "unofficial holiday record" by taking the tree up to a - and this is a direct quote - "tree-mendous" 192 mph.

The media materials from the Texan tuning house are full of tree puns, and we'll be working our hardest not to "leaf" any out. Hennessey's annual Christmas tree sprint has become something of a tradition for the firm, and this year's run is particularly entertaining.

Hennessey made the annual Christmas tree run at the Continental Proving Grounds in Uvalde, Texas. Critically, all record attempts were certified under "the impartial eye of jolly old Saint Nick." Or, at least, an achingly Texan version of the holiday figure.

As a quick refresher, the Hennessey Venom 1000 is based on the Shelby GT500 with a load of go-fast changes. These result in 1,000 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque. Hennessey gets there with a 2.65-liter Roots supercharger "nestled on top" of the car's massive 5.2-liter V8. This, in addition to a new induction system, fuel rail, and other changes make for a potent Christmas sleigh.

Hennessey did break one verified record during the filming of the above (and highly entertaining) video. Driver Spencer Geswein broke the outright top speed record at the proving grounds during filming, and this isn't even the fastest GT500 Hennessey makes.

Moreover, Geswein did it with the added drag of an entire evergreen tree on top. Hennessey says other than the festive mods, the under-hood rain tray was removed to improve airflow. Hennessey had some fun with the run, and made sure to emphasize the Venom's seasonal Eruption Green pain, which we think went well with the Grinch's neon fur.