Cadillac is likely going to eventually give up on building sedans and coupes for SUVs and crossovers. Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Hennessy-modded CTS-V shows what we lose in that bargain. Maybe its price will be bargain enough to ease the pain.
Could you imagine if, instead of confirming Harry Potter’s magical abilities by telling him he was a Wizard, Hagrid had instead announced to the boy “Yer a Warlock, ya wee four-eyed booger”? Things would likely have been very different.
The seller of yesterday’s 1978 Dodge D150 Warlock probably wished things had turned out different too. Instead, his $15,000 asking price earned a not so magical 80 percent Crack Pipe loss. That was attributable to the truck having lost over the years almost every aspect that made it a Warlock to begin with.
Today we’re not talking about subtraction, but addition, and oh my gosh, here we have yet another aftermarket modified car. I didn’t plan on this week having nothing but modded cars, that’s just how it panned out. And what a way to finish the week off.
Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) is the namesake Texas tuner house of John Hennessey, a dude who, when he’s not pissing people off, manages to turn out some seriously powerful rides. One such pony packer is this 2011 Cadillac CTS-V HPE800 so named for is Hennessey origin and claimed 800 horsepower at the crank.
That’s brought to the fore by way of a Hennessey-modded supercharged LS9. The 6.2 litre pushrod V8 gets a slew of performance upgrades—everything from a high-flow induction to more capacious cats—to put that power down.
The seller says this one has just 10,000 miles under its belt since the upgrade, and, that it is in fact the first HPE800 Coupe Hennessey built. There’s even a commemorative plaque denoting that deed on the fan shroud. Way to go, Larry Garner!
The coupe wrapped around all the Hennessey happenings is Cadillac’s one-time attempt at category disruption—a fastback two-door that eschewed even the modest stateliness of the four-door CTS for in your face angles and exaggerated tail light fins.
It’s still an impressive achievement, however it hasn’t necessarily aged all that well. The Hennessey add-ons—a massive carbon fiber blistered hood and aero extensions—gussie it up a good bit, but the end result is something perhaps more extroverted than some may like. YMMV.
The wheels are claimed to be bespoke to this car and worth eight-grand alone. They appear free of curb rash and in fact the whole car comes across as seemingly new with excellent paint and intact trim.
The interior seems equally up to the task, although I have to admit that I’m completely over the carbon fiber trim dealio. The passenger side of the dash features some graffiti by none other than John Hennessey himself but that should be easily removed with some Meguiars and a rag.
The steering wheel exhibits a good bit of shine from oily handed use, but that seems the only flaw in here. The low tire pressure light on the dash should probably be addressed by a potential buyer however.
The car is described in its ad as “an unbelievable driver” offering “a breathtaking amount of power on hand in an instant.” It appears to be a two-owner car and the Hennessey additions were made under the stewardship of the last one. The current owner claims $105,000 invested in the car to make it what it is, and notes that all paperwork for that build is available. The Caddy comes with a clear title and maintenance records since new.
Let’s just say that, reputation not withstanding, Hennessey, when they do manage to turn a car out, does some pretty engaging work. The Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is a car that got lost in the company’s confusing model lineup of the past decade but it’s certainly more unique and surprising for that.
What might all that be worth to a potential buyer? The asking is $57,000 and it’s now incumbent on you to decide if that’s a fair price or not. What do you think, is this HPE800 worth that kind of scratch? Or, is this a Hennessey with a price that’s heresy?
You decide!
Atlanta, GA Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to EdHelmsBakery for the hookup!
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