500 hp Lexus LX 570 answers question no one asked

We never thought of the Lexus LX 570 as being particularly short on power. Apparently the team at Hennessey Performance had a different opinion and took matters into their own hands, creating a supercharger package for the full-size SUV.

The standard Lexus LX 570 already pumps out 383 hp and 403 lb-ft of torque courtesy of its 5.7-liter V8 engine, with power going to all four wheels. Admittedly, those figures may seem underwhelming by today's 500+ club standards, but it moves the 6,000 lb. curb weight of the beefiest Lexus offering just fine. The 2014 LX 570 we tested never felt winded, and the 7.5 second sprint to 60 mph is quite respectable given the SUV's weight and dimensions. So just how much more power could be squeezed out of the V8?

Hennessey equipped their version of the LX 570 with a TVS supercharger system, along with a high-flow reusable air filter. As part of the HPE500 package, Hennessey also has tweaked the engine control unit (ECU) and has upgraded the fuel injection system. About the only clues to what's beneath the hood are the Hennessey badges on the front fenders and the serial numbered dash and engine plaques.

The result? How about 500-hp and 530 lb-ft of torque. That's a bump of 117 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque over the standard engine, and the dash from 0 to 60 now takes 6.6 seconds. Hennessey says that the quarter mile should be demolished in 14.6 seconds at 98 mph (versus 15.7 seconds at 91 mph on the stock model), which is pretty quick for something in this weight class. Hennessey offers a three-year 35,000 mile limited warranty, in case you're the sort of customer who'll be buying this SUV specifically for its quarter mile performance.

Hennessey Performance
The TVS supercharger squeezes out an extra 117-hp out of the 5.7-liter V8.

We can't tell if this upgrade was inspired by the still-ongoing German horsepower wars, with the G-class seemingly receiving more and more power upgrades each passing month, but we already see a practical application for Hennessey's HPE500 supercharger upgrade for the LX 570: armored LX 570s. A number of firms build armored versions of the Lexus LX 570 and its Toyota Land Cruiser cousin for various international organizations operating in the world's hot spots, and the performance of these SUVs suffers after more than a thousand pounds of high-strength steel and ballistic glass is added to their frames. Hennessey's HPE500 supercharger package should help move all that weight around, and we can already picture these painted in UN white, with a heavy-duty steel front bumper with a winch and a tall antenna folded over the roof.

By Jay Ramey