Watch A Christmas Tree Hit 174mph Thanks To A Dodge Hellcat

At this time of year it's (probably) the first question on any petrolhead's lips: just how quickly can I get this Christmas tree home? Hennessey Performance has thoughtfully provided an answer

It’s a problem we all face when we’re buying a natural Christmas tree. Just how to hit triple-figure speeds with it on the roof on the way home? Will it stay intact? Will aerodynamics slow my car down too much? Will I really be able to top 170mph and still provide my family with a worthy centrepiece for the festive lounge?

Luckily, we now know the answer. Breathe a sigh of relief, everyone. Hennessey Performance, which brought us the bonkers Velociraptor 6x6, the Venom F5 and the one US drag strip where Dodge Demon owners aren’t banned, has borrowed a Challenger Hellcat Widebody and done some, err, research.

Hennessey staff can be seen in the video above, strapping a pine tree to roof bars on top of the Hellcat before a pro driver in full safety gear (take that, do-gooders) opens the 717bhp beast up and reaches a peak speed of 174mph. It’s a fair chunk slower than the listed 202mph ceiling for the car, but still pretty mighty.

Amazingly, the tree stays mostly unaffected by the wind blast. It has a fair amount of strapping at the front, but even at high speed the branches look to be under pretty low stress. That’s another festive question answered, then: yes, a Christmas tree will withstand a 174mph trip down the Autobahn, if you like.