A merry, merry fast Christmas: SUV hits 291 kmph with festive tree on roof

Santa Claus has some very, very serious competition this merry Christmas. This is thanks to a Texas-based automotive company which likes to be known for having the world's fastest Christmas tree. This year, Hennessey hit 291 kmph!

According to the official website of Hennessey Performance, the modified Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawks touched 291 kmph on a public road in the US recently, all with a Christmas tree strapped securely on its roof. Quirky as the idea may have been, it was hardly a first. This year, Hennessey had eyes set on its own previous record - 280 kmph in a modified Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcats, and managed to breeze past it - quite literally.

The dash took place at Uvalde Proving Grounds in Texas and a specialist performance driver - Spencer Geswein - was tasked with going fast. Really, really fast.

Thanks to the mammoth 1000 hp at its disposal, the SUV made mincemeat of the previous record and accelerated with as much purpose as any last-minute Christmas shopper.

As for the tree itself, it was a 6 feet 'Douglas fir' and there was no mention of whether it was safe enough to be decked up in Christmas festivities once the dash was over.