We’ve already seen how extreme prices can be when importing U.S.-built vehicles overseas, especially when those vehicles sit in a gray area in the country’s marketplace. The most recent example of this is the 2022 Hennessey Ram TRX Mammoth, which made its way to Finland for a hefty sum of $272,000. But this 1,000 hp super truck can’t even remotely tap into its absurd power.
The Drive recently noticed that a Hennessey TRX Mammoth had popped up on a Finnish auto classified site costing about double what it would cost if ordered directly from Hennessey and nearly four times the cost of a base TRX. But despite paying such a high price for the truck, you won’t be allowed to use the power that comes with it. A workaround to have the truck imported without paying seriously high taxes meant installing a speed limiter to cap the high-horsepower truck at a top speed of just 55 mph.
Hennessey TRX Mammoth: Finland Tax Loophole
The reasoning behind taking away so much glory from the truck comes down to a tax loophole. The TRX produces 506 g/hm of CO2 emissions, making it subject to a 44.8 percent Finnish import tax if it’s registered as a five-seater passenger vehicle. But since it has a gross weight of 3,539 kg (7,802 lbs), it can be considered a commercial vehicle in Finland. So in the Hennessey TRX Mammoth‘s case, it’s classed as an “N2,” which permits owners to import and register the truck without paying the 44.8 percent tax… with a catch.
Finland is a member of the European Union, which means it must adhere to a particular directive that requires speed limiting devices to be installed if the N2 vehicle is used on the road. As a result, the 1,000 horsepower Hennessey TRX Mammoth is limited to 90 km/h or 55 mph.
Why anyone would want to purchase a $272,000 truck that can’t tap into its mighty pony count is beyond us. Perhaps a wealthy Finn absolutely can’t live without having the truck in their garage, ready for the occasional cruising. Of course, that’s all you’re going to be able to do since the truck can’t even reach 60 mph. Sad.
