SEALY, Texas — Although Hennessey Performance Engineering may be best known for its extreme Vipers, owner John Hennessey and his crew haven't limited their scope to Detroit iron, tuning Fords, BMWs, even Bugattis.

Now the Texas tuner is expanding its sights once again, and Lexus may be in the crosshairs.

In an interview with Inside Line, John Hennessey dropped some broad hints as to his next project: "We have a new IS-F coming in next week. Our plan with that car is to test some headers, exhaust and air induction items first. Then maybe a blower."

Also high on his list of tuning prospects are such current and near-future performance vehicles as the Cadillac CTS-V, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the Nissan GT-R. The ZR1, with its supercharged LS9 6.2-liter V8, holds significant promise, Hennessey believes, with the potential to deliver 700-plus horsepower.

In the face of escalating fuel prices and environmental concern, how much longer will there be a market for ultra-exotic performance cars like these?

Says Hennessey: "We'll ride the wave as long as we can.... We won't see these cars forever."

What this means to you: As new breeds of high-performance cars hit the market, Hennessey remains at the forefront of those who will make them even faster. — Scott Vandekerckhove, Correspondent