The hypercar that succeeds the Venom GT is no pushover. Hennessey Performance Engineering designed it from the start with the goal of breaking the speed record for series-production vehicles, which the Bugatti brand currently holds at 304.773 mph (490.484 kph).
In order to exceed the 300-mph threshold or even 311 miles per hour (500.5 kilometers per hour), according to John Hennessey, the go-faster shop from Texas continues to develop the aerodynamic qualities of the Venom F5. In the following video, test driver John Heinricy shot past 200 miles per hour (322 kph) as part of the car’s mid-speed refinement and aero/drag coast-down testing.
Set to premiere on May 22nd at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the mid-engined land missile rocks a twin-turbo V8 with many similarities to the General Motors LS family of small-block engines. Fury is how the 6.6-liter lump is called, and it features many expensive goodies such as the steel cylinder sleeves, ball-bearing chargers, and billet-aluminum block.
Capable of 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 pound-feet (1,617 Nm) of torque, the V8 in the pre-production prototype is restricted to 900 horsepower, according to Hennessey Performance Engineering. The force-fed motor also sounds like a proper V8 thanks to pushrods instead of a DOHC valvetrain, the sound that sets American V8s apart from any other siblings.
“Our customers love speed, so we’re fired up to push the boundaries of what’s possible to attempt the world’s fastest production car record,” said founder and head honcho John Hennessey. “But the Venom F5 is about more than just speed and power. This car will handle superbly, quality is exceptional, there are more than 3,000 bespoke parts, materials are exquisite; everything is a fitting tribute to 30 years of the Hennessey brand.”
With a power-to-weight ratio of 1,298 horsepower for every metric ton, 277 horsepower for every liter of displacement, and 8,000 revolutions for the peak horsepower rating, the Venom F5 truly is special. The seven-speed automated manual transmission is geared for up to 334 miles per hour (537.5 kilometers per hour), which is why the writing is on the wall. It’s only a matter of time until Bugatti will lose its crown for the world’s fastest road-going car.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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