Different car manufacturers have different dreams, and for Hennessey and its stunning Venom F5, it is to become the fastest production car in the world.
Does this sound like déjà vu? That's because the Texan company has been chasing this dream for many years. In fact, it made an important first step back in 2014, when the Venom GT became the fastest car out there at 270.49 mph (435.31 kph), beating the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport's time of 268.86 mph (432.69 kph).
During the development phase at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility at Cape Naveveral in Florida, the Venom F5 managed to exceed the 270 mph (435 kph) mark. But since that same site doesn't cut it for the 300+ mph (483 kph) push, Hennessey is currently looking for a long stretch of road to unleash the hypercar to the said speed and then back to zero again safely.
Oh, and don't think that Hennessey is unaware of Koenigsegg's similar plans and the fact that Bugatti might once again join this race. "I love that Koenigsegg is gearing up for big speed. I hope that Bugatti joins the party, too – it's rivalries like this that fuel our passion and drive us to go faster, innovate more, and push harder," commented the company's founder and CEO, John Hennessey.
Photo: Hennessey
In theory, the Venom F5 could do well over 320 mph (515 kph). In fact, it achieved 328 mph (528 kph) during simulations. However, that's not the goal, as the big man himself said, "we're certainly not chasing that number." Instead, "breaking 300 mph in two directions is this year's goal while hitting 500 kph (310.7 mph) in one direction would be the ultimate way of celebrating the internal combustion engine."
Yes, you read that right: this year. That is the goal anyway, and the Lone Star State company will rely on American racing champion David Donohue to conduct the high-speed testing. Donohue is the 2023 Pikes Peak record-setter, and he is joined by Brian Jones, the former Mercedes-AMG One chief engineer.
As for the car itself, it is an absolute beast with a staggering 1,817 hp (1,843 ps/1,355 kW) at 8,000 rpm and 1,193 lb-ft (1,617 Nm) of torque at 5,000 rpm. The twin-turbo 6.6-liter V8 can be revved up to 8,500 rpm in the F5 mode and works in concert with a single-clutch semi-automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
We'll certainly keep an eye open for Hennessey's top-speed run, and you should, too, especially since it is going to be performed on a closed public road. Thus, if you see one and a Venom F5 in the distance, make sure to immortalize the moment and send the images and videos to our inbox so that we can get the word out as soon as possible.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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