Photo: Hennessey
Since the automobile became something of a consumer good, automakers have experimented with the idea of gear lever/selector over and over again. For the 2018 model year, GMC made gear selection needlessly complicated for the Terrain. On the other hand, what Hennessey did to the Venom F5 is a brilliant example of minimalist design and functionality.
The teaser photo of the American hypercar’s interior shows the design of the steering wheel, which is clad in carbon fiber and Alcantara. At the 8 o’clock position, right next to the airbag cover, you’ll notice a rotary controller labeled P-R-N-D that also integrates the engine start button.
It’s a simple solution to one of the most used constituents of a car’s cabin, one that also shaves a few pounds by bringing together the engine start button and gear lever in one cohesive unit. The teaser further shows the driver-focused nature of the Venom F5, which brings together all essential vehicle functions on the steering wheel through lots and lots of buttons.
Indicators? Check. Headlights flash and not one but two radio buttons? Check and check. A red-accented button at the 2 o’clock position that reads boost? You betcha! To achieve the curb weight of 2,950 pounds, the Venom F5 features an all-digital instrument cluster that looks much better than the Lotus Exige-inspired analog gauge clusters of the Venom GT.
Looking at the photo with utmost attention to detail, you’ll notice that the instrument cluster features the ERS symbol right above the handbrake light. ERS stands for Energy Recovery System, which would explain the boost button on the steering wheel. The more curious thing about this piece of technology is, Hennessey didn’t mention a word about it when the Venom F5 launched at the 2017 SEMA Show. All we know is, the Bugatti Chiron-bashing hypercar promises to pack more than 1,600 horsepower from a twin-turbo V8.
It’s a simple solution to one of the most used constituents of a car’s cabin, one that also shaves a few pounds by bringing together the engine start button and gear lever in one cohesive unit. The teaser further shows the driver-focused nature of the Venom F5, which brings together all essential vehicle functions on the steering wheel through lots and lots of buttons.
Indicators? Check. Headlights flash and not one but two radio buttons? Check and check. A red-accented button at the 2 o’clock position that reads boost? You betcha! To achieve the curb weight of 2,950 pounds, the Venom F5 features an all-digital instrument cluster that looks much better than the Lotus Exige-inspired analog gauge clusters of the Venom GT.
Looking at the photo with utmost attention to detail, you’ll notice that the instrument cluster features the ERS symbol right above the handbrake light. ERS stands for Energy Recovery System, which would explain the boost button on the steering wheel. The more curious thing about this piece of technology is, Hennessey didn’t mention a word about it when the Venom F5 launched at the 2017 SEMA Show. All we know is, the Bugatti Chiron-bashing hypercar promises to pack more than 1,600 horsepower from a twin-turbo V8.
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