Supercar aims for 300-plus mph

After months of teasers, the Hennessey Venom F5 has been fully revealed at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Company founder John Hennessey set out to build the fastest road car on Earth, and his latest supercar just might have the specs to pull that off.

The Venom F5 is powered by an “all-American” twin-turbo V-8 that produces more than 1,600 hp, according to Hennessey. That engine is mounted amidships and comes mated to a seven-speed single-clutch transmission with paddle shifters. The drivetrain powers the rear wheels only, and is said to be capable of accelerating the 2,950-pound F5 to 186 mph from a standstill in less than 10 seconds. The sprint from 0-249 mph is estimated in under 30 seconds, and as we previously reported, Hennessey projects top speed will exceed 300 mph.

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Hennessey Specialty Vehicles developed the chassis and carbon-fiber body from the ground up with a focus on aerodynamics and lightness. The builders claim a drag coefficient of 0.33. Design work for the low-slung coupe was also done in-house.

In a phone interview, John Hennessey gave us a few more details about his upcoming supercar. He says he wanted an all-new car that was “uniquely our own,” unlike his previous Venom GT which was based on a Lotus. Development began roughly four years ago, and although the priority was to surpass the Venom GT’s performance, the Bugatti Veyron successor (now known to be the Chiron) was also a target. Hennessey says the car is entirely new from the ground up, including the drivetrain. Hennessey wouldn’t confirm the final displacement of the F5’s twin-turbo V-8, as the firm is currently testing two engines for the production version. Details on the engine and transmission will be revealed at a later date. He does say that electrification wasn’t ever a consideration as he didn’t want to add weight or complexity. If more customers ask for electrification, however, he said he’d be open to exploring hybrid or pure EV sports cars.

The car that debuted at SEMA rides on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, but Hennessey is in talks with Michelin and other tire manufacturers on a suitable tire for the production F5. Speaking of production, Hennessey plans to build 24 copies of the Venom F5, and each will be priced at $1.6 million. All cars will be built in Sealy, Texas, at a facility dedicated to producing the F5. Hennessey hasn’t yet hit the car’s estimated 300-plus-mph top speed in real life, but the company will conduct speed trials after the first orders for customer cars are filled. We may be waiting a while though, as he doesn’t expect that to happen until 2019 at the earliest.

Source: Hennessey Specialty Vehicles