Hennessey Hennessey Venom F5 announced with 290 mph top speed

JHF · Aug 4, 2014

Output to exceed 1,400 bhp
Hennessey has announced plans to develop a Venom F5 with an even higher top speed.

Back in February we saw the Lotus Exige-based Venom GT hitting 270.49 mph (435.31 km/h) at the Kennedy Space Center but Hennessey believes there is room for an improvement to around 290 mph (466.71 km/h) or even more. In an interview with Top Gear, John Hennessey said "I think something in the 290 mph range will be possible" when referring to the Venom F5 (named after the most powerful tornados on the Fujita scale).

The new car promises to combine optimized aerodynamics with updated technology and an increase in power of the twin-turbo V8 7.0-liter from 1,244 bhp (928 kW) to more than 1,400 bhp (1,044 kW) which would make it even more powerful than the Koenigsegg One:1. The Venom weighs 1,244 kg (2,742 lbs) while the carbon fiber-bodied F5 will tip the scales below 1,300 kg (2,866 lbs).

It will adopt a rear-wheel drive layout receiving all that power through a six-speed manual transmission and a single-clutch paddle-shift gearbox. A dual-clutch transmission was considered but Hennessey decided to drop it due to weight and durability issues. Another trick up its sleeve will be a GPS-based traction control system offering calibration for specific circuits.

Hennessey will unveil the Venom F5 next year while deliveries will kick off sometime in 2016. More than 30 units are planned, with each carrying an estimated starting price of more than 1.2M USD before taxes.

Source: topgear.com

Hennessey Venom F5 announced with 290 mph top speed

E90Beast · Aug 4, 2014

Geez that looks so awesome and the HP numbers are just ridiculous especially only being 2700 lbs! Great price considering theyre making so few and the thing is such a beast

E90Beast · Aug 4, 2014

Dual clutch is really the way to go though, and it kinda sucks how John Hennessey has tainted the Hennessey name.

KiwiRob · Aug 4, 2014

I wonder how much Lotus Elise is left in this?

ACE · Aug 4, 2014

KiwiRob said:
I wonder how much Lotus Elise is left in this?

Not much. It is based on a Lotus Exige not Elise.

I want to see the "production car" tires that are going to handle 290mph. For 290mph, it is easier to engineer the megawatt engine than it is to engineer (safe) tires.

Porsche Guy · Aug 4, 2014

E90Beast said:
Dual clutch is really the way to go though, and it kinda sucks how John Hennessey has tainted the Hennessey name.

How has John tainted the name?

KiwiRob · Aug 4, 2014

ACE said:
Not much. It is based on a Lotus Exige not Elise.

I want to see the "production car" tires that are going to handle 290mph. For 290mph, it is easier to engineer the megawatt engine than it is to engineer (safe) tires.

There is piss all difference between an Elise and the Exige, especially the S1 & S2 models, the S3 is a lot different, the Venon is based of an S2, I have read they are registerd as an lotus Exige. You can convert an Elise into an Exige. The only tricky part is the sills, which I don't think Hennessey uses anyway.

ateekt · Aug 4, 2014

Impressive! However, I can't help ignoring the fact that it's a kit car at the end of the day. For some reason, that very fact isn't comforting or trustworthy to me.

Porsche Guy · Aug 4, 2014

Wow. Thanks for the info.

E90Beast · Aug 5, 2014

Probably the reason why price was its a little bit on the cheaper side compared to its competition.

As for john I hadn't been aware of any of that until recently and im not sure how much impact he has on the production of these cars anyways.

bialkov · Sep 5, 2018

Hennessey Tested Its Venom F5 Engine At Over 2,000 Horsepower
You won’t be able to buy one with over 2,000 hp – but it can do it.
Hennessey made a splash at Pebble Beach with its twin-turbocharged, monster of a 7.6-liter engine. Destined for duty in the Venom F5, the motor – which has been in manufacturing limbo for nearly five years – finally fulfilled Hennessey's promise of ridiculous power in its latest and greatest hypercar. But 1,600 horsepower (1,193-kilowatts) is just a jumping off point, says the company's CEO.

The motor was tested "at over 2,000 horsepower," said John Hennessey in an interview with Top Gear. "Do we plan to deliver that power level to our clients? No, but we'll deliver as much power as we need to break 300 miles per hour," he admitted.
The supercar – which also made an appearance on the west coast – will be good for 1,600-hp (1,193-kW) and 1,300 pound-feet (1,762 Newton-meters) of torque when it hits the road sometime in 2019. The goal, as noted, is to hit 300 mph (482 kilometers per hour). The company is planning a top speed run sometime in 2019.

Unlike the outgoing Venom – which was essentially a modified Lotus with a fancy body kit – the new Venom will be built entirely from the ground up. A carbon fiber body will wrap around a tubular steel chassis, and the entire thing will tip the scales at just 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms).
Unfortunately, we won't see the Venom F5 on the road for some time. Hennessey said that 15 of the 24 build slots have already been accounted for, with a limited production run scheduled for sometime in 2019. The cost for this powerful machine? A cool $1.6 million.
Hennessey Tested Its Venom F5 Engine At Over 2,000 Horsepower

Rolf · Sep 5, 2018

I know this is off topic but I wonder if the Chiron will ever do a top speed run, or is Bugatti losing face with this car and Koenigsegg been able to go faster?