The hypercar wars are heating up as Hennessey has unveiled the Venom F5. Designed to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary, the Venom GT successor is named after F5 tornados which have wind speeds of up to 318 mph (512 km/h). That wasn’t an arbitrary decision as it hints at the car’s targeted top speed of more than 311 mph (500 km/h).

In order to hit that impressive number, the car has been equipped with a specially developed 6.6-liter V8 engine known as the Fury. It’s hand-built and features a cast iron block, aluminum cylinder heads and a dry sump lubrication system. The engine has also been equipped with two turbochargers which enable it to be the “most powerful production road car engine ever made.”

 

In terms of raw numbers, the engine develops 1,817 hp and 1,617 Nm of torque. It’s connected to a seven-speed semi-automatic transmission which sends power to the rear wheels. This enables the car to rocket from 0-100 km/h in less than three seconds and 0-200 km/h in under five seconds. Sticking with the performance theme, the Venom F5 has a bespoke carbon fiber monocoque which only weighs 86 kg. This helps the car to tip the scales at 1,360 kg and allows for a power-to-weight ratio “well in excess of any road car on sale today.”

As a result, the car has been benchmarked against some of the best driving cars in the world including the McLaren 600LT and Porsche Cayman GT4. While it remains to be seen how the car is to drive, the model is equipped with five different modes known as Sport, Track, Drag, Wet and F5. The first four are pretty self-explanatory, while F5 is the only mode that will “unlock the maximum available power.”

 

Given that the car is designed to hit speeds in excess of 500 km/h, it comes as little surprise that aerodynamics played an important role in the model’s development. As a result, the F5 has a streamlined shape with a prominent front splitter, a ventilated hood and large side scoops. The model also sports a flat underbody and a McLaren-esque rear end with a ventilated fascia, a large diffuser and four Cerakoted exhaust tips. Other notable highlights include carbon fiber body panels, butterfly doors and 19- / 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Hennessey also noted the Venom F5 is “100% bespoke” and is only marginally larger than the Venom GT.

The sporty styling continues in the cabin as there’s a driver focused cockpit which is awash with leather and carbon fiber. Drivers sit behind a carbon fiber steering wheel and find themselves looking at a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. In the middle is a minimalist center stack, which is topped by a 9-inch Alpine infotainment system. It features GPS navigation as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Elsewhere, there are carbon fiber bucket seats and a minimalist gear selector. The model also sports machined aluminum pedals and American flag accents on the door pulls.

 

Production will be limited to 24 units and pricing starts at US$ 2.1 million – excluding taxes and shipping. The first deliveries are slated to begin next year and the company has big plans for 2021. In particular, Hennessey will conduct an independently verified top speed test at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. There the company will use a 5.2 km)long runway, originally designed for the space shuttle, to test the performance of the Venom F5.