Hennessey unveils Venom F5 hyper sports car

Unbeknownst to many, the new Hennessey Venom F5 is not only meant to break speed records. Interestingly, the Venom F5 is the brand's gift for its 30th anniversary next year. Most recently, Hennessey Performance unveiled the production Venom F5 for all the world to see. And as expected, the Texas-based tuner and supercar builder is leaving no stones unturned for its latest creation.

"Our customers love speed, so we're fired-up to push the boundaries of what's possible to attempt the world's fastest production car record, but the Venom F5 is about more than just speed and power," said John Hennessey, Founder, and President of Hennessey Performance.

John Hennessey and his team of wizard tuners at Hennessey Performance have been creating the craziest, fastest, and most mind-blowing vehicles for as long as I remember. The Hennessey Viper Venom 1000 is permanently etched in memory along with Hennessey's most recent creations, including the Hennessey Venom GT, Ram TRX Mammoth 6x6, and Ford F-150 Venom 800.

However, those vehicles are based on actual production models, while the newest Venom F5 is Hennessey's first 100-percent bespoke and ultra-exclusive hyper sports car. We first got wind of it back in 2014, and the brand's been teasing social media channels ever since. But now, it's finally here, and it has the muscle to back up its record-breaking potential.

The 2021 Hennessey Venom F5 will debut with a monstrous 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 motor producing 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 pound-feet of torque. This new motor is built exclusively by Hennessey Performance and has earned the nickname 'Fury.' I don't know about you, but christening the Fury name to a blown V8 means serious business.

More importantly, Venom F5 weighs a mere 2,999 pounds (1,360 kilograms), mostly part to carbon-fiber body panels and a bespoke carbon-fiber monocoque tub. With a power-to-weight ratio of 1,298 hp-per-ton (1,34 hp-per-kg), Venom F5 can rush to 60 mph from a dead stop in less than three seconds.

Sounds impressive? There's more. Venom F5 will go from zero to 124 mph in under five seconds. Five. And if that's not enough, Hennessey Performance is targeting a top speed above 311 mph (500 kph). According to Hennessey, full speed testing for its Venom F5 will end in the first half of 2021 at the NASA Space Landing Facility in Florida.

"Records are there to be broken and our customers love that we push the boundaries of engineering to develop the world's fastest car," added Hennessey. "But with the F5, we wanted to create a true decathlete, a car that is about so much more than speed."

Ensuring the Venom F5's 'decathlete' persona is legendary racing driver, vehicle set-up expert, and F5 Chief Engineer John 'Heinrocket' Heinricy, a man who spent the past 38 years heading General Motor's high-performance vehicle division. Heinricy benchmarked the F5 with some of the world's best, including the McLaren 600LT and Porsche Cayman GT4.

"With the F5, we started with a blank sheet of paper, and it allowed me to draw upon the best parts of cars I have worked on throughout my career," said Heinricy. "Our intense track and road development will ensure this car handles and performs as impressively as the world's best hypercars."

Helping the cause are forged aluminum wheels, ultra-lightweight Penske suspension dampers, and carbon-ceramic brakes to further reduce unsprung mass. Meanwhile, its 'Fury' engine is mounted lower in the vehicle's sub-structure to maintain a lower center of gravity. Equipped with Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires (265/35 R19 front and 345/30 R20 rear), we're anticipating Venom F5 to be as agile as a minicar.

"This car will handle superbly, quality is exceptional, there are more than 3,000 bespoke parts, materials are exquisite, everything is a fitting tribute to 30 years of the Hennessey brand," said Hennessey.

The Venom F5 has a seven-speed CIMA single-clutch automated manual transmission, driving the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. The gearbox has close ratios at the lower end of the spectrum to offer swift acceleration, while the taller gears have higher rates to unlock the F5's top speed potential.

Style-wise, the Venom F5 hasn't changed much since debuting six years ago. It still has a fighter jet-inspired cockpit, sleek headlights, and a low-slung, curvy body adorned with wings, flaps, diffusers, and cut-out channels. One thing's for sure, though: Venom F5 will go as fast as it looks.

Inside, the Venom F5's cockpit is a showcase of genuine Scottish leather and satin-finish carbon fiber, the former supplied by Muirhead (Europe's oldest tannery established in 1840) to ensure the finest quality. Alcantara complements the hand-crafted interior to infuse a sporty vibe. It also has a 9.0-inch Alpine touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, and satellite navigation.

Everything is big in Texas, and no American supercar is bigger (in a figurative sense), badder, and more outrageous than the 2021 Hennessey Venom F5. Hennessey Performance will only produce 24 units (12 for the United States, 12 for the rest of the world) of Venom F5 with base prices starting at $2.1-million each.

Here's a fun fact about Hennessey's newest Venom F5: The F5 name is derived from the highest category of wind speeds in the Fujita tornado intensity scale. Category F5 tornadoes can carry wind speeds in excess of 318 mph.

With the arrival of Venom F5, stormy weather is on the horizon for other supercar makers.