New Hennessey Venom F5 unveiled with a 1,336kW twin-turbo V8

This is the new Hennessey Venom F5. It’s the American tuning company’s latest hypercar, which will offer fresh competition for the likes of the Koenigsegg Regera and the Bugatti Chiron SuperSport. Production will be limited to just 24 units, with each example carrying a starting price of $2.1 million (around AUD$2.78 million).

The Venom F5 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V8 engine, which Hennessey designed and built completely in-house. It’s a meeting point for high-strength components, with each unit featuring forged aluminium pistons, forged steel connecting rods, titanium exhaust manifolds and a billet aluminium intake manifold.

Power and torque figures stand at 1,336kW and 1,617Nm respectively – enough, says Hennessey, for a 0–100km/h time of 2.6 seconds. The firm also says the F5 will cover the 0–300km/h sprint in 8.4 seconds, which is quicker than a Formula One racer. Dry, the Venom weighs 1,360kg, which gives the car a claimed power-to-weight ratio of 986kW per tonne.

Hennessey recently sought out to break the official record for the world’s fastest production car, but the firm came under scrutiny following a discrepancy between the speeds displayed by the car’s dashboard and those provided by the car’s on-board telemetry system – both of which were recorded by Hennessey itself.

In an effort to validate the record, the brand will re-run the attempt next year at the NASA Kennedy Space Centre’s 3.2-mile long space shuttle runway, using an independent adjudicator. Hennessey says it is targeting a top speed of 500km/h – more than enough to claim the crown from the current official record holder, the 447.2km/h Koenigsegg Agera RS.

New Hennessey Venom F5: chassis and aerodynamics

Unlike most über-powerful hypercars, the Venom does without four-wheel-drive. Instead, power is sent through a seven-speed automatic gearbox to the rear wheels only – and Hennessey opted for aerodynamics rather than mechanical grip to tame the F5.

So, up front, there’s a deep front splitter and broad ducting, which channels air underneath the car’s chassis towards an enormous rear diffuser. There’s also a tiny spoiler mounted between the rear lights, although buyers can spec a larger rear wing and a more aggressive front splitter as optional extras.

The Venom F5 is built around a carbon fibre monocoque, which weighs just 86kg. All of the hypercar’s body panels are also made from carbon fibre – and the bodywork was designed to be as sleek as possible, to allow the car to reach the firm’s targeted top speed. Thanks to the low level spoiler and undertray, Hennessey achieved a drag coefficient of 0.39Cd.

Underneath, the F5 features double wishbone suspension and specially designed coilover dampers from Penske. Carbon ceramic brakes also come as standard, with discs supplied by Brembo and calipers by AP racing. Finally, the Venom sits on a set of forged aluminium alloy wheels, shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

Buyers will also get a choice of five different drive modes – Sport, Track, Drag, Wet and F5. The first four options tinker with the car’s traction control settings and engine map to suit their respective scenarios, while the latter option unlocks the engine’s full potential and allows the Venom to reach its top speed.

Venom F5: interior design

To help keep the Venom F5’s weight to a minimum, Hennessey clad its entire cockpit in raw carbon fibre. For the same reason, even the car’s door pulls have been hewn from the same lightweight material – and only the parts of the steering wheel that the driver holds are finished in leather.

The steering wheel itself is a Formula One-style unit, which features controls for the F5’s lights, wipers, ignition and indicators. Behind the wheel sits a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, which Hennessey says was inspired by the head-up display screens fitted to fighter jets. The unit has a specific display for each of the car’s drive modes.

However, there are a few luxury touches. The carbon fibre bucket seats and door panels are upholstered in a blend of leather and Alcantara – and, despite Hennessey’s fastidious pursuit of speed, there’s air-conditioning and a nine-inch infotainment system, with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The pedals are floor-hinged and finished aluminium, while there’s a toolkit mounted in the passenger footwell. As a nod to its American heritage, each Venom F5’s door cards will also feature enamel inserts that depict the Texas and US flags.

Luke Wilkinson