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HENNESSEY VENOM F5 SMASHES 250 MPH BARRIER

Spitting Flames As It Pushes Through Another Milestone

Development of the Hennessey Venom F5 continues to roll on despite the car starting to make its way into the hands of owners. The Texas tuner is still running the ultra-limited hypercar through various high-speed stability tests as the company strives to hit the 300 mph barrier.

Last year the company shared news that its Venom F5 development mule had crested the 200 mph barrier during an aerodynamic validation test. Hennessey’s Venom F5 has now smashed through another milestone, eclipsing 250 mph at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds in Florida. It’s better known as the Space Shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Center.

Speed and telematics data were not present in the video.

The 15,000-foot runway that is perfectly flat and conforms with the curvature of the earth is the perfect place for testing VMax. It’s also where speed testing was done for the SSC Tuatara hypercar, which currently holds the top speed crown of any production road car, and yet there are still plans to go even faster.

Hennessey also claimed it had unlocked the car’s eponymously named ‘F5 Mode’ that uncorks all of the available power from the Venom F5’s twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V8. The bespoke engine is said to be derived from the LS7, and is capable of up to 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 pound-feet of torque.

It can propel the 2,998-pound Venom F5 to 62 mph in less than three seconds, and the company claims the car will cruise past 124 mph in just 4.7 seconds. To put that in perspective, GM’s LT1 V8 can propel the Camaro SS to just 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. That’s quite the velocity.

The boutique builder was quick to remind everyone that this was not a top-speed run. With engineers still evaluating the car’s high-speed stability and dynamic characteristics at such extreme velocities. Hennessey claims the Venom F5 has a theoretical top speed of 311 mph. The F5’s 250 mph run is still well short of the figure set by the car’s predecessor, the Venom GT, which crested 270 mph back in 2014.

But man, does it sound good. Beyond good, arguably.

Hennessey Performance will only produce 24 units of the Venom F5–all of which are already spoken for–each with a price tag of $2.1 million. Despite the price, the hypercar can only be registered with a Show and Display title because it lacks critical safety equipment like airbags. That also means the vehicle can’t be driven for more than 2,500 miles per year.

Written by Michael Accardi

Michael refuses to sit still, he's held multiple hands-on automotive jobs throughout his career. Along with being an investigative writer and accomplished photographer, Michael has wrenched on Fords as a dealership mechanic, worked with air-cooled Porsches in a small shop in Toronto, and Nautique ski boats in cottage country. Additionally, he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR racecars, and cared for Porsche GT3 Cup cars. Currently, he's working with a Duqueine LMP3 in the IMSA WeatherTech paddock, and a Tatuus USF-22 on the Road to Indy ladder.

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