20This is the all-new Hennessey Blackbird, the American marque’s third bespoke hypercar, and one that aims to appeal via traditional driving engagement rather than stratospheric output figures. Ready to be shown to the public at this year’s Monterey Car Week in California in a few days’ time, the Blackbird will cost from £1.86m and be limited to 71 units. While Hennessey is largely known for its wild tuning kits on American muscle cars, it has also been building a name for itself with record-breaking hypercars such as the Venom GT. The Blackbird, though, is a different sort of hypercar that’s built from the ground up to be more involving to drive. Its carbon fibre chassis houses a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 engine, six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. Despite the familiar capacity, this is no off-the-shelf GM engine. Instead, it’s a fully bespoke unit developed by engineering expert Ilmor. Most figures are still to be confirmed, but Hennessey says the V8 will be able to rev to up to 9,000rpm, and produce in the vicinity of 800 to 850bhp. This is all without any hybrid tech or complex turbocharging, and in tandem with other weight-saving measures helps keep the car’s mass down to around 1,360kg. 20Performance figures are also provisional at this stage, but Hennessey is expecting a 0-62mph time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 220mph. However, while this car might seem relatively simple, that doesn’t mean it’s unsophisticated, as the Blackbird has taken direct inspiration from its namesake – the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane – in terms of its aerodynamics. On each side are vertical stabilisers that vary their angle at speeds over 71mph to keep the car stable. These work with the Blackbird’s complex aerodynamics and aero-optimised wheels. Hennessey has also been working hard to make the Blackbird a more accommodating car to drive, with a larger cockpit, decent storage space and four cup-holders. Complementing the old-school ethos of the powertrain, there are no interior displays or digital interfaces, aside from a discreet way to house and charge your phone. While the Blackbird will be built in the US, Hennessey says it will be homologated for global sales and commence production in 2028 once manufacturing of its current flagship hypercar, the Venom F5, has ceased.
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