Texas might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of supercars, but Hennessey wants to change that with the 1800bhp Venom F5.
Built to challenge the Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300 and Koenigsegg Regera, the £1.5m F5 is powered by a twin-turbo V8 that the firm says pushes it all the way to 311mph.
Still not impressed? Try this: Hennessey says the F5 can sprint from 0-186mph (300kmh) in 8.4sec. Not only doe that make the Venom 5ec faster than the Bugatti Chiron, it’s even faster than an F1 car.
The Venom’s physics-defying performance relies on a combination of massive power and low weight. A 1817bhp output makes the F5 around 200bhp more powerful than the Chiron Supersport, and if it really does tip the scales at 1360kg (without fluids), as Hennessey claims, it weighs around 530kg less than the Bugatti. That’s equivalent to seven men, or an entire Caterham.
Like other similar hypercars, the F5 is built around a lightweight carbon fibre chassis clothed in carbon panels. There’s also the usual proliferation of aero devices, including a choice of two rear wings (little or large) and a giant rear diffuser to help keep the car planted at high speeds.
Let’s hope they work at lower speeds too, because the F5 sends its 1792bhp through the rear wheels only, meaning wet-weather traction could be interesting.
To help the tyres cope, the car features five different drive modes: Sport, Track, Drag, Wet are fairly self-explanatory, while a fifth setting, F5, unlocks the full might of the V8 to enable the Venom to hit its top speed.
The cabin features swathes of raw carbon fibre and a 7in digital instrument cluster. But the most eye-catching detail is the Formula One-style steering wheel, which we’d imagine takes some getting used to when manoeuvring out of your 10-car garage.
And if you want to add it to your garage you better cat fast. Hennessey says it’s only making 24, and even at £1.5m they’re likely to be snapped up quickly.
Keyword: 311mph Hennessey Venom F5 is a Texan Bugatti rival