F5: The Next Hennessey

It seems like we are ready to turn yet another page in the Book of Speed. A few years ago, the idea that a road car could hit 250 km/h was simply unconceivable. Now, you can walk in a dealership and buy one that can do it with the radio on and the AC set to full blast!

Until now, the Hennessey Venom (unofficially) held the speed record, with a 435.31 km/h top speed.

• Also: Hennessey Launches the World’s Fastest Edition Venom GT
• Also: Venom GT: World's fastest production car

But the competition is already catching up. The Koenigsegg One:1 could theoretically get up to 450 km/h, and Bugatti is supposedly working on a hybrid powertrain pushing out more than 1500 horses. To keep its edge, Hennessey rolled out the first pictures of their updated Venom. It’s called the F5 (in reference to the Category 5 tornadoes, the most dangerous ever recorded. It could also be a jab at Pagani and its Huayra) and is designed to claim the 466.7 km/h record (290 mph).

How will they achieve that? In the typical American way, they will add more power. While the exact numbers are not out yet, Hennessey is confident they can tweak the Venom’s 7-litre twin-turbo engine to crank out 1400 horsepower. This mill will be paired with an optional automatic gearbox.

The F5’s production will be limited to 30 cars, and they will obviously sell for more than the current Venom, which means you will have to fork over $1.2 million to get in one.