Hennessey Venom F5 to debut later this year – targets Bugatti Chiron for world’s fastest production car title

The battle between Hennessey and Bugatti for the world’s fastest production car title is set to reignite later this year, when the Texan company reveals the successor to the Venom GT, the Venom F5.

Recently, the company decided to provide a little insight into its upcoming speed machine, which will firmly take aim at the new Chiron. The company is so dedicated to the cause, that it has even set up an entirely new division called Hennessey Special Vehicles to develop the vehicle.

“We are very excited about our F5 and that it brings forth an all-new design and chassis to achieve even higher performance through improved aerodynamics and technology. The best way I can describe the Venom F5 is that it is sophisticated aggression on wheels. We look forward to sharing F5 with the world later this year,” said company founder and CEO, John Hennessey.

Hennessey didn’t say much about what will propel the Venom F5, but it will reportedly be developed from the ground up with the company’s own chassis, aerodynamics, and engine development. This is different from the Venom GT, which is a heavily modified version of the Lotus Exige.

If you’re wondering why the new Hennessey model is named after your favourite button on the keyboard, the company has a good explanation for that. Citing the Fujita scale that measures tornado speeds (yes, really), the F5 rating is linked to the fastest of tornados, with wind speeds of between 420 km/h and 511 km/h.

The former of the two figures is the top speed of the Chiron, which is the Venom F5’s target. Hennessey didn’t give an exact figure when it comes to the top speed of its new model, but has said the Venom F5 will be capable of speeds approaching 482 km/h.

However, keep in mind that the Chiron’s top speed is a lot less than its predecessor, the Veyron Super Sport, which is the current Guinness World Record holder with a top speed of 431.072 km/h. This is despite the Chiron’s significant horsepower advantage, so what gives?

Well, that’s because the Chiron is electronically limited to its 420 km/h top speed, and the company won’t attempt to test its unrestricted top speed until 2018. The reason for such a limitation is apparently to protect the tyres from disintegrating (the Veyron Super Sport is limited to 415 km/h although the World Record Edition is not).

In any case, we’ll have to wait for both the Venom F5 and Chiron to set their world record attempts to see which is deserving of the coveted title. Hopefully this time, Hennessey builds at least 30 Venom F5s and its attempt involves two runs in opposite directions.

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