The Hennessey Venom F5 Is Coming for the Chiron’s Crown

When it comes to chasing the 300-mph mark, most carmakers dip their toes in cautiously. Hennessey didn’t. They showed up with a Texas-built monster, strapped a fire-breathing V8 in the back, and declared war on the Bugatti Chiron. The Venom F5 is more than just another hypercar—it’s a 1,817-horsepower statement that raw power still matters.

In a world shifting toward electric and hybrid everything, the Venom F5 is sticking to pure combustion thunder. This machine wasn’t built to be sensible. It was built to be fast—record-breaking fast. Here’s why the Venom F5 might be the car that finally knocks the Chiron off its high-speed throne.

1. The Fury Behind the Name: 1,817 Horsepower

Image Credit: Hennessey Special Vehicles.

At the heart of the Venom F5 is a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 nicknamed “Fury.” It pushes out a staggering 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 lb-ft of torque. That’s more power than a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, and it comes from a rear-wheel-drive car weighing under 3,000 pounds.

The engine is custom-built from the ground up. It’s not a modified crate motor—it’s pure Hennessey mayhem. With this kind of output, the F5 has its sights set on breaking the 300 mph barrier and making it look easy.

2. Lightweight Construction for Maximum Speed

Image Credit: Hennessey Special Vehicles.

Speed isn’t just about power—it’s about weight. The Venom F5 uses a full carbon fiber monocoque chassis and body, weighing just 2,998 pounds. That’s almost 1,000 pounds lighter than the Chiron, giving the F5 a massive advantage in power-to-weight ratio.

Every inch of the car was designed with performance in mind, from the ultra-light forged wheels to the titanium exhaust. Less weight means faster acceleration, sharper handling, and a better shot at hitting that all-important top speed.

3. Engineered for Stability at Ridiculous Speeds

Image Credit: Hennessey Special Vehicles.

Hitting 300 mph isn’t just about horsepower—it’s about keeping the car stable when the world’s turning into a blur. The Venom F5 was developed with active aerodynamics and a slippery 0.39 drag coefficient to help keep it glued to the road. Even the underbody is shaped to control airflow like an F1 car.

Unlike most hypercars that trade comfort for downforce, the F5 keeps a clean, minimal silhouette while still generating high-speed stability. At top speed, even the smallest aerodynamic detail becomes critical. Hennessey’s team knows that—and planned accordingly.

4. Built in Texas, Tested on the World Stage

Image Credit: By Matti Blume – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, /Wikimedia Commons.

The Venom F5 is designed, developed, and assembled in Texas—right down to the custom-built engine. But its ambitions go way beyond the Lone Star State. Testing has taken place at tracks like the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds in Florida, and international speed runs are already in the works.

This isn’t just about American horsepower—it’s about proving that an American company can take on the likes of Bugatti, Koenigsegg, and Rimac on a global stage. And so far, Hennessey’s been backing up the talk with results.

5. Limited to Just 24 Units Worldwide

Image Credit: Hennessey Special Vehicles.

Hennessey isn’t mass-producing the F5. Only 24 units will ever be built, making it one of the rarest hypercars on the planet. Each one costs around $2.1 million before options, and every buyer gets a fully bespoke build tailored to their exact specs.

The exclusivity adds to the mystique. These aren’t just track toys—they’re rolling status symbols, engineering showcases, and high-speed bullets all rolled into one. With so few made, chances are you’ll never see one in the wild—but if you do, you’ll know.

6. A Minimalist Cabin Made for Focus

Image Credit: Hennessey Special Vehicles.

Step inside the Venom F5, and it’s clear this thing was built to drive—not just to impress. The interior is stripped down and driver-focused, with a center-mounted digital gauge cluster inspired by fighter jets. Don’t expect massaging seats or a touchscreen the size of a TV.

Everything inside serves a purpose. There’s carbon fiber everywhere, a flat-bottom steering wheel with all your drive modes built in, and just enough creature comforts to keep you planted. When you’re chasing 300 mph, distractions are the last thing you need.

7. Manual Transmission? Not This Time

Image Credit: Hennessey Special Vehicles.

This might be the only place the purists will groan, but Hennessey knew a manual wasn’t going to cut it. The Venom F5 uses a 7-speed single-clutch automated manual transmission with paddle shifters for lightning-fast gear changes under full load.

At these speeds, fractions of a second matter. The transmission is calibrated for brutal launches, smooth cruising, and full-on top-speed pulls. It might not be a stick-shift, but it’s engineered to handle all 1,817 horses without flinching.

8. No Hybrid Gimmicks—Just Raw Power

Image Credit: Hennessey Special Vehicles.

Unlike the Chiron or Koenigsegg Regera, the Venom F5 doesn’t lean on electric motors to boost performance. There’s no hybrid trickery, no energy recovery system—just a mountain of raw, twin-turbo V8 muscle. It’s a purist’s hypercar in a world of increasingly complex drivetrains.

That makes it lighter, more mechanical, and more visceral. You feel the engine working. You hear the turbos spool. It’s not about being polite—it’s about going fast the old-school way, with nothing held back.

9. Top Speed Target: 311 MPH

Image Credit: Hennessey Performance.

Hennessey didn’t stop at 300. The goal for the Venom F5 is 311 mph (500 km/h). That’s not a marketing gimmick—it’s the number engineers are actively working toward in real-world runs. If they can pull it off, it’ll be the fastest production car ever made.

Even if it never hits that exact number, the F5 is already proving it can hang with the biggest names in the game. And the fact that a small American company is even in the conversation says a lot.

10. Chasing the Title Without Compromise

Image Credit: Calreyn88 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Plenty of brands talk about building record-breakers. Hennessey’s actually doing it. The Venom F5 is about more than bragging rights—it’s about showing what’s possible when you build a hypercar without compromise. No hybrid system. No EV bandwagon. Just power, precision, and purpose.

Whether or not the F5 dethrones the Chiron officially, it’s already made its mark. It proves that you don’t need to be a billion-dollar corporation to build a world-class hypercar. Sometimes, all it takes is Texas grit and a need for speed.

*This article was hand crafted with AI-powered tools and has been car-fully, I mean carefully, reviewed by our editors.

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