A little-known supercar builder in the US has unveiled what it claims will be the world’s fastest roadster.
A Texas-based supercar company has boldly claimed its new convertible will be the “world’s fastest and most powerful roadster”, outlining an ambitious plan to eclipse the iconic 300mph (483km/h) barrier.
Hennessey Special Vehicles has revealed the Venom F5, a $US3 million ($AU4.34 million) supercar it hopes will establish a new top-speed record for a road-legal convertible car.
Hennessey claims the current record for a convertible was set by its Venom GT Spyder in 2016, achieving a top speed of 265.6 mph (427.4km/h).
However, Swedish supercar rival Koenigsegg claims the Agera RS is the convertible record holder, having reached 457km/h in 2017.
The Hennessey Venom F5 was developed by UK firm Delta Motorsport but built by Hennessy in the US state of Texas.
Powered by a 6.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine nicknamed ‘Fury’, the Hennessey Venom F5 can produce up to 1355kW and 1617Nm – all of which is sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
The Hennessey Venom F5 weighs 1405kg – about as much as a Toyota Corolla hatchback – thanks to its carbon-fibre monocoque chassis and 8kg carbon-fibre roof panel, bringing its power-to-weight ratio to 964kW per tonne, the most power per kilogram of any production car.
By comparison, a Toyota Corolla Hybrid has a power-to-weight ratio of 66kW per tonne, while the Koenigsegg Agera RS’s ratio is approximately 620kW per tonne.
Hennessey offers two storage solutions for the roof panel: a merino wool-lined travel bag or a pedestal stand (pictured below), which allows the lightweight roof to be displayed at home or in the garage.
The Venom F5’s interior features an F1-style steering wheel – complete with multiple switches and buttons to control the car’s functions – and a digital dash.
Hennessey has extensively used carbon-fibre in the Venom F5’s interior.
Red seats and door trims contrast a dark blue dashboard.
While Hennessey also produces a Venom F5 coupe, the company claims its roadster is just as strong as the fixed-roof supercar.
Production of the Hennessey Venom F5 is due to begin later this year, with the roadster limited to 30 examples.
First introduced as a concept car in 2014, Hennessey claims the 24 examples of its $US2.1 million ($AU3 million) Venom F5 coupe were sold soon after the production-ready car was unveiled at the 2021 Monterey Car Week in California.
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