This Hennessey Venom is the World’s Most Potent Manual
Words NZ Autocar | Images Hennessey
Hennessey’s new F5-M Roadster transmits 1355kW to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. That makes it the top dog of manual transmission cars.
It utilises the mechanicals of the semi-automatic Venom F5. The firm is making just 12 of these cars. All are spoken for already, at a cost of $US2.65m apiece.
The Texan hypercar builder reckons the raison d’etre of the Venom F5-M is to “amplify the sensation of driving”. Each one comes with the Roadster’s open-cockpit design. They feature a 1400mm dorsal fin that stretches from the roof-mounted air scoop to the trailing edge of the rear deck. We imagine it’s for a mix of stability and patriotism.
John Hennessey, the founder and CEO of the company, said “We always wanted to build a manual Venom F5 – and it’s something our clients have been asking for. It’s old-school, it’s badass, and it offers ultimate driving engagement.”
Nathan Malinick, the design director commented “This is a car for bold and brave driving enthusiasts who like their hypercars to thrill with wild power, dramatic design, and an experience behind the wheel that is incomparable to anything else on Earth.” We doubt they need to talk this car up.
The interior features an F1-style steering wheel that’s has myriad buttons controlling many of the car’s functions. A carbon-fibre gear lever takes pride of place in the centre console. Hennessey says it connects directly to the gearbox, without any electronic interference. The transmission is a gated six-speed manual.
Unfortunately, performance figures aren’t available. However, the F5-M Roadster should be roughly as quick as the world’s fastest-ever convertible road car. And that would be the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder. With a measly 1082kW, it holds the world record top speed for an open-top car of 425km/h. It set that way back in 2016.
Every one of the dozen F5-M models is unique. After the customer chooses the exterior colour it is no longer available on the configurator, ensuring “total exclusivity”.
