Hennessey Targets Speed Record

Houston-based tuner Hennessey Performance Engineering says its next-generation Venom F5 supercar should easily top 300 mph, which would make it the fastest street legal car in the world.

"I’d like to run 500 kph (311 mph)," CEO John Hennessey tells Motor Authority. The company plans to begin testing a prototype model early next year and complete validation testing later in the year.

The current record of 278 mph was set last year by a Koenigsegg Agera RS. Koenigsegg and several other companies, including Croatia’s Rimac Automobili, Dubai-based Devel Motors and Washington’s Shelby Supercars also are targeting 300 mph.

Hennessey estimates the Venom’s twin-turbo 7.6-liter V-8 must generate 1,520 hp for the vehicle to hit 300 mph. The company, which claims to have achieved as much as 2,000 hp during simulation tests, expects the production model to kick out 1600 hp and 1,300 lb-ft of torque.

Hennessey currently is scouting for potential test sites that can accommodate such high speeds. The runway at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, where Hennessey set a previous record of 265 mph, is only long enough to handle speeds—and the necessary braking time—of about 280 mph. Koenigsegg used a closed section of a Nevada highway during its record run.

Hennessey plans to limit production of the new Venom to 24 units, half of which will be sold in the U.S. Most of the vehicles have been pre-sold. A convertible variant also is being considered.