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Automotive

Hennessey hints at 300 mph with new teaser for Venom F5 supercar

By Nick Lavars
October 23, 2017
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The extreme performance car industry only knows one path to progress: faster, lighter, more powerful
Hennessey certainly hasn't been afraid to make (and then deliver on) some bold claims recently regarding its awe-inspiring supercars
The extreme performance car industry only knows one path to progress: faster, lighter, more powerful
The Venom F5 is intended as the successor to Hennessey's Venom GT
The Hennessey Venom F5 has a target weight of around 1,300 kg (2,866 lb)
The Venom F5 is intended as the successor to Hennessey's Venom GT
Make no bones about it, Hennessey is trying to build the fastest car in the world
Make no bones about it, Hennessey is trying to build the fastest car in the world
Hennessey has also confirmed that the Venom F5 unveiling event will occur at SEMA in Las Vegas on November 1
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Hennessey certainly hasn't been afraid to make (and deliver on) some bold claims around its awe-inspiring supercars, promising and then claiming an unofficial world speed record of 270.49 mph, as just one example. That trend continues as the Texan tuning house hypes up its upcoming Venom F5, with an intriguing Instagram post suggesting a 300 mph (482 km/h) top speed may be within reach.

The Venom F5 is intended as the successor to Hennessey's Venom GT, the very supercar that busted Bugatti's aforementioned speed record in 2014. Revealed later that same year, the F5 makes extensive use of carbon fiber with a target weight of around 1,300 kg (2,866 lb), and with bigger turbochargers and intercooler upgrades, may well attain a power output of 1,400 hp (1,044 kW).

Make no bones about it, Hennessey is trying to build the fastest car in the world, accompanying its original announcement with the statement "290 mph (467 km/h) is within reach." A new teaser video and Instagram post will only serve to further whet the appetite of supercar fans, showing a render of the Venom F5 alongside a road sign denoting a 300 mph speed limit.

Hennessey certainly hasn't been afraid to make (and then deliver on) some bold claims recently regarding its awe-inspiring supercars

We don't have a whole lot more to go on at this stage, but we shouldn't have to wait much longer until more specifics start to emerge. Hennessey has confirmed that the Venom F5 unveiling event will occur at SEMA in Las Vegas on November 1, starting at 11am Pacific time. New Atlas will be there to bring you the full details. Check out the latest teaser video below.

Source: Hennessey

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AutomotiveSupercarsLand Speed RecordsHennessey
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Nick Lavars
Nick has been writing and editing at New Atlas for over six years, where he has covered everything from distant space probes to self-driving cars to oddball animal science. He previously spent time at The Conversation, Mashable and The Santiago Times, earning a Masters degree in communications from Melbourne’s RMIT University along the way.
3 comments
Bob
When I was a kid back in the 1950s there was an article that it took at least 500hp for a car to go 200 mph. I talked to some NASCAR drivers who said that at 200mph it took an additional 100hp to go even 10mph faster. Unless you understand the physics of wind resistance it sounds unbelievable that it would take so much horsepower to reach 300mph. Even more amazing is the aerodynamic down force required so the car maintains traction and doesn't take off or lose control. So to reach 300mph it may take more than 1400hp. To go 310mph it would take much, much more. I wonder if Hennessey has a 100,000 mile warranty?
ArthurGD3
@Bob, The McLaren F1 only took 627HP to reach 240MPH+ back in the 90s. If indeed it takes 100HP to go an additional 10MPH when speeds are above 200MPH then 1,400HP should easily get to 300MPH+.
Downforce is only one major requirement for a car to approach speeds over 200MPH, the main concern is drag. If you look at an F1 car or the new 2018 Indy Cars, they are designed to be extremely slippery, eliminating as much drag as possible without compromising downforce needed to keep the car glued to the ground to counter lift that occurs at such high speeds.
300MPH sounds like an insane number and the only cars that regulary hit those speeds are Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars but it takes them close to 8,000HP to do so. I think Hennessey can do it. The Venom could also have done it but drag is the killer at those speeds so lets hope this car is much less of it.
Bob
Arthur, I love it when someone educates me. In the late 1950s the Bocar was produced using a 500hp corvette engine and was advertised to do 200mph. My 540hp Corvette convertible only does about 185mph. NASCAR (I actually have driven one) is a different animal and somewhat less efficient design which at their racing speeds required another 100hp to go 210mph. Since the drag and force of the wind goes up with the square of the velocity, every 10 mph of incremental speed will take more than100hp. With each 10mph increase the horsepower required jumps dramatically. At these speeds the air getting under the car could easily lift it off the ground. No matter how aerodynamic the car is the airfoils providing the down force to keep it on the ground add to the drag including the the rolling resistance of the tires. This 2800lb car effectively becomes a 3500lb car or more depending on how much down force they need for traction and safety. Also, the last article I read about Funny cars said that they had finally been able to accurately measure the horsepower and one of the leading 310+mph cars tested a little over 11,000hp. Arthur, with my physics and math background, I can actually do the calculations but I try to keep my comments simple for those that can't.
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