The Venom F5 was designed to shatter records, but the first one it's broken isn't the one we were expecting.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A few short weeks ago, Hennessey's design boss, Nathan Malinick, told us the Hennessey Venom F5 would be challenging for more than just top speed records this year, and now the first of those records has tumbled. The Venom F5 has now become the fastest street-legal production car to lap the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, lapping the 3.41-mile-long track in 2:10.90 on March 11, 2024.
In doing so, the Venom F5 beat the Czinger 21C's time by 0.43 seconds and the McLaren P1 by almost seven seconds.
The man behind the wheel for the occasion was David Donohue, the legendary racer hired in December 2023 to help the Venom F5 achieve records. During the record-setting run, the Venom F5 reached a top speed of 193.1 mph down COTA's 0.63-mile-long main straight, pulled up to 1.59 G of lateral acceleration through the corners, and up to 1.61 G under braking, all while utilizing street-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires.
“Having been part of developing the Venom F5 Revolution, I knew it was capable of a quick time, but when it came to pushing the car hard, I was blown away by its phenomenal power and exceptional handling. There is no other car in the world that delivers such a visceral and engaging driving experience.”
- David Donohue, Hennessey Test Driver
Fully Road-Legal Specification
The Venom F5 is available in multiple variants, but the car used for the occasion was the Venom F5 Revolution, a hypercar with a focus on track driving that includes reduced weight (2,998 lbs total), a bespoke aero package that includes a full-width rear wing, reworked suspension, and enhanced cooling, with a roof scoop to channel fresh air into the 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged Fury V8 engine.
The car was run to a full road-legal specification, including being fueled by regular Shell pump ethanol and utilizing the standard Pennzoil fluids the car was developed with.
Sourced from CarBuzz