THE HENNESSEY VENOM F5 LOSES ROOF TO BECOME WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL ROADSTER
Here at SXdrv we’re fans of Hennessey Performance, they know how to make power and how to wrap it up in a package that amazes the eyes. The Hennessey Venom F5 is a beast of a machine that’s so fast it’s currently aiming at the fastest production car record, or at least to cross the 300 mph mark. The car has already hit an amazing 437 km/h (271.6 mph) top speed thanks to that mind-blowing twin-turbocharged V8 that churns out over 1 800 hp. As if having one of the fastest cars on the planet isn’t enough, the chaps at Hennessey Performance decided to add an open-top version to the model list in the form of the Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster, and we think it’s a work of art. We reckon this car will soon claim the World Record for the fastest convertible in the works, even though Hennessey already owns that record that was set in 2016 with the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder at 427.4 km/h (265.6 mph).
Losing a roof does things to the chassis stability and the aerodynamics of the car, but the clever folk at Henessey Performance have managed to ensure the construction is of such quality that even this open-top version of the Venom F5 will be capable of crossing that magical 300 mph benchmark. We can’t imagine doing that kind of speed, never mind with the roof missing so you can hear the wind being accompanied by a pair of massive turbochargers at full tilt. That’s going to be a surreal experience for anyone lucky enough to ride shotgun in one of these, not to mention those proposed 30 owners of these cars. That’s right, over the next four years a total of 30 of these Venom F5 Roadsters will be delivered to some serious collectors. They’d probably sell more if they made more, even with the $3 000 000 price tag.
That removable roof on the Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster is a carbon fibre unit that’s fully insulated and lined with soft Alcantara. This roof panel weighs in at just 8 kg making removal and installation easy for a lone driver. The roof is secured with four quick-release bolts and two high-strength latches. When removed, there are two options for “storage” - a bespoke Merino wool travel bag or displayed like a work of art on a custom sculptural pedestal. This is great, but at just 8 kg it’ll be a good idea to keep tabs on the wind. Added to the removable top, there’s also a new tempered glass engine viewing window developed and certified for use in jet aircraft. The glass panel is able to withstand aerodynamic forces exceeding 300 mph as well as temperatures in excess of 540-deg Celsius.
The Venom F5 Roadster can be confused with the regular sold-out Venom F5 when it has the roof on, if you're looking from a distance and you can't read the Roadster badge. This open-top features unique lightweight forged aluminum alloy wheels that have seven pairs of spokes that resemble an elongated Hennessey ‘H’ and also feature the words 'Hennessey' and 'Roadster' on the outer face. They can be had in a high-polish finish too at extra charge because some poor chap in the factory has to do it by hand. These wheels are secured with titanium nuts like every tuner car out there.
“It’s exciting to see the continued innovation from Hennessey from the test track to the road,” said Steve Reindl, President of Shell Lubricants Americas. “We share a passion for performance, and our co-engineering alliance provides us with an extreme testbed for Pennzoil in some of the fastest road cars.”
Take a look at the YouTube video showcasing the world's most powerful open-top hypercar. Will it become the fastest? That remains to be see, but we'll be keeping our SXdrv eyes on the shenanigans.: World's Most Powerful Open Top Hypercar: Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster | Hennessey Performance
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