Hennessey Venom F5 Hits 271.6MPH In Latest High-Speed Test

In the latest Hennessey Venom F5 test run in February, the hypercar managed to hit a staggering 271.6mph at Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds in Florida. A video documenting the run has just been released for speed freaks to pore over.

Perhaps more impressively, Hennessey doesn’t seem to have even been trying. The run was reportedly intended to conduct calibrations on the steering, braking, engine and aerodynamics, and the real goal wasn’t even to reach higher speeds than before.

The Venom F5 is propelled to these exhilarating velocities by a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 which produces a mind-boggling 1792bhp – all of which is sent to the rear wheels. Weighing in at just 1360kg means it has a power-to-weight ratio of 1.3bhp per kg, which Hennessey claims is the highest of any road car.

The ultimate goal is for the Henessey Venom F5 to breach the difficult 300mph barrier and reach the F5’s theoretical 311mph top speed. This most recent run suggests the target is just over the horizon.

Hennessey isn’t the only North American brand chasing these extreme speed targets, the SSC Tuatara hit an eye-watering top speed of 286mph in a test run in 2021. Both hypercars are yet to hit the coveted 300mph, but it’s just a matter of time. Bugatti has hit 304.77mph with a prototype version of the Chiron Super Sport 300+, although it didn’t qualify as an official record, given the recorded speed wasn’t the average velocity of a two-way run.

Hennessey founder John Hennessey has stated that the focus for a while will be on selling cars, and that the brand is set to deliver 12 Venom F5s this year if everything goes to plan. It’s only available with a single-clutch semi-automatic paddle-shift gearbox and has a price tag of $2.1 million (around £1.59 million), but if you’re tempted to buy one, the bad news is that the car has long been sold out and is limited to a total of 24 units.