John Hennessey Wants The Venom F5 To Hit 311 MPH

Hennessey used Monterey Car Week to unveil the twin-turbo 7.6-liter V8 engine that will power the upcoming Venom F5.

Slated to produce more than 1,600 hp (1,193 kW / 1,622 PS) and 1,300 lb-ft (1,760 Nm) torque, the engine will reportedly enable the car to accelerate from 0-186 mph (0-300 km/h) in less than 10 seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 300 mph (482 km/h).

The car’s actual top speed has remained a mystery, but Motor Authority recently talked to CEO John Hennessey who said “Currently, our CFD testing and our engineers tell us we need about 1,520 hp (1,133 kW / 1,541 PS) to break 300 [mph] (482 km/h).” That means the car should be more than able to hit the record-breaking mark when prototypes begin testing next year.

While hitting 300 mph (482 km/h) would be quite an accomplishment, Hennessey suggested he has bigger ambitions. As he explained, “I’d like to run 500 km/h. Which is 311 [mph] and change.” It remains unclear if the Venom F5 can actually reach those speeds, but the executive has previously said the engine has been tested at over 2,000 hp (1,491 kW / 2,027 PS).

Hennessey is already thinking about where to test the car’s top speed and the report suggests the most likely option involves shutting down a highway in Nevada or Texas to conduct a high-speed run.

Of course, Hennessey isn’t the only company aiming break the 300 mph (482 km/h) mark. The 2019 SSC Tuatara also debuted in California earlier this year and the company’s CEO, Jerod Shelby, has said “I feel that we’re the only ones that really have a legitimate shot” of hitting that figure. Asked to respond, John Hennessey said “The bullshit stops when the green flag drops.”