Hennessey has commenced testing of the potent Venom F5 hypercar ahead of its public unveiling at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in May.
This first phase of testing started at Hennessey’s test track in Sealy, Texas before moving to the 2.2-mile (3.5 km) runway of a former U.S. Air Force base in Arkansas. During this phase of development, the Venom F5 has already been driven to 200 mph (320 km/h) despite its engine being restricted to 900 hp, just half of the car’s total output.
Read More: Hennessey Venom F5 Debuts With 1,817 HP And Targeted Top Speed Of 311+ MPH
“For more than 40 years I’ve been developing high-performance vehicles, yet nothing compares to the Venom F5,” Hennessey chief engineer John Heinricy said in a statement. “We’re making excellent headway in our mission to deliver a world-class hypercar to our customers that handles superbly, while managing its phenomenal power and speed with finesse. “Every part of our development program is focused on making the Venom F5 the best it can be before customer deliveries start towards the end of this year.”
With this first phase of testing complete, Hennessey will commence the second phase of development aimed at perfecting the vehicle’s agility, poise and driver feedback. Testing will be conducted on various racetracks, including Laguna Seca and Circuit of The Americas, and roads throughout Texas.
“With almost all Venom F5 models in the 24-car production run already sold, we’re focused on delivering an all-round hypercar to our customers that rivals the best in the world,” John Hennessey said.
Powering the Hennessey Venom F5 is a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine churning out 1,817 hp and 1,193 lb-ft (1,617 Nm) of torque. The Texas company is aiming to achieve a top speed exceeding 311 mph (500 km/h).