How do you top a limited-production hypercar like Hennessey Performance's Venom F5? You just build a track-focused, lighter version rocking an extensive list of aero bits and pieces. And then you also drop its top, of course.
If there's an automotive version of the American dream, for sure, the good folks over in Sealy, Texas, that work for Hennessey Performance are living it. They are not only part of aftermarket history for the Big Detroit Three but also on par with exotic limited-production automakers like Koenigsegg or Bugatti.
That is because Hennessey dared to become a specialty manufacturer in its own right with the Hennessey Venom supercar series. The first representative of the breed was the Viper Venom 1000TT (as in twin-turbo), an upgraded Dodge Viper producing 1,000 hp and available as a coupe or convertible in no more than 24 examples. Next came the Venom GT and GT Spyder based on the Lotus Elise/Exige series, which was motivated by a 'classic' 427ci twin-turbo LS7 V8 engine and briefly held a multitude of Guinness World Records for the fastest road-legal car.
That one had an even more exotic production run of 13 examples (7 coupe and 6 Spyder units) and motivated Hennessey to try to achieve even more with the Venom F5, a sports car developed and manufactured by Hennessey Special Vehicles with a slightly larger perspective – 24 units F5 coupe, 30 units F5 Spyder, and another 24 units for the latest version, F5 Revolution.
Scratch that, now the latter – available for no less than $2.7 million with a lighter and more aerodynamic track focus, is now the second latest variant. So, following last year's introduction of the roofless Venom F5 roadster and 2023's early reveal of the track-ready Venom F5 Revolution coupe, now there's also a Venom F5 Revolution Roadster. It just debuted online and will be available for public viewing starting August 18 during the Monterey Car Week as its worldwide introduction will take place during The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering.
However, there are several caveats. First and foremost, it is priced at $3 million! Secondly, the MSRP doesn't even matter anymore because the entire production of just 12 examples is sold out! As for its technical specifications, it mirrors the rest of the Venom F5 models with the 1,817-hp 'Fury' twin-turbo V8 powertrain, of course. Plus, many other details resemble the Venom F5 Revolution, with a few notable exceptions.
For example, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer Hennessey Special Vehicles will present the global debut of the Venom F5 Revolution Roadster in "exquisite, exposed carbon fiber." The lightweight roof panel weighs just 18 lbs. (8 kg), and the carbon-fiber monocoque chassis fits the mid-mounted 6.6-liter Hennessey engine like a charm. Plus, this unit presented during the events of Monterey Car Week is the first of five planned 'Bare Carbon' examples.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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