New Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster aims for 300mph top speed

American car manufacturer Hennessey has just revealed details of its new Venom F5 Roadster, a convertible hypercar designed to top 300mph. Priced from £2.5 million, 30 Roadsters will be built compared to the 24 coupes that are already on the road. 

The Texas-built Venom F5 Roadster is a new rival to the Koenigsegg Regera and the Bugatti Chiron SuperSport and will receive its public debut at The Quail event this week in Monterey, California. Its price tag is set to be significantly higher than the £1.5 million coupe version that, admittedly, sold out almost immediately in 2021. The Roadster’s Production is scheduled for November.

At 1,406kg, the Roadster is heavier than the 1,360kg coupe. The roof panel weighs 8kg, which should make removal and installation easy for one person. Hennessey says the rear glass panel was developed and certified for jet aircraft use, being able to withstand forces exceeding 300mph and temperatures above 540 degrees Celsuis. The firm also says the Venom F5 Coupe “was engineered from the outset with an open-top version in mind”, which should ensure it handles just as well as the coupe. 

Sitting beneath that rear screen is the same twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V8 engine found in the hard top. Hennessey designed and built the unit in-house, using high-strength, lightweight components, including forged aluminium pistons, forged steel connecting rods, titanium exhaust manifolds and a billet aluminium intake manifold. The Roadster offers 1,817bhp compared to the coupe’s 1,792bhp. 

The powertrain is mated to a seven-speed, single-clutch automated gearbox, sending power to the rear wheels. Underneath, the F5 features double wishbone suspension and specially designed coilover dampers from Penske. Carbon ceramic brakes also come as standard, with discs supplied by Brembo and calipers by AP racing. Finally, the Venom sits on a set of forged aluminium alloy wheels, shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

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Hennessey hasn’t claimed acceleration figures for the Venom F5 Roadster but has said the coupe will cover the 0-186mph sprint in 8.4 seconds and deliver 0-62mph in 2.6 seconds. Where the Roadster has been designed to top 300mph, the coupe has a claimed 311mph top speed. 

The Roadster features a deep front splitter and broad ducting, which channels air underneath the car’s chassis towards an enormous rear diffuser. There’s also a tiny spoiler mounted between the rear lights, although buyers can spec a larger wing and a more aggressive front splitter as optional extras.

The steering wheel is Formula 1 inspired, but with road-going controls for the F5’s lights, wipers, ignition and indicators. Behind the wheel sits a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, which Hennessey says is based on the head-up display screens fitted to fighter jets. The unit has a specific display for each of the car’s drive modes.

However, there are a few luxury touches. The carbon fibre bucket seats and door panels are upholstered in a blend of leather and Alcantara, while creature comforts include air-conditioning and a nine-inch infotainment system with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The aluminium pedals are floor-hinged, while there’s a toolkit mounted in the passenger footwell. As a nod to its American heritage, each Venom F5’s door cards will also feature enamel inserts that depict the Texas and US flags.

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