Venom GT “World’s Fastest Edition”
Hennessey builds special-edition supercar to commemorate speed records

– 13.63 sec. 0-300 km/h Guinness World Record
– 270.4 mph top speed run at the Kennedy Space Center

March 25, 2014—For immediate release

Sealy, Texas—Hennessey Performance (HPE) is building a limited run of
World’s Fastest Edition Venom GTs to celebrate the company’s recent top speed run of 270.4 mph, which was set at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in February. The World’s Fastest Edition (WFE) also alludes to the Venom’s 0-300 km/h Guinness World Record.

“The Venom GT is America’s supercar and it broke 270 mph on the same runway where the Space Shuttle landed at the Kennedy Space Center,” said company founder John Hennessey. “We wanted to offer a special paint scheme that would incorporate the colors of the American flag—the same flag we flew on the Space Shuttle runway. Thus, our special livery package includes a body in white with red and blue stripes.”

The Venom GT generates its incredible speed from a simple formula: huge power, minimal weight. Its 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 makes 1244 bhp and with only 2743 lb. to accelerate (that’s 1244 kg, hitting that magic 1 bhp/kg mark), the Venom GT is not only the fastest series-produced road car; it’s also the quickest. It holds the Guinness World Record for standing-start acceleration, rocketing from rest to 300 km/h (186 mph) in just 13.63 seconds. Lightweight aluminum construction, carbon-fiber bodywork and featherweight carbon-ceramic brakes all make this extraordinary power/weight ratio possible.

Just three World’s Fastest Edition cars are being built and have already been sold at a price of $1.25 million U.S. This makes the Venom GT WFE not only the fastest but also one of the rarest supercars ever built.

On February 14, 2014, after extensive aerodynamic testing and data logging to verify the CFD aerodynamic model throughout its designed performance range, the Hennessey Venom GT achieved a top speed of 270.49 mph (435.31 km/h). The test session was conducted at the Kennedy Space Center on the Shuttle Landing Facility’s 3.2-mile runway. Brian Smith, Director of Miller Motorsport Park, experienced test driver and vehicle dynamic engineer, drove the Venom GT through all phases of the testing.

The Hennessey Performance team was able to utilize the Shuttle Landing runway via the Performance Power LLC Space Act Agreement. Performance Power collaborates with manufacturers and race teams alike to utilize the shuttle runway for the purposes of engineering validation, safety, innovative product design, and aerodynamic testing. The Hennessey team, its engineers and test driver worked closely with Johnny Bohmer and the Performance Power Team who made this test possible. A representative from VBox USA, world-renowned maker of engineering data-acquisition systems, was on hand to independently verify and document the vehicle’s aerodynamic performance.

“I knew the car had it in it, but it’s satisfying to officially validate the Venom GT’s high-speed stability,” said Hennessey CEO John Hennessey. “We’re elated to have met our goals of aerodynamic stability and crosswind tolerance.”

Validating the Venom GT’s performance, stability and safety at speed on such an incredible runway is why we came here,” said company founder and president John Hennessey. “I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. Neil Armstrong was my childhood hero. Even though the astronaut thing didn’t work out for me, I am humbled to have had the opportunity to conduct our testing on the hallowed grounds of the Kennedy Space Center.”

To date, HPE has built and delivered eleven Venom GTs to owners around the world. Each vehicle is built to order and takes six months to complete. As the production run will be limited to a total of just 29 units worldwide.

Dubai, UAE—The Hennessey Venom GT, the hardest-accelerating hypercar on the planet, will be shown for the first time at the Dubai International Auto Show, November 5-9, 2013, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Hennessey Performance (HPE) has built the last word in hypercars: the 1244-bhp Venom GT, an aluminum-chassis, carbon-bodied machine whose twin-turbo 7.0-liter V-8 will obliterate any other production car from 50 to well over 250 mph. The Venom GT, whose mid-longitudinal dry-sump powerplant drives massive 345/30R-20 rear tires, holds the Guinness World Record for 0-300 km/h (186 mph) acceleration, accomplishing the feat in just 13.63 seconds. In a separate 2-mile standing-start contest, the Venom GT attained a speed of 265.7 mph. Given a little more road, the Venom GT’s peak velocity of more than 270 mph would most likely have been realized.

This handbuilt hypercar handles and stops as fiercely as it accelerates, with Penske double-adjustable coilovers, double A-arm suspension all around and Brembo 6-piston calipers clamping 15-in. carbon-ceramic rotors. Composite materials and aerospace-quality construction techniques keep the Venom GT strong, safe and light; its hybrid aluminum monocoque/tubular structure incorporates chrome-moly steel roll hoops, and the entire car weighs in at a svelte 2743 lb. Forged monoblock aluminum wheels are fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport radials.

Options include, but are not limited to Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, bare carbon-fiber finish, right-hand drive, Stefano Ricci interior and a stereo system designed by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. The Venom GT is priced at $1.2 million.

HPE plans to build a total of just 29 Venom GTs, with more than a third of the production run already completed. Each vehicle is custom built to order and requires six months for completion. KAR Performance Bahrain is the exclusive distributor of the Hennessey Venom GT in the Middle East.

“The GCC is a very important market for our Venom GT and the Hennessey brand”, said company founder, John Hennessey. “Guys in the Middle-East like the best and want to drive the fastest most exciting cars. And the Venom GT delivers exactly what they are seeking.”

World’s Fastest Hypercar from 0 – 300 km/h

On January 10, 2013 John Kiewicz drove the Hennessey Venom GT to a new Guinness WORLD RECORD for a two-seat hypercar from 0 – 300 km/h in 13.63 seconds at Ellington Airport in Houston, Texas, USA.

For immediate release
January 21, 2013

Hennessey® Venom GT® Sets New Guinness® WORLD RECORD
Texas Supercar Becomes World’s Quickest Hypercar from 0-300 km/h

HOUSTON, Texas – Hennessey® Performance (HPE) today announced that on January 10, 2013 its street-legal Venom GT® supercar accelerated from 0-300 km/h in just 13.63 seconds, thus establishing the vehicle as a new record holder according to Guinness® WORLD RECORDS (GWR). The acceleration time was an average of two runs made in opposite directions within one hour and validated by a VBox 3i GPS-based data logging system. VBox officials were on hand to certify the numbers as required by Guinness® rules. The first run was completed in 13.18 seconds with a 4 mph tailwind. The second run was made in 14.08 seconds while encountering a 6 mph headwind. The resulting two-way 0-300 km/h average was 13.63 seconds.

“We are exceptionally proud of our team at HPE who helped to make this new Guinness® World Record possible,” said company founder and president, John Hennessey. “This is just the first of several validation tests designed to show the world what our special car is all about – being the fastest. Period.”

A Guinness® representative was on hand to witness the testing as well as to personally inspect the Venom GT® before making any acceleration attempts. After the record runs were made (and officially validated) the representative was given a ride in a Venom GT® to personally experience the performance. “I have never ridden in anything this fast,” said Guinness® WORLD RECORD adjudicator Philip Robertson. “The acceleration is absolutely amazing.”

The acceleration runs were conducted at Ellington Airport (also used by NASA) located southeast of Houston, Texas, using the seventh production Venom GT® — a street-legal car that makes use of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup DOT-approved radial tires, 93-octane pump fuel, and a full interior replete with high-end stereo, air conditioning, and bespoke leather / Alcantara seats. Powered by a 7.0-liter (427 cubic inch) V-8 engine fed by twin Precision turbochargers, the Venom GT® produces 1,244 horsepower and 1,155 lb-ft of torque. Weighing just 1,244 kg (2,743 lbs) the rear-wheel-drive Venom GT® delivers a power-to-weight ratio of 1 horsepower per each kilogram of vehicle curb weight.

“We are especially grateful to the City of Houston and the staff at Ellington Airport for allowing to conduct this World Record attempt on their perfectly paved 8,000 ft. runway,” said Hennessey Performance CEO Don Goldman.

Although Guinness® only recognizes runs made in kilometers per hour (km/h), the Venom GT® also set a new unofficial acceleration record of 0-200 miles per hour (mph) in 14.51 seconds as verified by VBox GPS. The 0-200 mph record was previous held by the Koenigsegg Agera R that required 17.68 seconds time— 3.17 seconds slower than the Venom GT®. By comparison, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (powered by a 1,200 horsepower 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine channeling power through an all-wheel-drive system) ran 0-200 mph in 22.2 seconds— 7.7 seconds slower than the Venom GT®.

While conducting the Guinness® World Record runs, despite marginal traction (due to three days of previous rainfall), the Venom GT® accelerated from 0-60 mph in 3.05 seconds, 0-100 mph in 5.88 seconds, ran the standing quarter-mile in 10.29 seconds at 158.83 mph, and ran the standing half-mile at 205.65 mph. During testing done at Ellington Airport a few weeks prior to the Guinness® record runs, the Venom GT® accelerated to 300 km/h in 13.48 seconds while on its way to 370 km/h run (229.9 mph) in just 19.96 seconds.

Hennessey® only plans to build a total of 29 Venom GTs, with one-third of the production run already being sold. Thus, the Venom GT® is not only the fastest accelerating hypercar in the world, it’s also one of the most exclusive. The Venom GT® costs $1.2 million US Dollars plus shipping and not including options. Each vehicle is custom built to order and requires six months for completion.

About Hennessey® Performance
Established in 1991, Hennessey® Performance (HPE) now operates from a new facility comprised of a 36,000 square foot building that is located adjacent to Lonestar Motorsports Park, the company’s test track and IHRA sanctioned ¼ mile dragstrip. The 143-acre complex is located about 45 minutes west of Houston, Texas along Interstate 10. Hennessey® offer a wide variety of dyno-proven, track-tested parts for modern performance vehicles. In addition, Hennessey® operates Tuner School, the world’s first (fully state accredited) school dedicated to teaching and training future performance vehicle tuners.

In 2010, Hennessey® Performance opened a new 12,500 square foot facility in Lake Forest, California, to better serve clients in Southern California. For more information, contact John Hennessey at Hennessey® Performance at 979.885.1300 or visit www.venomgt.com or www.hennesseyperformance.com.
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The May TopGear Car Pack is on its way! On Tuesday, May 1, ten new cars to race, collect, and appreciate will be available. The pack includes iconic classics from the 1960s and 70s, unique one-off creations, a little 4WD JDM love and some sweet late model production cars. From radical design canvasses to rigs with freakish drift potential, the saying, “something for everyone” is fitting this month. With the May TopGear Car Pack, you can go anywhere, at any speed, and enjoy whatever level of style you see fit.

The Venom GT will kick off its Monterey weekend early with Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival this Wednesday. Read about it in the latest press release below.

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA – Hennessey Performance (HPE) will unveil the company’s 1,200 HP, ultra-lightweight Venom GT supercar on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at the McCall’s Motorworks Revival. Held each year at the Monterey Jet Center, Gordon McCall’s party kicks-off the Monterey / Pebble Beach weekend.

Fresh from its European debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Hennessey Venom GT will be making its first appearance at Monterey. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to show the Venom GT to our friends and fellow enthusiasts at what has become one of the biggest and best car enthusiast events in the world,” says CEO, Don Goldman. “Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival combines serious car enthusiasts, world-class cars and aircraft, all in one fantastic party.”

The bright “bug-killer” yellow Venom GT will also be on display at the RM Auction at the Portolla Plaza hotel in downtown Monterey from Thursday, August 18 through Saturday, August 20.

Hennessey builds just five Venom GTs per year, making it one of the most exclusive supercars currently built. Available in both left-hand and right-hand drive configurations, the Venom GT costs $950,000 US Dollars, plus optional upgrades and shipping. Each vehicle is hand-built over a period of six months by a small team of craftsmen at the company’s facilities in Sealy, Texas, Lake Forest, California and Silverstone, England.

“Twelve hundred horsepower combined with in a mid-engine chassis that weighs twelve hundred kilos (2,685 lbs) – no other road car and only a handful of race cars can match the power to weight ratio of the Venom GT,” added HPE president and founder, John Hennessey. “It is a driver’s car, a supercar with a soul that will give you as much speed and performance as you dare ask of it”.

Download the PDF Release Here

New photography of the latest Hennessey Venom GT — Chassis Number 03 — is now available on the Gallery page.

The “Venom Red” supercar can be seen cruising the streets near the historic Silverstone Circuit, not far from the facility where the Venom GT’s is assembled, as well as professional studio shots that highlight its sharp angles and sweeping curves.

Chassis Number 03 – Driving Gallery

Chassis Number 03 – Studio Gallery

The February, 2011 issue of Road & Track may still be a few weeks from newsstands, but you can already catch their lead article featuring the Hennessey Venom GT online.

In the article, the editors join John Hennessey and GM veteran John Heinricy at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch where they take the Venom GT through its paces.

You can read the full Venom GT road test article online here, and check out video of the 1,200 horsepower supercar in action below:

The latest installment of Jay Leno’s Garage debuted today featuring the 2011 Hennessey Venom GT. In it, the car-centric comedian interviews John Hennessey as they give viewers an up-close look at what went into creating the 1,200 hp supercar, as well as a revealing peak into the car in action on the road course.

Click the video below to watch the full episode: