John Hennessey says his Venom F5 will possibly do 290 mph

Back in February of this year, John Hennessey, the owner of famous US-based car tuning house Hennessey Performance Engineering, did 270 mph in the Lotus Exige-based Venom GT which is powered by an engine that produces 1,244 hp, and now he has said that his upcoming Venom F5 will possibly reach 290 mph. "I think...

Hennessey Venom GT2

Posted on 11.27.2012 15:00 by Kirby Garlitos Filed under: | coupe | Supercars / Exotic cars | Hennessey | Hennessey Venom GT | Cars | Car Reviews | Hennessey

There's a serpent lying in the bushes. It remains out of plain sight, yet it's unmistakably lethal and poised to strike at any time.

Translate that into the automotive parlance and you immediately understand that the car in question is the Hennessey Venom GT.

It's been a little over a year since we last heard anything of relevance surrounding the Venom GT. Sure, it participated in the Goodwood Festival of Speed back in July, but other than that little cameo, the Venom GT has been uncharacteristically out of the spotlight for the better part of the year.

That is until now. Better yet, it's arriving to the party as a Version 2.0.

The Hennessey Venom GT2 is coming! In an email exchange with Hennessey chief, John Hennessey, we were told that the Venom GT2 is poised to strike the auto world with a significant power increase over the Venom GT along with some design modifications.

According to Hennessey, the carbon- fiber body will still be used, but improvements are in the works for the 2014 GT2. These changes include dihedral hinges on the doors, exposed carbon fiber front air-dam, new hood with the center arch removed, new side-view mirrors, and a double bubble roof that will offer additional headroom.

The most significant aesthetic alterations for 2013 are the headlights. No longer will the Venom GT2 carry the Lotus Elise headlights. Instead, Hennessey has designed a completely original headlight setup that, quite frankly, makes the Venom GT2 that much more striking.

The other big news surrounding the Venom GT2 is the significant uptick in power it's poised to receive. This increase is thanks to a new 7.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 powerplant that Hennessey is estimating to produce a staggering 1,500 horsepower. The engine will mate to either a 6-speed Ricardo manual or a new 7-speed paddle shift transmission. Top speed has been projected at an astounding 287 mph, which means that you could very well be reading about the future fastest car in the world.

According to Hennessey, the Venom GT2 should debut in late 2013.