We love a manual gearbox, but even we’ll admit that when a car reaches a certain level of power – somewhere around 550bhp – having to operate a clutch and an H-pattern gearknob risks becoming more of a nuisance than a pleasure. So what about 1817bhp? Well, once again, our favourite power-crazed Texan, John Hennessey, has the answer. Meet the Hennessey Venom Roadster F5-M.
Yep, Hennessey has fitted its 1817bhp hypercar with a good old-fashioned open-gated six-speed manual in place of the ‘regular’ car’s seven-speed semi-auto paddleshift ’box. That ludicrous power figure from the Venom’s 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged ‘Fury’ V8 is unchanged, as is the 1193lb ft slug of torque it develops.
Hennessey Venom F5-M Roadster – interior
Its power delivery, though, has been tweaked, and the ratios of the new six-speed ’box carefully considered, to ensure that the F5-M remains driveable in the face of the “scientific realities” of delivering that much power through a manual. You don’t say. That’s going to be especially important because – don’t forget – the venom sends all that power solely through the rear wheels.
We don’t have performance figures yet, but the new gearbox will likely have some impact on acceleration and top speed. We’d expect its 0-60mph time of 2.6 seconds to drop by a tenth or two, and as for V-max, well… will someone be brave enough to find out. Hennessey claims the standard F5 Roadster is capable of over 300mph, though. Not a typo.
Hennessey Venom F5-M Roadster – rear
To further differentiate it from the regular F5 Roadster, the F5-M has also gained a massive LMP-style ‘dorsal fin’ running along its spine, and its retro racing stripes are unique to the three-pedal version too.
Company CEO John Hennessey said: “We believe that the Venom F5-M Roadster will be the most intense, immersive, and extreme driving experience on the planet and a dozen lucky customers get to join us for the ride!”
Hennessey Venom F5-M Roadster – interior detail
Yep, just 12 Venom F5-Ms are going to be built at $2.65 million (a shade over £2 million) a pop. Want to be one of the 12? Tough, they’ve all already been sold – presumably to some people with access to the very strongest, prescription-strength brave pills.
