Quiet, restraint and subtle are the kind of words that aren’t present in Hennessey’s work dictionary. For proof, take any of their creations. Be it a super-tuned truck, an even stingier Stingray or a sports saloon that puts mid-engined mean machines to shame. Besides those insane projects, Hennessey also keeps busy with its own creations, like the Venom F5. Introduced in 2020, all 24 units have already found takers. But, if you missed the chance to own one, here’s one better – the Venom F5 Roadster.
Better? Think about it; almost everything is better with the top off. Not for those who live their life with numbers. They will probably ignore the Venom F5 Roadster. Why? Because of the price tag. Where the last 12 coupes sold at USD 2.1 million a pop, the Roadster thumps that with its sticker price of USD 3.0 million. Surprising? Not really. Justifiable? Well, that will always be a debatable topic.
Hennessey will produce only 30 examples, all personalised to their owners, of the Venom F5 Roadster. So the level of exclusivity alone accounts for at least half of the asking price, if not more. Plus, the new version offers something that the coupe just couldn’t – limitless headroom. In my head, 70 per cent of that price tag already makes sense. And we still haven’t got to the open-top hypercar’s performance.
Propulsion comes from the same 6.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 that does duty in the coupe. With 1,817bhp/1,617Nm on tap. Mated to it is a 7-speed transmission, routing all the oomph to the rear wheels. The combo catapults the Venom F5 Roadster to 100kmph from a standstill in less than 3 seconds. And unsurprisingly, it is slightly slower than the fixed-top derivative’s 2.6 seconds. Even the convertible’s claimed top speed (> 483kmph with the roof off), although insane, can’t match the coupe. And because of the reworked roof, the Roadster weighs a bit more.
But you know what? Those numbers don’t matter much. The whole point of the Venom F5 Roadster is exclusivity. With that, blistering acceleration when you need it, or feeling good with the roof off when you just want to cruise.
The rest of the Roadster’s recipe is identical to its coupe companion. That includes everything from creature comforts to all the hardcore mechanical stuff that helps tame the Venom F5. Production of the Roadster starts in late 2022.
Would you look at those seats?! There should be an option for more cushioning…there must!
Lol. Yeah. The seats, although striking to behold, don’t look too comfortable.
Umm ill buy a Bugatti