Hennessey Special Vehicles, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer, has released details of its Venom F5 Roadster, the company announced.
The Venom F5 Roadster is based on the Hennessey Venom F5 Coupe – the two are nearly identical mechanically – yet distinguishing the Venom F5 Roadster from its fixed-roof sibling are several attributes that set the open-air model apart, the company said.
Mid-mounted in the carbon-fiber monocoque chassis is Hennessey’s twin-turbocharged, 6.6-liter, ‘Fury’ V8 engine rated at 1,817 hp. Power is sent to the rear wheels through an automated single-clutch gearbox. With a dry weight of under 3,100 pounds, the Venom F5 Roadster promises phenomenal performance and an engineered top speed exceeding 300 mph, Hennessey engineers said.
Hennessey expects the Venom F5 Roadster to surpass the company’s own ‘world’s fastest convertible’ record – 265.6 mph – currently held by the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder.
“We created the Venom F5 to be the ultimate expression of a hypercar,” said John Hennessey, company founder and CEO. “The Roadster version takes the Coupe’s speed, exhilaration, and awe, plus a sprinkling of respect-inducing fear, to a new, truly visceral level that brings owners closer to the Venom F5’s extreme performance. Our 1,817 bhp ‘Fury’ engine screams behind the exposed cockpit, with its roar unobstructed by a roof – it is an unmatched automotive experience.”
In contrast to the F5 Coupe, the F5 Roadster’s roof has been re-engineered with a removable panel crafted from rigid carbon fiber composites. The single-piece roof is fully insulated against the elements and lined with soft Alcantara upholstery. The weatherproof panel is secured with four quick-release bolts and a pair of high-strength latches to withstand the hypercar’s acceleration capabilities and aerodynamic forces at extreme speed. The lightweight roof panel weighs 18 lbs (8 kg), making removal and installation easy for one person, the company said.
Owners may choose to store the panel in a bespoke Merino wool travel bag or on a custom-made, sculptural pedestal. The roof pedestal, crafted in carbon fiber like the roof panel, mirrors design themes from the Venom F5 Roadster.
The Venom F5 Roadster features a new tempered glass engine viewing window. Developed and certified for use in jet aircraft, the glass panel can withstand aerodynamic forces exceeding 300 mph and temperatures beyond 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (540 degrees Celsius). The engine viewing window is encapsulated within a removable carbon fiber engine cover that features milled heat extraction holes that match those in the rear bumper. Additional heat extraction is achieved by dual aluminum air vents, four on each side of the glass panel, which match the vents behind each front wheel.
The Roadster is further distinguished from its coupe sibling by its unique wheels, Hennessey designers said. Forged and milled from aluminum alloy, the lightweight wheels feature seven pairs of spokes, each resembling an elongated Hennessey ‘H’. Milled into the outer face of each wheel rim is the ‘Hennessey’ script, mirrored by the ‘Roadster’ script on the opposite side. Owners may opt to upgrade the Hyper Silver wheels to highly polished aluminum. The wheels are secured with five titanium nuts.
