Hennessey Venom GT

Hennessey Venom GT
Overview
Manufacturer Hennessey Performance Engineering
Also called Hennessey Venom
Production 13 units
(7 Coupes and 6 Spyders)
Model years 2011–2017
Assembly Hethel, England (chassis components)
Sealy, Texas, United States[1]
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Body style 2-door coupe
2-door roadster
Layout Longitudinal rear mid-engine rear-wheel-drive
Related Lotus Elise
Lotus Exige
Powertrain
Engine 427 cu in (7.0 L) Twin-turbocharged LSX V8[1]
Transmission 6-speed Ricardo manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 110.2 in (2,800 mm)
Length 183.7 in (4,665 mm)[1]
Width 77.2 in (1,960 mm)[1]
Height 44.7 in (1,135 mm)
Curb weight 2,743 lb (1,244 kg) (Coupe)
2,773 lb (1,258 kg) (Spyder)
Chronology
Successor Hennessey Venom F5

The Hennessey Venom GT is a high performance[1] sports car manufactured by Texas-based Hennessey Performance Engineering. The Venom GT is based on the Lotus Elise/Exige.

Speed records

On January 21, 2013, the Venom GT set a Guinness World Record for the fastest road legal car from 0–186 mph (0–300 km/h) with an average acceleration time of 13.63 seconds.[2] In addition, the car set an unofficial record for 0–200 mph (0–322 km/h) acceleration at 14.51 seconds, beating the Koenigsegg Agera R's time of 17.68 seconds, making it the unofficial fastest accelerating road legal car in the world.[3][4]

On April 3, 2013, the Hennessey Venom GT crested 265.7 mph (427.6 km/h) over the course of 2 miles (3.2 km) during testing at United States Naval Air Station Lemoore in Lemoore, California. Hennessey used two VBOX 3i data logging systems to document the run and had VBOX officials on hand to certify the numbers.[5]

On February 14, 2014, on the Kennedy Space Center's 3.22-mile (5.2 km) shuttle landing strip in Florida, the Hennessey team recorded a top speed of 270.49 mph (435.31 km/h) in an extremely limited distance of 2.3 miles (3.7 km) with the Director of Miller Motorsport Park, Brian Smith driving the car.[6] As the run was in a single direction, and only 13 cars have been sold to date (to qualify for Guinness World Records Hennessey must build 30), it does not qualify as the world's fastest production car in the Guinness Book of Records.[7][8] The driver, Brian Smith, said that it could go 5–10 mph (10–15 km/h) faster than the recorded 270.49 mph if they had more distance to run on.[9]

On March 25, 2016 the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder posted a top speed of 265.57 mph (427.4 km/h) at California's Naval Air Station Lemoore, celebrating Hennessey's 25th anniversary.[10] As with previous speed tests, the run was independently verified by Racelogic as World Fastest road legal convertible car. In May, 2016, the Hennessey Team revealed that the car was about 300 hp (224 kW) down on power due to issues with one of the car's three high capacity fuel pumps. Normally, the forced induction 7.0-liter V8 engine in the Venom GT Spyder generates 1,451 hp (1,082 kW; 1,471 PS) and 1,287 lb⋅ft (1,745 N⋅m) of torque.[11]

Specifications

Chassis

The Venom GT utilizes a heavily modified Lotus Elise/Exige chassis. The manufacturer, Hennessey Performance Engineering, states the modified chassis uses components from the Lotus Exige, including the roof, doors, side glass, windscreen, cockpit, floorpan, HVAC system, wiper and head lamps. Hennessey Performance and the Venom GT are not associated with Lotus Cars. For road use, the car is registered as a Lotus Exige (modified) and is not a series production car.[1]

The Venom GT has a curb weight of 2,743 lb (1,244 kg) aided by carbon fiber bodywork and carbon fiber wheels. The brakes are Brembo 6-piston calipers in the front and 4-piston calipers in the rear. The rotors are 15 in (380 mm) carbon ceramic units provided by Surface Transforms.

Drivetrain

Rear view with engine displayed.

The Venom GT is powered by a twin turbocharged 427 cu in (7.0 L) GM LSX engine. The LSX architecture incorporates specific design features such as reinforced internal components and additional head bolts with aluminum heads including twin Precision dual ball bearing turbochargers. The engine produces 1,244 hp (928 kW; 1,261 PS) at 6,600 rpm and 1,155 lb⋅ft (1,566 N⋅m) of torque at 4,400 rpm.[1] Engine power output is adjustable by three settings: 800 bhp (597 kW; 811 PS), 1,000 bhp (746 kW; 1,014 PS) and 1,200 bhp (895 kW; 1,217 PS). The engine has a redline of 7,200 rpm.

The mid-mounted V8 engine is mated to the rear wheels with a Ricardo 6-speed manual transmission, which also had a previous application in the Ford GT.[1]

A programmable traction control system manages power output. Computational fluid dynamics tested bodywork and downforce also help keep the car stable. Under varying conditions on both the road and racetrack, an active aero system with adjustable rear wing will deploy. An adjustable suspension system allows ride height adjustments by 2.4 in (61 mm) according to speed and driving conditions. Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires also help put power to the ground while providing grip.

Venom GT Spyder

The Venom GT Spyder is an open top version of the Venom GT. Having decided to order a Venom GT, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler approached Hennessey in mid-late 2011 and asked if an open-top version could be created. This involved structural changes which added 30 lb (14 kg) to the curb weight. Tyler's was the first of five cars scheduled for the 2013 model year.[12] The car was later put up for auction on January 20, 2017 and was sold by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona for US$800,000.[13][14]

For the 2016 model year, the Spyder gained 207 hp (154 kW) for a total of 1,451 hp (1,082 kW).

The production of the Spyder was limited to five units with a one-off Spyder being produced as the "Final edition" model bringing the total to 6 units.

Venom GT "World's Fastest Edition" (2014)

The Venom GT "World's Fastest Edition" is a version of the Venom GT coupe limited to 3 units. The model commemorates the Venom GT coupe's 0–300 km/h Guinness World Record.

The vehicle went on sale for US$1.25 million.[15] All three units were sold to customers shortly after their production was announced by the manufacturer.[16][17]

Venom GT "Final Edition" (2017)

A single unit of the Venom GT Spyder, called the Final Edition was produced to commemorate the car's six year production run and to mark an end to the production of the Venom GT.[18] The engine output is the same but the curb weight has been decreased by 9 lb (4 kg). The livery of the car is a "Glacier Blue" paint job with double narrow white stripes. The vehicle was pre-sold for US$1.2 million before its public debut.[19]

Successor

The Hennessey Venom GT is succeeded by the Hennessey Venom F5, which was unveiled in November 2017; unlike its predecessor, it is a series production car built completely from the ground up, including chassis and engine.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "2014 Hennessey Venom GT Specifications". Hennessey Performance. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Fastest production car 0-300 km/h". Guinness World Records. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  3. ↑ Okulski, Travis (January 21, 2013). "Watch the Hennessey Venom GT Shatter Two Speed Records". Jalopnik. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ Pattni, Vijay (January 21, 2013). "Watch: Hennessey GT sets world record". Top Gear. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  5. ↑ Bowman, Zach (April 3, 2013). "Hennessey Venom GT goes 265.7 mph, claims top-speed crown from Veyron". Autoblog. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Now THAT'S top gear: Hennessey's Venom GT becomes the world's fastest car after reaching a top speed of 270mph". Daily Mail. Australia. February 25, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  7. ↑ Nunez, Alex (February 24, 2014). "The Hennessey Venom GT is the world's fastest car". Road & Track. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Title the World's Fastest car – Hennessey Venom GT American Supercar 435 Kmph". Newzduniya. April 9, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hennessey's Venom GT becomes the world's fastest car after reaching a top speed of 270mph". Daily Mail Online. UK. February 25, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  10. ↑ Bell, Kirk (April 11, 2016). "Hennessey Venom GT Spyder sets new open-top speed record". Motor Authority. US. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  11. ↑ Vijayenthiran, Viknesh (May 12, 2016). "Hennessey Venom GT Spyder was down on power when making record run". Motor Authority. US. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Steven Tyler gets first Venom GT Spyder". Top Gear. UK. May 27, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  13. ↑ Rosenholtz, Jared (January 16, 2017). "The Aerosmith Hennessey Venom GT Spyder Is Up For Sale". CarBuzz. US. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  14. ↑ Tahaney, Ed (February 3, 2017). "Janie's Fund receives $800,000 from the sale". US: MotorTrend Magazine TEN: The Enthusiast Network. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  15. ↑ "$1.25M Venom GT 'World's Fastest Edition' is so quick you've missed your chance". Autoblog. March 25, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  16. ↑ Nelson Ireson. "Hennessey Announces $1.25 Million Venom GT World's Fastest Edition, Already Sold Out". Motor Authority. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Hennessey's $1.25M Venom GT World's Fastest Edition Sold Out Fast". April 6, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  18. ↑ Pattni, Vijay (January 19, 2017). "This is the final 1,451 hp Venom GT". Top Gear. US. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  19. ↑ Alaniz, Anthony (January 19, 2017). "Hennessey Venom GT Production Ends With Final Edition". Autoweek. US. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  20. ↑ Gustafson, Sven (November 1, 2017). "301 mph, 1,600 hp: Hennessey Venom F5 details emerge". Autoblog. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
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