What's all this about?

The Texan tuning firm and hypercar builder Hennessey has unveiled a new track-focused version of its Venom F5 coupe, with a lower kerb weight, improved handling and greater downforce. The Revolution Coupé shares the same 6.6-litre twin-turbo V8 engine and monocoque tub as the standard Venom, but whereas the standard coupe’s raison d’etre is outright straightline speed, the Revolution is engineered more towards breaking lap records than challenging for the title of world’s fastest production car.

So what's new?

Thanks to a fairly substantial diet, the Revolution weighs in at just over 1,300kg which is impressively light, and that’s chiefly down to that carbon-fibre monocoque chassis. Like the Venom F5, an astonishing 1,842hp is sent to the rear wheels via a single-clutch gearbox which, the company says, has been “calibrated for competitive use”. That combination of big power and low weight should mean that the Revolution accelerates rather quickly indeed, though Hennessey hasn’t overlooked the need for stopping power with carbon-ceramic brakes and multi-piston callipers geared towards reducing fade during heavy track use.

Lots of aero, too?

The aerodynamic work is one of the biggest things setting the Revolution apart from its siblings. At the rear sits a full-width rear-mounted carbon-fibre wing. The wing can be adjusted, allowing the owner to change the angle of attack and thus the level of downforce and is fitted with end plates that stop the high-pressure air on top of the wing from spilling underneath (which, in turn increases downforce without having to extend the width of the wing). The end plates, according to Hennessey, also generate vortices that guide airflow to improve aerodynamics and stability. As a result, the firm says, the rear wing provides around 363kg of downforce at 186 mph and over 635kg at 249 mph.

The front splitter is bigger than on the standard F5 Venom, too, and it’s designed to prevent air from flowing under the car, which helps to create a low-pressure vortex underneath the vehicle to the benefit of downforce. An extended rear diffuser helps guide air out more smoothly from the Revolution’s underbelly, reducing turbulence and drag. Dive planes ahead of the front wheels channel airflow in such a way as to shift the car’s aerodynamic balance forward which adds grip and improves cornering turn-in. Up top, there’s a new roof-mounted air scoop to deliver fresh cool air to the Revolution’s engine bay, lowering the temperature and enabling the engine to breathe more easily.

Any suspension mods?

The double-wishbone suspension has been tailored “with more aggressive alignment settings” to make it more adept on track. Dampers which can be easily adjusted trackside without the need for an extensive array of tools have been specified too meaning that the car can be tweaked to the track conditions. Another concession to track use is the option a digital on-board track telemetry system capable of measuring a string of data points including lap times, cornering G-forces and more. The system allows the driver to monitor the telemetry in real time or to save it to be consulted in future.

Just how fast is it?

That’s a tough question when it comes to Hennessey. The company believes that the standard F5 Venom is capable of in excess of 300mph, but says that so far it hasn’t been able to find a stretch of road or runway long enough to beat the 270mph it hit with the Venom on the old three-mile runway at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. While a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ has been officially clocked at 304mph, it wasn’t a two-way run so it didn’t count towards the title of the world’s fastest production car. For now, that accolade remains in the hands of Koenigsegg with its 277mph record set in 2017 with an Agera R. If a Hennessey Venom F5 can actually hit the speeds its maker says it can, it’s not unreasonable to think that the Revolution Coupe could do likewise.

How much and how many?

Just 24 examples of the Hennessey Revolution are set to be built at a cost of more than £2.2 million each. The car is due to make its public debut at the Miami Motorcar Cavalcade Concours d’Elegance in Florida later this month.

David Mullen - 9 Jan 2023