Hennessey unleashes its £2.5m Venom F5 Roadster that exceeds 300mph

Texas-based hypercar maker Hennessey has created the most expensive hair dryer on the planet.

It has unveiled its Venom F5 Roadster, a convertible two-seater that will cost £2.5million ($3million) a piece and be capable of speeds in excess of 300mph.

Not only is it set to become the fastest roadster on the planet, it will also be the most powerful, with the twin-turbo 6.6-litre V8 engine packing a jaw-dropping 1,817bhp.

The stunning open-top motor has been unveiled during Monterey Car Week in California and is making a bounty of bold claims about its roof-down performance.

It is the convertible version of the £2million Venom F5 Coupe that debuted back in 2020 – a hypercar claiming to be able to reach speeds of 311mph and is British designed despite being produced in very limited numbers in the US.

Just 24 coupes were made and sold out almost instantly after being showcased, and the roadster will be almost as exclusive.

Only 30 are being built to ‘guarantee a unique ownership experience’ and every one will be ‘personalised and individually commissioned to its owner’.

The chassis is a supremely-light carbon-fibre monocoque, with the car tipping the scales at a featherweight 1,406kg. To put that into context, it weighs around the same as a Ford Focus family hatchback.

All 1,817 rampaging horses produced by the ‘Fury’ V8 engine will be delivered to the rear wheels via an automated single-clutch gearbox.  

Hennessey says it fully expects the Venom F5 Roadster to surpass the company’s own ‘world’s fastest convertible’ record, which is currently held by its Venom GT Spyder and stands at a staggering 265.6mph.

John Hennessey, the founder and CEO of the bonkers Texas brand, said: ‘We created the Venom F5 to be the ultimate expression of a hypercar. 

‘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 1,817bhp ‘Fury’ engine screams behind the exposed cockpit, with its roar unobstructed by a roof – it is an unmatched automotive experience.’

While the top speed is claimed to be over 300mph, that is only when the detachable roof is fixed in place.

The roof doesn’t fold away into a compartment in the back of the car but is instead a fully-removable panel.

This decision was made to ensure the lightweight characteristics of the vehicle even with the roof on, with the panel made from a rigid carbon-fibre composite and weighing a mere 8kg.

When the roof isn’t in use, owners will have a choice of how to store it: either in a ‘bespoke Merino wool travel bag’ or a ‘carbon fibre sculptural pedestal’. Either way, you can’t carry it with you, so it will have to be left at home. 

Another unique feature is the engine bay cover, which Hennessey describes as ‘a new tempered glass engine viewing window’. 

This panel, in the middle of the rear engine cover, spotlights the massive eight-cylinder powerplant – which was developed and certified for use in jet aircrafts rather than cars – in all its glory. 

The sizeable glass cover can withstand aerodynamic forces exceeding 300mph and temperatures beyond 540 degrees Celsius. 

The Roadster also gets different wheels to its coupe sibling and discerning buyers can specify any exterior and interior colour combination they want – or alternatively leave areas of the Venom F5’s carbon fibre chassis and body panels exposed. 

The cabin is fairly minimalist, with two large screens – one the instrument cluster and the other the infotainment display – and an F1-style sawn-off steering wheel. 

The car will be produced at the company’s Texas facility and begin in late 2022. 

Official validation of the model’s high-speed capabilities won’t likely take place until 2023.