Two weeks ago, the Hennessey Venom F5 was officially unveiled to the buying public. The machine boasts impressive numbers as well as impressive design appeal. It is a hypercar like no other. Word at that time was that the machine’s additional performance testing would begin early in the new year. Now, we have word that testing is indeed moving forward.

The specifications of the Hennessey Venom F5 hypercar

Let’s get into those numbers. The Hennessey Venom F5 is rated at 1,817 hp. That comes from a mid-mounted, twin-turbo, 6.6-liter V8 that is expected to push the car to a top-speed over 300 mph. That will permit the car to sprint to 186 mph in just 8.4 seconds.

All that power is great if people only drive in a straight line. The fact is, for those that don’t drag race, the driving environment will not be in straight lines. John Hennessey recognizes that. So, Mr. Hennessey says that he made sure to create the Venom F5 to be like a decathlete, able to perform many things well.

Testing the hypercar at the Nurburgring

In a video released on the Mr. JWW YouTube channel, Hennessey describes the development process of the Venom F5. He mentions that testing of the car continues. One of the next few tests for it will be at the legendary Nurburgring track in Germany. That track will be the closest thing to real-world testing because it is not solely a race track. Instead, it is a highway with right and left turns and elevation changes running near a town. It will let the decathlete stretch its legs a bit. The video of the interview is below.

The Nurburgring is a place that anybody can pay to run on the track. So, many automotive manufacturers have taken their vehicles there for testing. The track is in Porsche’s back yard. So, naturally, that manufacturer has tested there. Even the folks at Chevrolet have shown up there with the C8 before the car went into production. So, it is a very well known and respected location amongst auto enthusiasts worldwide… and it is on my bucket list of places to visit and enjoy.

Mr. Hennessey gave no time frame for the appearance of the Venom F5 at the Nurburgring, other than early 2021. But, there was also mention that the hypercar will show up also at the Circuit of the Americas outside Houston, Texas. This is in addition to the testing at a track next to Hennessey’s own facilities.

The Hennessey Venom F5 interior

Mr. Hennessey was happy to elaborate on the design ethos of the car. The Hennessey Venom F5, while hosting incredible horsepower that is ideal for straight lines, is designed to be driven comfortably on everyday non-straight roads. However, it is a very driver-centric vehicle with a fighter plane like display. In fact, regarding the cockpit/cabin, Mr. Hennessey made reference to the NASA Apollo programs as having influenced the car’s interior and instrument display design. 

There is no doubt that as more testing is performed with the hypercar, the more refined the Venom F5 will become. Like a true decathlete, the vehicle’s overall handling will improve with further time invested, making a better-rounded driving experience in the end. That is not to say that the car is unstable in any way. Any car can be a straight line brute with horsepower. But, only the best can actually harness that horsepower for real-world daily use. That is what Mr. Hennessey seems to be aiming at, and we look forward to testing ourselves.