Hennessey Performance Engineering has long been known to take something with four wheels, and have it reach its potential in power and performance. However, it wasn’t until years ago when it actually built its own vehicle. That vehicle is the Venom GT, and it’s bonkers. 1,471 hp kind of bonkers.
So, how did such a car come to fruition? HPE founder, John Hennessey, recalls the car’s birth in the video above, and it traces back to a Dodge Viper, actually. After Hennessey Performance Engineering finished up a twin-turbocharged, 1,000 hp Viper, Hennessey got to thinking about a new vehicle. He wanted something light, around 2,000-pounds, but with at least the 1,000 hp he pushed from a Dodge Viper.
So, he came up with the idea of taking a standard-issue Lotus Exige, and swapping out its original engine with something they knew best: a General Motors small block V8.
The result is what you see today. The Venom GT holds an unrecognized top speed record for fastest hardtop, and recently the fastest convertible, dashing past the Bugatti Veyron.
Comment
It is a great achievement for a domestic company building and driving the worl’s fastest passenger (and convertible vehicle. Now they have to market it and sell it to take away the import supercar market!