If this latest conversation with John Hennessey is any indication about America’s shot at a 300 MPH production car, we’ll surely hit that mark.
There’s a top speed war going on and right now it’s a slugfest between the Americans, Germans, and Swedes. The way I see it, the pride of our nation hangs on the back of John Hennessey and Hennessey Performance’s Venom F5. Now, as per a conversation John Hennessey had with Motor Authority on their post on the matter of Vmax earlier this week (Sept. 26,2018) John Hennessey’s statements hint at a very confident supercar maker when it comes to the limits of his own Venom F5. 300 MPH isn’t even a question as you can consider that mark done, Hennessey Performance is aiming for 311 MPH and beyond.
Long before this Venom F5 even touches 200 MPH and beyond, computers with some powerful processors running very complicated computational fluid dynamics would have already run this top speed run countless times before.
A quick check of the latest specs of this American bred supercar has its bespoke 7.6L engine boosted quite conservatively at 24 psi making a gargantuan 1600 HP and 1300 lb-ft with most of that horsepower being made in its upper rev range. But, according to Hennessey Performance’s top men with knowledge of all the maths, this Venom F5, thanks to its slippery coefficient of drag, doesn’t even need all that power.
“Currently our CFD testing and our engineers tell us we need about 1,520 horsepower to break 300,” Hennessey said.
If that wasn’t amazing enough, consider that this same engine isn’t even breaking a sweat at those boost levels as this LSX based boost monster has been tested up to 2,000 HP.
I can only guess that, when during their Vmax run if for some reason the conditions aren’t working with the Venom F5, a simple over-boost function can push this supercar up to that magic 300 MPH and beyond.
So when will Hennessey make its record run? Earlier last year I blogged that Hennessey would wait for Bugatti and Koenigsegg to “shoot their shot” before going all out with America’s effort.
With claims like this coming forward, it looks more and more of not if but when.
Here’s to 300 MPH and beyond, Hennessey.
