The 2,031-HP Hennessey Venom F5-M Is A Manual Hypercar Monster

Two thousand horsepower and a gated manual gearbox sounds like the kind of idea that should have been rejected in the first meeting. Hennessey went ahead and built it anyway. The first customer-spec Venom F5-M Roadster is now ready for its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will make eight runs up the famous hill over four days.

The 6.6-liter twin-turbo Fury V8 now produces 2,031 hp at 8,000 rpm and 1,445 lb-ft (1,959 Nm) of torque at 5,200 rpm. Every one of the 12 F5-M Roadsters will send that power to the rear wheels through a six-speed gated manual transmission.

Hennessey has also retuned the traction control and engine management to make the power delivery more linear and predictable in each gear. Probably useful when your right foot controls more than 2,000 hp.

This particular car was ordered by a British collector and is almost entirely covered in purple-tinted carbon fiber. Traditional exposed carbon appears on the center of the hood, roof, and engine cover, joined by silver pinstripes and gold wheels.

A 55-inch dorsal fin extends from the roof intake to the rear deck and enhances stability above 200 mph. Hand-painted American and British flags in gold appear on the fin as a nod to Hennessey's roots and the owner's nationality.

The purple-and-gold theme continues inside, where the transmission tunnel mixes tinted and regular carbon fiber. Gold accents appear on the gear knob and air vents, while purple carbon seats get white leather padding. Hennessey's Maverick division also added a 24-karat gold nose badge and the family name “Sheikh” to the rear, with matching embroidery on the knee pads. Subtle was clearly never on the order sheet.

Prices for the Venom F5-M start at $2.65 million before taxes, though this heavily customized example likely cost more than $3 million. Racing driver Alex Brundle will handle the Goodwood runs, while the owner gets to watch someone else drive his 2,031-hp manual hypercar up a hill eight times. Hennessey has also confirmed that the manual gearbox and updated chassis will eventually reach other F5 models, including the Coupe, Roadster, and Revolution.