Texas-based Hennessey Special Vehicles has revealed the world’s most powerful production car with a manual gearbox.
Determined to combat the declining number of manual transmissions in the sports car world, Hennessey has added a clutch pedal to its 250mph+ Venom F5 hypercar.
Only 12 examples of the Venom F5-M (‘M’ for manual) Roadster will be made, with all the cars already sold in advance.
Sticking with it
The ‘regular’ Hennessey Venom F5 makes use of a seven-speed automated manual transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. And converting the F5 to a six-speed manual gearbox has been no easy task.
A team of Hennessey engineers, led by Brian Jones, has worked to remap the 1,817hp 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged ‘Fury’ V8 to work with the three-pedal setup.
This included matching the engine to new gear ratios, ensuring the Venom F5-M could cope with the ‘scientific realities of manually transferring’ all its power to the rear wheels.
John Hennessey, company founder and CEO, commented: “We believe the Venom F5-M Roadster will be the most intense, immersive and extreme driving experience on the planet, and a dozen lucky customers get to join us for the ride.”
More than just three pedals
A host of design changes are part of the Venom F5-M Roadster package, including a new bespoke livery. Exposed carbon fibre trim is paired with contrasting accent stripes, which extend rearwards to a dorsal fin spoiler.
The F5-M’s six-speed open gate is crafted from solid billet aluminium, while the gear lever itself combines carbon fibre and aluminium. Making space for the manual gearbox also required new air vents, along with fighter jet-inspired window switches.
Buying a Venom F5-M Roadster will cost $2.65 million (around £2 million), and each car will be painted in a unique, one-off colour. Once a certain hue has been used, Hennessey deletes it from the Venom F5 configurator, ensuring exclusivity for owners.
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