At 301 mph, Hennessey Venom F5 is the new speed king

On the Fujita tornado-rating scale, an F5 twister is said to have wind speeds exceeding 261 mph. These devastating cyclones can destroy nearly everything in their path and they strike fear into civilians and storm chasers alike. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that the car named after it — the earthshaking Hennessey Venom F5 — will likely be the fastest car in the world when it comes out. Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait.

Hennessey has officially unveiled the F5 at the 2017 SEMA show, and with the reveal comes long-awaited official specs. The F5 is fitted with a twin-turbo, 7.4-liter aluminum V8 that sends a ridiculous 1,600 horsepower and 1,300 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via a seven-speed single-clutch transmission. Add that to an all-new, 2,950-pound carbon fiber chassis, and you’re left with a top speed of 301 mph. Yes, you read that right.

The current production speed record was set by Hennessey’s last Venom variation, the Venom GT. Its 270.49 mph run unofficially overtook the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport’s record of 269.86 mph set in 2014 (the Hennessey run was only made in one direction, precluding it from official Guinness honors). If Hennessey is able to confirm the F5’s 301 mph top speed, it’s hard to imagine any vehicle overtaking it anytime soon.

The F5’s acceleration is similarly insane. 0 to 186 mph comes in less than 10 seconds, and 0 to 249 to 0 mph is accomplished in less than 30 seconds total. Looking for a 0 to 60 figure? Apparently Hennessey couldn’t operate the stopwatch fast enough.

In terms of styling, the front end of the F5 looks like a combination of the Ferrari LaFerrari and Koenigsegg Agera, two cars known for having a bit of brawn to them. The rear looks sculpted, slippery, and downright sexy, and that’s a good thing because that’s all any other car will see if the F5 opens its taps. If Hennessey’s performance claims prove to be accurate (and we really don’t have a reason to doubt them at this point), the F5 should leave the Chiron and just about everything else in the dust. Or this case, the salt at Bonneville.

The Venom F5 will arrive in 2019 with a limited production run of 24 cars. Its price is as eye-opening as its speed, with a starting MSRP of $1.6 million. According to Top Gear, John Hennessey will choose the F5 owners himself.

Update: We’ve added official power output and top speed details from Hennessey.