Thursday 17th December 2009

1000hp Venom GT Takes Shape

New pictures of John Hennessey's 262mph supercar in build

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A 262mph top speed and a 4.9sec 0-100mph time are just two of the outrageous statistics being bandied around by Hennessey Performance for its Corvette ZR1-powered Venom GT.

Other eye-opening numbers include a 1000hp claim for its twin-turbocharged LS9 installation, delivered up with a whopping 950lb ft of torque.

With a kerb weight of only 1086kgs it's not surprising the performance figures are expected to be sensational. According to Hennessey's own predictions 0-60mph will come up in a blink-and-miss-it 2.2secs, 0-150mph in 7.9secs and 0-200mph in 14.5secs. Braking should be just as fearsome, with 15ins carbon rotors with 6-piston calipers up front and 14ins carbon rotors with 4-pot calipers at the rear.

The car is destined for its first public outing at the Geneva motor show in March. Meanwhile a set of workshop pictures have been released by Hennessey which reveal the extent of work involved in bolting a mighty V8 and a six-speed transaxle into a Lotus chassis.

In fact, apart from its Exige-esque rear styling, there seems to be little Lotus derived engineering left from the engine room bulkhead back. Instead an entirely new subframe has been constructed which appears to have been bolted through to the Lotus aluminium tub.

The pictures don't reveal much about the front end, leaving us to surmise the car will arrive with its Lotus underpinnings pretty much intact.

Either way, we look forward to finding out more in March when the Venom GT is finally unveiled - or perhaps before, as the car's creator John Hennessey (founder of Hennessey Performance) has threatened to pay us a visit at the PistonHeads Performance Car Show in January.

[AstonV12]

Phenomenal Concept...

950lb/ft?

[dwilkie]

With such little weight and so much power though, I can't help but think it may be a 1 trick pony, I'd imagine you'll have to be everso dainty with the throttle in the bends.

Mind you, I'm probably wrong.

[team will]

262 mph in an 1000bhp Elise !!!!!!!!!!!

[Milks]

good chassis to be working with, but surely the exige body won't be slippy enough for the top speed? The Elise family hit an aerodynamic wall around 100mph

[spoonoff]

All the best with the impending backrupcy John.

[ThirdShift]

Great use of the Ally Elise chassis. Ive always been endeared by the versatility of the chassis so great to see it being used for mega power. Will watch this build with great interest, But i wonder how it will compare with this:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JuEOXagKhc&fea...

[ndtman]

Assuming the area circled is the upper spring/damper mount, I noticed it is in line with the wishbone pivot. Will this not result in a reducing spring rate in roll? I thought this was bad practice.

[mrmr96]

dwilkie said:

With such little weight and so much power though, I can't help but think it may be a 1 trick pony

Yeah, but that trick is 'being fast'. So that's ok by me.

[soad]

Will watch this build with interest - looks good so far.

[RemaL]

WOW very impressive

[zakelwe]

I gave this a one out of ten. I bet it is undrivable.

Andy

[wab172uk]

Chasing Veyron headline figures and performance is one thing. Look at us, we have a Veyron beating car.

On track? Yes
On road? No.

While the Veyron will get it's 2 passengers safely from London to Italy in Leather bound luxury while making a long distance seem short, the vette will kill them half way there.

[jontysafe]

With low weight and RWD i would very much doubt that this car would get anywhere near 0-100 in 4.9secs. I would think also that the engine will be creating so much heat at peak output it would melt the body! As stated earlier on this car the engine will have to produce near enough 1700BHP net and cool this enough to produce the 1000BHP mentioned. Where are they going to mount all the radiators and intercoolers?? That said I think it`s a worthy engineering project and is creating a lot of column inches for Hennessy. Great marketing!

[turbouberman]

honestly im kinda bored of all this who can go fastest in a straight line stuff. cars like the veyron, and koenensegg are stupid fast in straight lines, but then get owned by a little radical wen it comes postin laps on the toughest circuit in the world, i would actually love to see one of these 100bhp cars take on corners as good as they do straights. thats just my personal opinion, a car that corners well is better in the real world. sayin that i suppose these sorts of cars are all about leavin the real world behind!

[Colvette]

turbouberman said:

honestly im kinda bored of all this who can go fastest in a straight line stuff. cars like the veyron, and koenensegg are stupid fast in straight lines, but then get owned by a little radical wen it comes postin laps on the toughest circuit in the world, i would actually love to see one of these 100bhp cars take on corners as good as they do straights. thats just my personal opinion, a car that corners well is better in the real world. sayin that i suppose these sorts of cars are all about leavin the real world behind!

That's a pretty dumb statment, really. It's like saying that a Mitsubishi Evo would beat a top-fuel dragster on a rally course. Of course it would! but really, they're not comparable, are they? These mega HP cars are about going fast in straight lines, and being *usable* on a track. If it was a *serious* track car, it'd have 4WD for starters...

I must admit, though, I am a bit bored with the "small company can beat the giant" (VW). I could probably get my Mrs' Tiguan to beat a Veyron if I stuck about £5K's worth of Nitrous kit on it (controllers etc), but really - what would that prove?

[Supervet]

team will said:

262 mph in an 1000bhp Elise !!!!!!!!!!!

That's what I thought

[turbouberman]

Colvette said:

turbouberman said:

honestly im kinda bored of all this who can go fastest in a straight line stuff. cars like the veyron, and koenensegg are stupid fast in straight lines, but then get owned by a little radical wen it comes postin laps on the toughest circuit in the world, i would actually love to see one of these 100bhp cars take on corners as good as they do straights. thats just my personal opinion, a car that corners well is better in the real world. sayin that i suppose these sorts of cars are all about leavin the real world behind!

That's a pretty dumb statment, really. It's like saying that a Mitsubishi Evo would beat a top-fuel dragster on a rally course. Of course it would! but really, they're not comparable, are they? These mega HP cars are about going fast in straight lines, and being *usable* on a track. If it was a *serious* track car, it'd have 4WD for starters...

I must admit, though, I am a bit bored with the "small company can beat the giant" (VW). I could probably get my Mrs' Tiguan to beat a Veyron if I stuck about £5K's worth of Nitrous kit on it (controllers etc), but really - what would that prove?

im sorry but how is it a dumb statement? last week we the keating tkr apparantly doin 260mph, this week we have this thing thatll supposedly do 262mph. its becoming a see who can out do each other fest. all ive said is it would be nice to see one of these cars actually lay down some outstanding lap times. wats wrong with that?? also to add to what you said a serious track wouldnt have to be awd for starters. consistent fast lappers include zondas, enzo, mc12 ultima, radical, catheram. none of them are 4 wheel drive. but im not gonna tell you that its a dumb statement to have made

Edited by turbouberman on Thursday 17th December 13:20

[scubadude]

Colvette said:

I could probably get my Mrs' Tiguan to beat a Veyron if I stuck about £5K's worth of Nitrous kit on it (controllers etc), but really - what would that prove?

HA HA, Go on then.....

<insert pic of Tiguan imbedded in random wall>

Short of road legal drag cars, rally specials and a few superbikes there is nothing that'll beat a Veyron away from the lights, I'd imagine the midrange acceleration is even more fearsome.

A Tiguan with nitros is not a Veyron beater, it might fry Tiguan sized tyrs impressively but nothing else! :-)

[Europa1]

Milks said:

good chassis to be working with, but surely the exige body won't be slippy enough for the top speed? The Elise family hit an aerodynamic wall around 100mph

My Europa wound itself up to 140mph on the Autobahn without too much trouble. Felt extremely stable at that velocity too.

[zakelwe]

0-200mph in 14.5secs seems rather far fetched as well, that is almost twice as quick as the McLaren F1.

Andy