Hennessey releases details on Venom GT
by Noah Joseph on Nov 19th 2007 at 2:16AM 
Evidently not satisfied with having trounced the Bugatti Veyron in Road & Track's 0-200 mph showdown with its twin-turbo Viper, those tuners on speed over at Hennessey Performance Engineering are preparing a mid-engined supercar of their own. We brought you initial news, coupled with a teaser image, back at this year's SEMA show, but the company has now released additional information and the conceptual sketch you see above, which was penned by British auto designer Steve Everitt, who evidently likes the Lotus Elise/Exige, but thought it could use more oomph.
Built around the company's thousand-horsepower twin-turbocharged Dodge Viper V10 engine, the Venom GT would benefit from the immense power in a lighter-weight package weighing in around 2700 lbs. Carry the zeros and we're looking at 2.7 lbs per hp, giving the special Hennessey a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time estimated at less than 2.5 seconds, en route to an anticipated 300 km/h in about 14 seconds.
If it built the Venom GT, Hennessey would follow along the path of Saleen, who built the S7 supercar after years of tuning Mustangs. According to John Hennessey, existing owners of the firm's tuned Vipers would give the company a customer base to draw upon. Hennessey plans to have a pair of concept cars to show in 2009, which will help them gauge interest in potentially building the Venom GT at their factory in Houston. We're looking forward to it already. Press release after the jump.
[Source: Hennessey Performance Engineering]
PRESS RELEASE
HENNESSEY VENOM GT
Concept Car
1000 BHP + 2700 lb Mid-Engine Chassis = New Benchmark of Sports Car Performance
HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 20, 2007) - Hennessey Performance Engineering today announced that it is introducing the company's first concept car - The Venom GT.
Penned by British auto designer, Steve Everitt, the Venom GT would incorporate Hennessey's potent Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Viper V10 powerplant into a light weight mid-engine chassis weighing "under 2,700 lbs". Power would be run through a 6-speed transmission or optional sequential gearbox.
With a power to weight ratio of just 2.7 lbs per bhp Hennessey estimates that the Venom GT could attain 0 to 100 km/h times in less than 2.5 sec. and a 0-300 km/h time of around 14 seconds. Company founder, John Hennessey, is careful to point out that the Venom GT is not being built as a "Veyron Slayer". Hennessey point out, saying, "The Veyron is an ultra fast and ultra luxurious grand touring car which also happens to be quicker and faster than any other road car, except for our Venom 1000 Twin Turbo SRT which beat the Veyron earlier this year from 0-200 mph. The Venom GT will be a much more engaging sports car to drive by challenging the driver with 1000+ HP in a chassis that is nearly 1500 lbs lighter than the Veyron."
Hennessey said, "The company already has existing Venom 1000 Twin Turbo clients interested in ordering the lighter, mid-engined Venom GT. "Right now are taking a serious look at building 2 concept cars that could be shown to the public sometime in 2009. If there is enough demand we may consider doing a very limited production run of the Venom GT."
If the Venom GT goes into production, it would be built at the company's facility at Lonestar Motorsports Park which is located just west of Houston, Texas.
About Hennessey Performance Engineering
Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE) specializes in designing, testing, manufacturing and selling high-performance parts and services for the Dodge Viper SRT10, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Chrysler 300C SRT8 and Dodge Magnum SRT8 as well as other high performance and exotic brands such as Bentley, AMG Mercedes and Porsche. HPE is completing the construction of the company's new 30,000 square foot engineering and manufacturing facility at the company's Lonestar Motorosports Park - a 1/4 mile dragstrip located 45 minutes west of Houston, Texas. HPE is the only aftermarket tuning firm in North America that owns and operates its own vehicle testing track / proving grounds. The company will move to its new facility at the end of 2007.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Drew Phillips 2:33AM (11/19/2007)
That's one mean looking Lotus Exige...
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Berkley Vince 8:48AM (11/19/2007)
nice exige s, i guess as long as you scribble your name across the windshield, you have an all new design...At least, hennessey will be prepared this time, now that he's got enough fire extinguishers from all his viper motors catching fire...this guy is a crook!
Valentino Amoro 2:37AM (11/19/2007)
Car's with this much of power and low weight need to come in the minimum with an advanced yaw/stability control system like the Ferrari F430 and if possible a superior AWD system like the Nissan GTR/Evo X.
Otherwise all this power is simply madness, especially in the hands of any driver lesser than the likes of Tiff Needell or the Stig.
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ant 2:57AM (11/19/2007)
I don't get it, is Hennessey one of those Chinese car companies that counterfeits car designs?
It sure looks like it. Their "Venom GT" looks nearly identical to the 2005 Lotus Sport Exige:
http://www.sandsmuseum.com/cars/elise/experience/competition/sportexige/sportexige.html
http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/lotus_sport_exige.asp
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Chad 8:48AM (11/19/2007)
Dang! That is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I guess British auto designer Steve Everitt thought he'd coast through that job.
Laba 3:05AM (11/19/2007)
I'm tired of people saying how the Venom won the Veyron in that drag race. They launched the Veyron in "Top Speed" mode, which is same as launching a VW Golf 1,4 in fifth gear. In handling mode the Veyron would've won. IRL the Veyron goes 0-200mph in a lot less.
This car looks like a mix between Exige and a Carrera GT. It won't be any good. Breaks down and at the same time Hennessey will steal your money.
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Drewe 3:31AM (11/19/2007)
That is such an Elise copy - I have done multiple photo shoots with Elise's, and this is SO elise. Lotus will be Peeved.
Though a Lotus with that much power would be insane - I have done some mountain roads in Elise's, and they stick like....
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spookthehamster 5:06AM (11/19/2007)
"existing owners of the firm's tuned Vipers would give the company a customer base to draw upon"
... For parts to steal.
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Billy 6:54PM (11/24/2007)
yea, thats what i was wondering.
The only people who go to him just go to him because they dont know any better.
But he cant steal parts when he is building the car from scratch.
he will probably make you give him a Viper to start with so he can sell it
chris 5:10AM (11/19/2007)
Yep, this is simply a Lotus Exige crossed with a Carrera GT. It's no better than the equally pathetic Camaro Supra thing from Vector. At least the S7 doesn't look like anything else, even if it is one of the ugliest cars on the planet.
And yeah, the Viper would have been slower in that test if the Veyron was run correctly, and if the Viper didn't get special cooling done before it ran, while all the other cars simply ran as they came, without having engineers put ice packs or whatever it was on the intakes to stop a poorly modifed engine from blowing up.
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John R 6:55AM (11/19/2007)
It also serves to mention they ran the thing sans the catalytic converter. While the Veyron was bone stock.
Coffee Jones 10:40AM (11/26/2007)
Too many variables.
The Venom's interior is a rollcage and a seat. Veyron has an ultra lux interior.
I think the Veyron ran pump gas, but I don't remember if the Venom ran 110 octane fuel, or what.
Bob-o 6:33AM (11/19/2007)
How is this man still in business? Don't people go to jail for theft? What happened here?
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mark_welby 8:47AM (11/19/2007)
"How is this man still in business? Don't people go to jail for theft?"
Only the poor ones.
Chad 8:39AM (11/19/2007)
I've heard nothing but bad responses from customers of Hennessey. Things like never getting your car back or not progressing in their work. If all that is true I wonder how they stay in business?
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Tim 9:03AM (11/19/2007)
I think the point is that they are starting with the Elise/Exige platform.
That said, there's not gonna be much left of it once you chop it up in order to fit the V10.
I call this Dead on Arrival
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iv_ducati 9:25AM (11/19/2007)
+ 1.
I would not let this guy even touch the tires of my car! This guy has been running a "chop" shop for years, and all he gets is more exposure in magazines for his cars that have stolen and ripped off parts. I'm surprised he still has a pulse.
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BY POLAR 10:44AM (11/19/2007)
2009 Lotus Exige 'Barry Bonds Edition'.
This 1000hp 'Hybrid' will operate on a combination of Hi-octane gas and Human Growth Hormone.
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eddie 10:53AM (11/19/2007)
That's one unique design!
Lotus Exige Long-Wheel-Base. Its like a Carrera GT and a Lotus had an affair.
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paul34 11:30AM (11/19/2007)
So how many customers did he have to defraud and con to afford this?
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