Super cars at one time used to be the gold standard of the automotive industry. They were the fastest and highest performing vehicles that could be produced. Although super cars are still around, they are no longer at the top of the automotive food chain. Hyper cars are now part of the picture and bring performance levels to a whole new level.

Traditionally, this segment of vehicles has been solely reserved to the most prestigious brands out there. These are brands like McLaren, Ferrari, Bugatti, and more. Not every brand has the resources or interest to do this, which makes it a smaller pool of manufacturers that are willing to venture into this segment.

But this hasn’t scared away all smaller manufacturers. Take Hennessey for example. The Texas based company initially made their mark by tuning first generation Dodge Vipers to churn out even more power. Now they modify performance vehicles that run the gamut from sedans to even trucks. Most of their work has been in the business of tuning already fast cars, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying their hand in bespoke vehicles as well. This is where the Venom GT comes in. It was Hennessey’s first attempt to enter the hyper car market. The Hennessey Venom GT made waves as the hyper car newcomer, and rightfully so.

Here is everything you need to know about the Hennessey Venom GT and its rise to be a hyper car icon.

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The Hennessey Venom GT: Speed Beyond The Speediest

2014 Hennessey Venom GT Supercar
Via: YouTube

One of the most notable reasons why the Venom GT got attention is because it was crowned as the fastest production vehicle ever made, which was exactly what Hennessey was aiming for. This was quite a feat given the competition that Hennessey had. Take a look at Bugatti for example, the brand is synonymous with extreme speed.

The only objectives they have is to go as fast as humanely possible in a vehicle and make it luxurious as well. This makes it even more impressive that Hennessey was able to build a vehicle that at the time took the fastest production vehicle title from Bugatti.

In terms of speed, the Hennessey Venom GT was able to reach speeds of 270 miles per hour. This comes from a 6.2-liter LS9 V8 that was borrowed from General Motors, but then subsequently twin turbocharged along with other modifications by Hennessey. Along with the borrowed powertrain, the Venom also had a borrowed skeleton of another vehicle. Overall, it is based off of the Lotus Elise/Exige. This was a good option for the Venom GT because the Lotus was already a lightweight mid-engine sports car that handled nicely. Hennessey took the Lotus and extended its wheelbase to ensure that the larger engine fit behind the seats.

Related: Only Hennessey Performance Can Improve On The Ford Bronco

The Hennessey Venom GT: High Performance Comes With A High Price

Venom-GT
via venomgt

Although the Venom GT was essentially the underdog in the hyper car segment, its price did not reflect that whatsoever. When new, the Hennessey Venom GT went for around $950,000 with a total production run of only 29 units for the whole world. This is in comparison to competitors of the time, still was potentially a bargain given that the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport had an MSRP of more than 2.5 million dollars. As with most hyper cars, the value tends to go up for those that are in superb condition. Looking at used Venom GTs that are for sale now, you can find examples that are close to 1.3 million in price.

Part of what warrants this price is the exclusivity that comes with the Venom GT. As noted before, the GT was limited to only 29 units produced. Along with this limited number of vehicles, each one was largely handcrafted by a skilled team at Hennessey. As a small manufacturer in Texas, there is not a large production facility that Hennessey works out of. Regardless, each Venom GT displays a great deal of craftsmanship and bespoke details that, along with its speed, warrants its near million-dollar price tag.

With being based out of Texas, it is no surprise that Hennessey takes a “bigger is better” approach to the Venom GT. In a lot of ways, Hennessey is the embodiment of Texas in a vehicle manufacturer. Taking a rather unassuming sports car like a Lotus Exige and transforming it into an absurdly fast hyper car is more than enough evidence for a claim like this. Apparently 29 Venom GTs was not enough for the world as Hennessey is now working on the F5 which Hennessey hopes will be able to regain the fastest production vehicle crown once again. If the Venom GT is anything to go off of, there is no doubt that Hennessey knows what they are doing when it comes to speed.