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Jul 04, 2023

The Full Story Behind Why The Venom F5’s V8 Engine Is Called The Fury

John Hennessey reveals the reason behind the name, and to be honest, it’s as

John Hennessey reveals the reason behind the name, and to be honest, it's as American as things get.

The Hennessey Venom F5 is a fantastic example of what a loud and exotic speed machine should look and feel like. We’d go as far as to call the Venom F5 the very definition of insanity.

The hypercar puts out 1,817 horsepower, enough to move a medium-sized mountain, shall we say. Mind you, that's all engine. There's no tri-motor electric wizardry at play. Just pure internal combustion and some good old American ingenuity.

The engine in question is called – Fury. Speaking of which, ever wondered why Hennessey called the Venom's 6.6L twin-turbo V8 engine Fury? On the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the American automotive brand's founder, John Hennessey, reveals the reason behind the name, and to be honest, it's as American as things get.

The podcast also touches upon an interesting bit of trivia. No media outlet has ever asked Hennessey about why the Venom F5's engine is called Fury. But it definitely piqued our interest. Here's us diving into the details.

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It is not by mere coincidence that we stumbled upon the term "insane" when describing the F5 hypercar. It's easy for a gearhead to be left speechless when they get to know what the F5 is capable of.

But before we discuss the engine, let's go over the name, which is quite an interesting piece of trivia. Why did Hennessey name its hypercar the Venom F5? What's with the F5 suffix? Why didn't they go with the previous GT theme? Well, it all has to do with the Fujita scale.

It's similar to the Richter scale, but unlike measuring earthquakes, this one measures the intensity of a tornado. And F5 is the highest rating on the scale. An F5 tornado can attain speeds as high as 261–318 mph, making it a fitting name for Hennessey's all-new hypercar.

As for the engine, Hennessey says the F5 hypercar is designed to beat some of the best that Europe has to offer. The name Fury, or at least the inspiration to call the engine that, has to do with Brad Pitt. Well, not him exactly, but his 2014 war movie, Fury. In essence, the movie's plot has these scrappy Americans fighting the Germans to death, which according to John Hennessey, felt appropriate given the hypercar's intent.

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The Venom F5 is powered by a rear-mid-mounted 6.6L twin-turbocharged V8 that generates 1,817 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. That's quite an impressive feat, considering it's a push-rod engine with a cross-plane crank. Torque stands at 1,193 lb-ft, which is plenty enough to move most houses. All this power is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed single-clutch transmission.

On top of that, Hennessy claims the Venom F5 is capable of over 310 mph. Further cementing that possibility is a recent top-speed run that saw the hypercar hit 271.6 mph. Let's just say 300 mph could very well be on the horizon.

The bespoke motor features a cast-iron block, aluminum cylinder heads, forged pistons, Inconel exhaust valves, titanium inlet valves, and forged steel connecting rods. Additionally, a billet aluminum intake manifold sits atop the engine, on display when you open the hood. It's clear that the hypercar is testing the very limits of engineering.

On startup, you’ll notice the engine being one angry piece of kit. You’ll definitely not mistake it for any other car. The fury is visible in its design and certainly audible if you ever get a chance to see one in the flesh. The Hennessey Venom F5 is perhaps the rarest among all modern hypercars, with a production run of just 24 units. From what we can tell, the Venom F5 is a mighty impressive thing, and the Texas-based tuning company has really upped the ante when it comes to performance and excitement.

As of this writing, Hennessey is yet to officially break the 300 mph mark. However, Bugatti has done it. In fact, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport managed to hit 304mph when the company decided to unleash it at Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track. Although, technically, the hypercar doesn't hold the top speed record, as it did not do the run in both directions.

Another hypercar that could potentially threaten the Hennessey Venom F5's top-speed attempt is the Koenigsegg Jesko. More specifically, the Jesko Absolut. The car puts out close to 1600 horsepower and 1,106 lb-ft of twist, enough to propel this million-dollar machine to 60 mph in around 2.5 seconds. Although the Swedish marque is yet to officially push the hypercar to its limits, the estimated theoretical top speed is well beyond 310 mph.

We cannot talk about the fastest cars in the world without mentioning the SSC Tuatara. Of course, the company's first top-speed attempt with the Tuatara wasn't without its fair share of controversies. However, things are sorted now, and it appears the Tuatara is indeed a speed machine. With a recorded top speed of 295 mph, the American hypercar is currently the fastest production car in the world.

In all fairness, the Venom F5 has no resemblance whatsoever to Hennessey's previous hypercar, the Venom GT. Essentially, the Venom GT was a Lotus Exige extended wheelbase. Although we make it seem like a Friday afternoon job, the GT was far from it. In fact, Hennessey had an unofficial top speed record in the Venom GT's name. Clocking over 270 mph in 2014 was no small feat, Guinness-approved or otherwise.

But the Venom GT had a few shortcomings. It wasn't a particularly comfortable item, like the Bugatti Veyron, for instance. However, that's not the case with the F5. This hypercar is totally bespoke and built from scratch.

The F5 definitely has an identity. And thanks to its all-carbon tub and aluminum subframes, the hypercar is also among the lightest, at around 3,000 pounds. The interior, although not as ‘basic’ as the Venom GT, is still not perhaps the most elegant. Of course, you will appreciate the extensive use of leather and carbon fiber. But more importantly, there is a sense of sophistication overall.

In terms of exterior design, the Venom F5 does stand out as a unique proposition. However, you might sense a hint of LaFerrari or Lotus Evija in its front-end design. The rear of the car is perhaps the most unexciting bit. Of course, it looks unique, but you'd notice a striking resemblance to the Maserati MC20. However, what you don't find in an MC20 are those four tailpipes.

If you want a piece of this excitement, get ready to shell out a minimum of $2.1 million. Pay another $600,000, and you could take home a more track focussed version dubbed the Venom F5 Revolution. Sadly though, they are all sold out. Hennessey announced that the order book for its F5 hypercar has been closed. However, the company is open to taking orders for the Venom F5 Roadster. Just 30 units will be made available, with each costing $3 million.

Sources: The Joe Rogan Experience, Hennessey

Cars have had a profound impact on Kiran ever since he was a toddler. This grew with age, ballooning to such an extent that he graduated with a degree in automotive engineering and now devotes himself to penning down all things motoring.