Venom F5

Make
Hennessey
Segment
Coupe

The Hennessey Venom F5 is an American hypercar unlike any other, and seeing it in the sun recently really made us fall even more in love with the car. We only saw the completed car revealed at the end of last year, but ever since, we've been obsessed over some of its details, like the superb lightweight wheels. We haven't had much opportunity to see many more of these details up close, but thanks to a new YouTube video featuring the car's designer, Nathan Malinick, we can now see some of the extraordinary design flourishes that make this car so special.

Malinick starts at the front of the car with its unique badge. Constructed from aluminum, the badge is just eight microns thick, making it thinner than a strand of hair. Its minimalist construction and the fact that the badge is applied after paint and before the car receives a clear coat is all to help improve aerodynamic efficiency. Another noteworthy aspect of the front is the headlight shape, although this has nothing to do with aerodynamic efficiency. Instead, it is shaped like the letter 'F' to signify the name of the car and create a new brand signature for the brand's first-ever self-built car. Speaking of, the F5 is named after the most dangerous tornado rating of the same name that can reach speeds of around 318 mph, coincidentally the target speed of the Venom F5.

We then move to the aero blade ahead of the front wheel arch. This is separated from the rest of the clamshell front end and is there to both clean the airflow and improve downforce. Behind the wheel arch, air vents have been developed to create an area of low pressure while directing airflow to the intakes. Speaking of intakes, the rear decklid has its own subtle slits that directly feed the turbos.

Moving further aft, the rear bumper is claimed to be the largest single piece of milled carbon fiber in the automotive industry. It was milled with holes to extract heat, but it gets some help from what Malinick calls "reverse NACA ducts" in the taillamps. These lead directly to the engine bay, so cooling efficiency is at its best even without massive gaping holes in the rear end. Further complementing this design is the addition of genuine gold leaf and Cerakote coatings to keep critical areas of the car, including the cabin, protected from heat.

Inside, Hennessey has only used leather where the occupants are most likely to touch it. As a result, the majority of the cabin is made from carbon fiber and titanium, including the dash with no buttons. Buttons reside instead on the steering wheel/yoke, which has been designed to provide maximum visibility. The paddles and other moveable components have also been designed to feel good, and have a heavy mechanical click to them. Finally, the carbon fiber seats get a Texas flag stitched into them, but Malinick says that all 24 vehicles will be unique in other areas besides those discussed in the video. Expect owners to come up with some exciting designs, but don't think you'll be one of those owners - all examples are now sold out.