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John Hennessey mentioned that the Venom F5 Revolution from his own company didn’t aim to set any records, but it ended up doing just that by breaking the production car lap record at Circuit of the Americas, driven by racer David Donohue. The lap with a time of 2:10.90 was achieved using Racelogic Vbox telemetry, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, Shell pump ethanol, and standard Pennzoil fluids. Despite being on road tires and pump ethanol, the Venom F5 reached a speed of 193 mph on the back straight and generated 1.6 lateral g-forces in the corners.
Even though the Venom F5 demonstrates remarkable performance, it appears challenging to handle in the corners as evident by Donohue’s cautious approach around the twists and turns. The hypercar boasts an exceptional 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 lb-ft of torque from its 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, all directed to the rear wheels. The sheer torque of nearly 1,200 lb-ft during cornering can be too much even for high-performance Michelins.
Hennessey
Observing the footage, it is apparent that its single-clutch automated manual transmission packs a punch. This explains Donohue’s reluctance to push harder in the intricate sections of COTA. Enhanced grip through all-wheel drive, increased downforce, or specialized track tires would enable the Venom to achieve an even more remarkable lap time since its straight-line acceleration is truly impressive.
While it may not fully embody John Hennessey’s “Decathlete of Hypercars” moniker due to struggles in cornering, the Venom excels greatly in acceleration and braking, especially on road tires. Nonetheless, it stands as a significant accomplishment for the Hennessey team, particularly given the record-breaking feat in their home state of Texas.
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