Hennessey is taking one of the most extreme ideas in modern hypercars and making it more physical.
The Venom F5-M Roadster is set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, pairing the brand’s 2,031 bhp twin-turbo V8 with a 6-speed gated manual gearbox.
In a segment increasingly defined by hybrid systems, dual-clutch transmissions and lap-time logic, this is a deliberately old-school choice delivered at a very modern level of violence.
At a glance
- Hennessey will unveil the Venom F5-M Roadster at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, scheduled for July 9 to 12.
- The hypercar combines a 2,031 bhp 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged Fury V8 with a 6-speed gated manual gearbox.
- Production is limited to 12 units, with each car tailored to its owner.
A manual gearbox meets 2,031 bhp
The headline is simple and slightly absurd in the best possible way.
Hennessey says the Venom F5-M is the world’s most powerful manual hypercar, with its 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged Fury V8 sending 2,031 bhp through a 6-speed gated manual gearbox.
That gearbox choice is the defining detail here, not just because manual hypercars are rare, but because this level of output is normally managed by electronics-heavy automatic transmissions.
A gated manual changes the character of the car entirely, putting timing, mechanical feel and driver commitment back at the centre of the experience.
Roadster drama with Evolution hardware
The F5-M builds on the Venom F5 Evolution package, which brings upgraded aerodynamics, active suspension and sharper dynamic tuning.
Underneath the bespoke bodywork is a lightweight carbon-fibre chassis, keeping the car aligned with Hennessey’s broader focus on low mass and very high speed.
It’s also a roadster, which adds another layer of theatre to a car already designed around sensory overload.
With more than 2,000 bhp and an open cockpit, the Venom F5-M isn’t trying to soften the experience or distance the driver from the machinery.
Electronics with a difficult job
Hennessey has fitted advanced traction control and engine management systems to help make the car usable.
That matters because a manual gearbox in a 2,031 bhp rear-biased hypercar is not a casual engineering decision.
The appeal won’t be in making the Venom F5-M easy in the conventional sense, but in giving owners a way to access its performance with a more direct connection to the drivetrain.
It’s a car for drivers who want involvement as much as speed, and who see a gear lever as part of the point rather than a nostalgic accessory.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Hennessey |
|---|---|
| Model | Venom F5-M Roadster |
| Engine | 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged Fury V8 |
| Power | 2,031 bhp |
| Transmission | 6-speed gated manual gearbox |
| Chassis | Lightweight carbon-fibre chassis |
| Body style | Roadster |
| Key hardware | Upgraded aerodynamics, active suspension, advanced traction control and engine management |
| Production | 12 units |
| Debut | Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 9 to 12 |
A small run for highly specific buyers
Only 12 examples of the Venom F5-M Roadster will be built, and each one will be tailored to its owner.
That level of production makes it less a broad model extension than a statement piece for a very small group of collectors.
The Venom F5-M stands out because it doesn’t treat the manual gearbox as a retro gesture.
It uses it as the centrepiece of a car that asks for more from its driver, even as the numbers push far beyond what most manual performance cars have ever attempted.
