Hennessey Venom GT Hits 265.7mph to Take Veyron's Speed Crown

Boutique sports car maker and tuner Hennessey PerformanceHennesseyUnited States of America, 1992 > present2 models
109 photos
1 video
has been promising that its Venom GTHennessey Venom GTUnited States of America, 2011 > present1 photo
1 video
super car would be the fastest road car ever since it announced it last year. Hennessey has released a video showing the Venom GT hitting a GPS-verified 265.7 mph (427.6 km/h) over a two-mile strip.

Hennessey is fudging the results slightly. The Veyron Super SportBugatti Veyron Super SportGermany, 2010 > present7 photos
2 videos
hit 267.8mph, but the model sold to the public is limited to 258mph, and the Veyron top speed was hit over a 5.6-mile distance. Therefore, Hennessey claims that the 265.7mph hit by the Venom GT makes it the fastest car available to the public. 

The Venom GT is powered by a twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V8 with 1,244hp and 1,155lb-ft of torque, and it weighs 1,244kg (2,743lbs). Hennessey will build 29 Venom GTs, and it claims a third of them have already been sold. Prices start at $1.2 million. 

The top speed run was done at the United States Naval Air Station Lemoore because it has one of the longest paved runways in the US at 2.9 miles. It will be featured in the May 2013 of TopGear magazine.

The Venom GT already holds a Guinness World Record-verified acceleration record by taking 13.63 seconds to reach 300km/h (186mph).

Source: Autoblog