It’s official, the Hennessey Venom GT->ke4149 has just become the fastest production car out there. On February 9, 2013, Brian Smith drove this modified Lotus Elise from 0 to 265.7 mph in 2 miles on a runway at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.
This makes the Venom GT 7 mph faster than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which required over 4 miles to reach its speed limiter, which is set at 258 mph. Still, this speed is a little less than the 270 mph top speed claimed by Hennessey when the Venom GT was initially announced.
This is the second record the Venom GT scored this year, as back in January it went from 0 to 186 mph in just 13.63 seconds.
Now we are left wondering what amazing results we are going to see when the Venom GT2 hits the market.
Click past the jump to read the full list of verified record top speeds throughout automotive history
UPDATE 4/8/2013: There is a little confusion here, as to why the Venom is being called the fastest production car when the Veyron holds the "official" Guinness record. The Veyron that broke the record had its 258 mph top speed limiter removed and you cannot purchase the Bugatti in this state. The Venom GT is in its factory-tuned form and the one you purchase can pull of this feat. This article does not refer to the Guinness record. Additionally, Guinness today officially stripped the title from Bugatti, citing the deactivated top-speed limiter. Guinness has yet to validate the Venom's run, but we're sure Hennessey is champing at the bit to get Guinness to witness and certify the record.
To define a "production" vehicle: Any car produced in mass that is available to the public and road legal. With the Venom GT hitting six units built, it should more than qualify as "mas produced."
HIGHEST FACTORY TOP SPEED
|
Year |
Make and model |
Top speed |
Number Produced |
|
1894 |
Benz Velo |
12 mph (19 km/h) |
1,200 |
|
1949 |
Jaguar XK120 |
124.6 mph (201 km/h) |
12,000 |
|
1955 |
Mercedes-Benz 300SL |
140 mph (225 km/h) |
1,400 |
|
1958 |
Aston Martin DB4 |
141 mph (227 km/h) |
1,110 |
|
1959 |
Aston Martin DB4 GT |
152 mph (245 km/h) |
75 |
|
1963 |
Iso Rivolta Grifo A3/L 327 |
161 mph (259 km/h) |
about 400 |
|
1967 |
Lamborghini Miura P400 |
171 mph (275 km/h) |
about 750 |
|
1968 |
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona |
174 mph (280 km/h) |
about 1,400 |
|
1984 |
Ferrari 288 GTO |
188 mph (303 km/h) |
272 |
|
1986 |
Porsche 959 |
195 mph (314 km/h) |
337 |
|
1987 |
Ferrari F40 |
202.687 mph (326.193 km/h) |
1,311 |
|
1991 |
Bugatti EB110 GT |
209 mph (336 km/h) |
95 |
|
1992 |
Jaguar XJ220 |
213 mph (343 km/h) |
281 |
|
1993 |
McLaren F1 |
231 mph (372 km/h) |
65 |
|
2005 |
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 |
253.81 mph (408.47 km/h) |
300 |
|
2010 |
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport |
258 mph (415.21 km/h) |
30 |
|
2013 |
Hennessey Venom GT |
265.7 mph (427.6 km/h) |
TBD |