Hennessey claims that a prototype version of the Venom F5 is ready to begin testing sometime in 2019 with the goal of hitting 311 mph. Notice that Hennessey is overshooting the unicorn speed of 300 mph? That’s because the company believes that the F5 is capable of going well beyond the threshold number. Once the prototype version of the Venom F5 is ready to test its worth in the heavily anticipated top speed wars, we’ll know for sure if it can back up the hype surrounding its 1,600-horsepower bullet.

By all accounts, Hennessey isn’t blowing smoke up our asses. The company is capable of developing a car — in this case, the Venom F5 — that can run up to 300 mph. The real question is how fast can the Venom F5 actually go? According to John Hennessey, 300 mph is just the start for the Venom F5. “We believe our car is capable of going well beyond 300 mph,” he said.

Such big words need to be backed up in the most emphatic of ways. That’s why Hennessey isn’t cutting corners in developing the Venom F5. A big part of this testing phase involves making sure that the supercar’s 7.6-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine is capable of producing the right amount of power that will allow the machine to blast toward the 300-mph. Hennessey says that the V-8 can tap into 1,600 horsepower and 1,300 pound-feet of torque, though, according to its engineers, the Venom F5 may not need to reach that power level to run past 300 mph.

"Currently our CFD testing and our engineers tell us we need about 1,520 horsepower to break 300," Hennessey adds. The engine has been tested to more than 2,000 horsepower, but there are no plans to go that far any time soon.

Once the Venom F5 is up-to-speed, the company’s next goal is to secure a venue where it can unleash the supercar. It’s also a sentimental venue for Hennessey because that’s where it set is previous speed record with the Venom GT back in 2014. The question is whether there’s enough room for the Venom F5 to break 300 mph and still have space for braking. If the NASA facility doesn’t work out, the next scenario involves shutting down a highway in Nevada, something that Koenigsegg did when it set the production top speed record last year with the Agera RS.

Regardless of where the top speed run takes place, it’s clear that Hennessey has a car in the Venom F5 that can do it. And by “do it,” the company doesn’t mean breaking 300 mph. "I’d like to run 500 kmh,” Hennessey said. That converts to 310.68 mph, a number that’s unheard of when talking about top seed runs. Granted, all this talk is nothing more than posturing, at least until Hennessey actually does it.

Just so you know, though, if Hennessey says that the Venom F5 can hit 311 mph, it’s not just shooting hot takes out from its mouth. There’s a reason that number is being thrown around. We’ll know for sure if Hennessey can do it once the Venom F5 is ready to make its run.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Hennessey Venom F5.

Read our full review on the 2016 Hennessey Venom GT.