- Global production of the V8-powered Blackbird will be capped at just 71 units.
- The Blackbird targets 800 to 850 hp, far below the Venom F5.
- Prices for the Blackbird start at $2.5 million in the US before options.
Hennessey went a strange way about the Blackbird. Rather than chasing the Venom F5’s numbers, the American hypercar manufacturer built a driver-focused model that treats record-setting performance as a side effect, putting enjoyment first with a manual transmission as standard. Buyers, as it happens, have no objection.
Hennessey has revealed that all 71 examples of the Blackbird have already been spoken for. More than 60 of these were sold after the Blackbird made its online premiere at the start of August, while the remaining build slots were taken after the car’s debut during The Quail at Monterey Car Week.
Read: Hennessey’s $2.5M Blackbird Has A Gated Manual, A Physical Key, And Zero Turbos
Driving the Blackbird is a new 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 that Hennessey says will deliver between 800 and 850 hp while revving to more than 9,000 rpm. That’s less than half the power of the Venom F5’s twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V8, which pushes out 1,817 hp at 8,000 rpm and 1,193 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm. Crucially, this engine isn’t coupled to the somewhat archaic seven-speed automated manual of the Venom F5, but rather a real six-speed gated manual that directs power to the rear wheels.
Although the Blackbird isn’t quite as focused on insane performance times as the Venom F5, it will still apparently hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.5 seconds and won’t stop until it hits 220 mph (354 km/h). The custom carbon-fiber monocoque and body help keep the hypercar under 3,000 lbs (1,360 kg).
Jet-Inspired Design
As you probably already know, the car gets its name from the iconic Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and even takes some design inspiration from that plane, including the large winglets sprouting out from the rear end. It resembles nothing else Hennessey has built, and while photos suggest a shape busier than it needs to be, with a surplus of creases and curves, that clearly didn’t slow down the order book.
Prices for the Blackbird open at $2.5 million, though we’d wager most cars leave the configurator well beyond that once owners start picking exotic finishes and bespoke details.
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