The Most Expensive Gear Change
Hennessey touts the Venom F5-M as the world’s most powerful manual-production road car and is limiting it to just 12 examples, making for a strong headline and giving the model considerable exclusivity – especially as stick shifts become increasingly rare. However, some of that exclusivity may be diluted following a report that the 6-speed manual will also be offered in other Venom F5 variants.
CarBuzz spotted a Venom F5 Revolution Evo with a manual transmission during Monterey Car Week, and said that Hennessey confirmed that the 6-speed gearbox will be available as an option on non-F5-M variants. It will serve as an alternative to the standard 7-speed automated manual. The move should attract buyers seeking a more visceral connection with their hypercars. As for what it means for those who secured one of the 12 F5-Ms, the Texas-based company may have some explaining to do.
Hennessey
Beyond the Gearbox
Aside from the stick shift, the Venom F5-M also benefits from the Evolution package, which increases output from its 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged Fury V8 to 2,031 horsepower. That immense output, combined with the 6-speed manual, places the model in a rare group of modern manual hypercars alongside the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 and Aston Martin Valiant.
The silver lining for the 12 F5-M owners is that their cars still have exclusive features beyond the stick shift. The model receives bespoke bodywork and revised aerodynamics, including a unique 55-inch dorsal fin designed to improve aerodynamics at speeds above 200 mph. Its cockpit is also extensively redesigned around the gated shifter. In less tangible terms, the vehicle’s 12-unit identity still gives it collector cachet that a regular F5 equipped with a manual would not automatically share.
Hennessey
Giving The People What They Want
Hennessey said demand explains the broader availability of the manual. Design director Nathan Malinick told the publication that the company’s next year and a half of builds “are all manuals,” adding, “It’s what people want.”
For enthusiasts, that could be welcome news, especially as Hennessey has already revealed its post-F5 hypercar, the Blackbird, which will also feature a 6-speed gated manual. Automakers such as Porsche have similarly expressed a desire to keep building manuals, but customer demand must remain strong enough to support the business case.
Hennessey
