Hennessey Performance (HPE) today announced that on Jan. 10, 2013 its street-legal Venom GT supercar accelerated from 0-300kph (186.4mph) in just 13.63 seconds, thus establishing the vehicle as a new record holder according to Guinness World Records (GWR).(Scroll down to bottom of this page for video of the record run.)
The acceleration time was an average of two runs made in opposite directions within one hour and validated by a VBox 3i GPS-based data logging system. VBox officials were on hand to certify the numbers as required by Guinness rules. The first run was completed in 13.18 seconds with a 4 mph tailwind. The second run was made in 14.08 seconds while encountering a 6mph headwind. The resulting two-way 0-300kph average was 13.63sec.
"We are exceptionally proud of our team at HPE who helped to make this new Guinness® World Record possible," said company founder and president, John Hennessey. "This is just the first of several validation tests designed to show the world what our special car is all about – being the fastest. Period."
A Guinness representative was on hand to witness the testing as well as to personally inspect the Venom GT before making any acceleration attempts. After the record runs were made (and officially validated) the representative was given a ride in a Venom GT to personally experience the performance. "I have never ridden in anything this fast," said Guinness adjudicator Philip Robertson. "The acceleration is absolutely amazing."
The acceleration runs were conducted at Ellington Airport, located southeast of Houston, Texas, using the seventh production Venom GT – a street-legal car that makes use of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup DOT-approved radial tires, 93-octane pump fuel, and a full interior replete with high-end stereo, air conditioning, and bespoke leather / Alcantara seats. Powered by a 7.0-liter (427 cubic inch) V8 engine fed by twin Precision turbochargers, the Venom GT produces 1,244 horsepower and 1,155 lb-ft of torque. Weighing just 1,244 kg (2,743 lbs) the rear-wheel-drive Venom GT delivers a power-to-weight ratio of 1 horsepower per each kilogram of vehicle curb weight.
"We are especially grateful to the City of Houston and the staff at Ellington Airport for allowing to conduct this World Record attempt on their perfectly paved 8,000 ft. runway," said Hennessey Performance CEO Don Goldman.
Although Guinness only recognizes runs made in kilometers per hour (kph), the Venom GT also set a new unofficial acceleration record of 0-200mph in 14.51 seconds as verified by VBox GPS. The 0-200 mph record was previous held by the Koenigsegg Agera R that required 17.68 seconds time – 3.17 seconds slower than the Venom GT®. By comparison, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (powered by a 1,200hp, 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine channeling power through an all-wheel-drive system) ran 0-200mph in 22.2sec – 7.7 seconds slower than the Venom GT.
While conducting the Guinness World Record runs, despite marginal traction (due to three days of previous rainfall), the Venom GT accelerated from 0-60 mph in 3.05sec, 0-100mph in 5.88sec, ran the standing quarter-mile in 10.29sec at 158.83mph, and ran the standing half-mile at 205.65mph. During testing done at Ellington Airport a few weeks prior to the Guinness record runs, the Venom GT accelerated to 300kph in 13.48sec while on its way to 370kph run (229.9mph) in just 19.96sec.
Hennessey only plans to build a total of 29 Venom GTs, with one-third of the production run already being sold. Thus, the Venom GT is not only the fastest accelerating production car in the world, it's also one of the most exclusive. The Venom GT costs $1.2 million plus shipping and not including options. Each vehicle is custom built to order and requires six months for completion.