In a hypercar world increasingly defined by dual-clutch shift speed, hybrid deployment and layers of software, Hennessey has taken a deliberately mechanical turn. The new Venom F5-M puts 2,031 bhp through a six-speed gated manual transmission, placing the driver at the center of a car already known for extreme speed and American excess.
Set for its global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the F5-M is not simply a Venom F5 with a manual gearbox added. Hennessey presents it as a more focused, more physical interpretation of the F5 platform, combining open-top Roadster bodywork, a new carbon fiber chassis, bespoke aerodynamics and a cockpit redesigned around the act of shifting.
A MANUAL FOR THE EXTREME END OF THE SCALE
At the heart of the F5-M is Hennessey’s 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged Fury V8, now rated at 2,031 bhp as part of the broader Venom F5 Evolution update. Hennessey says that figure makes the F5-M the most powerful manual road car in the world.
The six-speed transmission uses a billet aluminum shifter set inside a precision-milled gate. It is a detail that changes the character of the car as much as the control layout. Instead of chasing the quickest automated shift, the F5-M asks the driver to take responsibility for every upshift, every downshift and every decision made under full power.
That philosophy is amplified by the open-top Roadster configuration. The Fury V8 is no longer isolated behind glass and bodywork; the sound and vibration move directly into the cabin. Hennessey founder John Hennessey describes the result as the rawest and most all-consuming performance experience the company has created.
DESIGNED AROUND DRIVER INVOLVEMENT
The F5-M carries several visual and functional changes that separate it from the rest of the Venom F5 family. The most dramatic is the 55-inch dorsal fin, stretching rearward from the roof-mounted intake to the trailing edge of the rear deck. Beyond the instant visual identity, the fin is designed to support high-speed stability beyond 200 mph and help manage airflow around the open cockpit.
An integrated roof scoop feeds cooling air into the engine bay, while the new bodywork and revised aero package align the manual model with the Evolution update. Adaptive suspension, revised chassis architecture and recalibrated engine-management systems are all part of the package, with the goal of giving the driver a clearer, more controlled way to deploy more than two thousand horsepower.
CHASSIS 1 AND THE MAVERICK TOUCH
The first production example, destined for a UK owner, debuts at Goodwood in exposed purple carbon with anodized gold accents. The car was developed with additional personalization through Hennessey’s Maverick division, including hand-painted British and American flags on the trailing end of the dorsal fin, a 24-karat gold nose badge and customer-specific interior details.
The color and detailing give the debut car a strong ceremonial quality. It is a celebration of Hennessey’s Texas identity, the car’s American engineering brief and the owner’s British connection to the Goodwood stage.
THE GOODWOOD MOMENT
The Venom F5-M will appear in the Goodwood Supercar Paddock and is scheduled to run up the Goodwood Hill twice daily during the four-day Festival. Professional racing driver Alex Brundle will pilot the manual F5-M, giving the public an early look and sound of the car under dynamic use rather than as a static reveal.
That matters for this car. A manual hypercar is not defined only by its numbers. It is defined by the timing of the shift, the weight of the lever, the commitment of the driver and the confidence required to control enormous rear-wheel-drive power through a mechanical interface.
ONLY TWELVE
Hennessey will build only 12 Venom F5-M Roadsters globally, each uniquely specified. Pricing starts at $2.65 million before taxes. Following launch, Hennessey says the manual transmission and updated chassis architecture will become available across other F5 variants, including Coupe, Roadster and track-focused Revolution models.
The F5-M arrives as Hennessey continues to expand the Venom F5 story. The company says it has delivered more than 40 F5 hypercars worldwide and will cap total F5 production at no more than 99 models. Within that family, the F5-M may be the most unlikely modern statement of all: a 2,031 bhp hypercar that still believes the most important connection is the one between hand, foot and machine.
