Hennessey Unveils 2,031hp Venom F5-M Roadster at Goodwood

Imagine a hypercar painted in deep purple carbon, its V8 rumbling like a titan waking up. That’s the first thing you notice about Hennessey’s bespoke Venom F5-M Roadster, a one-off built for a British collector and destined to steal the show at Goodwood.

A purple beast with a manual heart

Under the sculpted skin sits a 6.6-liter, twin-turbo V8 that produces a staggering 2,031 horsepower and 1,959 newton-metres of torque. Power travels to the rear via a six-speed manual gearbox, a choice that feels almost rebellious in a hypercar era dominated by dual-clutch automatics. You get raw engagement, not just speed.

The exterior is almost theatrical. Nearly the entire body is wrapped in purple carbon fiber, while the center of the bonnet, roof and engine cover use conventional carbon for contrast. Thin silver stripes run the length of the car, and eye-catching gold wheels heighten the visual drama, giving the F5-M the kind of presence you expect from boutique hypercar brands.

One of the most striking touches is a 55-inch rear blade stretching from the roof intake to the back of the car, calibrated to strengthen aerodynamics at speeds above 200 mph, about 322 km/h. On that blade, hand-painted American and British flags in gold pay tribute to Hennessey’s roots and the owner’s nationality.

Inside, the tunnel blends purple and conventional carbon, with anodized gold detailing on the shifter and vents. Seats are carbon-backed with white leather upholstery, a tasteful counterpoint to the exterior’s flamboyance. The owner requested a 24-carat gold nose badge and the family name Sheikh engraved on the rear; the same name is embroidered on the knee pads of driver and passenger.

Price-wise, Hennessey lists the Venom F5-M with a base tag of about €2.46 million, and given the extensive personalization on this commission, this example likely sits north of €2.79 million.

During the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend, racer Alex Brundle will pilot the Roadster, and you can bet the American V8’s roar will turn heads among European marque executives. Hennessey has also confirmed that the manual transmission and the revised chassis architecture will eventually be made available for other F5 variants, including the coupe, the standard roadster and the track-focused Revolution model. To date, the company says it has delivered more than 40 Venom F5s to customers worldwide.

Is a 2,031-horsepower hypercar with a manual gearbox simply nostalgia? Or is it the last honest contact patch between driver and machine at the very edge of performance? Either way, the F5-M makes a loud, elegant argument.