Hennessey Venom GT 7.0 Twin Turbo
The Hennessey Venom GT was built by John Hennessey's team in Sealy, Texas, based on a heavily modified Lotus Exige chassis. Its 7.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 produced 1,244 horsepower in a car weighing just 2,743 pounds, giving it one of the highest power-to-weight ratios of any production car. In February 2014, the Venom GT reached 270.49 mph on the Kennedy Space Center's runway, though it wasn't recognized as an official record because only one run was made (records require two runs in opposite directions). Regardless, the Venom GT proved that a small Texas shop could build a car to challenge the world's fastest. Only 13 were produced, each essentially hand-built.
With only 13 built, these almost never come to market. Each is essentially unique. The Lotus-based chassis provides a known maintenance path. The LS-derived engine is more serviceable than exotic alternatives. John Hennessey maintains relationships with all original buyers. These are investment-grade hypercars.
Based on a highly modified Lotus Exige chassis, but shares virtually no body panels with the Lotus. The 7.0L V8 is a Chevrolet LS7-derived engine with twin turbos. Only 13 were built from 2010-2017. The successor Venom F5 is a clean-sheet design.