Supercars are well-renowned for having some of the most powerful engines under the hood. Take the Bugatti Tourbillon; it boasts a 1,800-horsepower hybrid V16; likewise, the Koenigsegg Gemera comes equipped with a 1,500-horsepower V8 mated with an 800-horsepower Dark Matter Motor. Both of these supercars are exceptionally powerful, but they get help from electric motors to produce huge horsepower outputs.
So, what about supercars that don’t benefit from electric motivation? What is the most powerful engine ever created for a road-legal non-hybrid supercar? The most powerful road-legal supercar engine sits under the hood of a rare breed of American beast created by Hennessey. This American supercar is a legend at stock level, let alone if you opt for this specific package. This Hennessey supercar boasts a twin-turbo V8 that pushes out over 2,000 horsepower without electric motors.
American Fury Takes The Top Prize: The Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution
Supercar fans all know the Hennessey Venom F5 as an absolute American beast of a supercar. There are a couple of flavors of it, and with the lowest output twin-turbo “Fury” V-8 pushing out a mighty 1,817 horsepower, it is no slouch in any sense of the word. However, compared to what the Hennessey Venom F5 with the Evolution Package can muster, the base-level Venom F5 looks positively restrained.
Over 2,000 Horsepower Of ‘V’ Power
Starting prices for the bespoke Hennessey Venom F5 are currently between $2.7 million and $3 million. For that kind of money, you get an exceptionally exclusive American supercar that can already kick out just north of 1,800 horsepower. Available Hennessey Venom F5 trims include:
- Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Coupe
- Hennessey Venom F5 Coupe
- Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster
- Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster
However, if that sounds a bit tame, and you want to play with 2,031 horsepower in the most powerful ICE supercar currently for sale, it will cost you roughly $285,000 more for the Evolution Package. There is currently no more powerful road-going non-hybrid supercar on sale. The “Fury” V8 plus the Evolution Package is as good as it gets.
The Venom F5 Evolution’s Twin-Turbo V8
At the heart of the Venom F5 Evolution is the same bespoke 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged “Fury” V-8 as found in the other Venom F5 models. This powerplant forms the core of the most powerful internal combustion engine ever fitted to a road-legal supercar/hypercar.
The Fury V8 is a beast in its own right and is both exceptional in terms of performance and for on-road usability. Hennessey and partner Ilmor Engineering created the Fury V8 with forged oval-shaped billet aluminum pistons, lightweight titanium exhaust valves, and reinforced connecting rods, paired with Precision twin turbos and an advanced intercooling rig. The results are monstrous; you get intense power and a high-revving ‘V’.
The standard Fury V8 can kick out 1,817 horsepower and 1,280 pound-feet of torque. However, when fitted with the Evolution Package, which brings optimized turbo tuning, recalibrated engine mapping, and reinforced internals, all while maintaining reliability and road-legality, power is upped to a whopping 2,031 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 1,445 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm.
|
Spec |
Hennessey Venom F5 |
Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution |
|---|---|---|
|
Horsepower |
1,817 Horsepower @ 8,000 rpm |
2,031 Horsepower @ 8,000 rpm |
|
Torque |
1,280 LB-FT @ 5,000 rpm |
1,445 LB-FT @ 5,200 rpm |
To see these numbers, you have to run the Fury V8 on high-octane E85 fuel to handle the extra output. A dry-sump lubrication system ensures consistent oil delivery during fast corners, and the precision-designed and lightweight engine construction (just 617 pounds) ensures that 0–60 mph times are terrifyingly fast. The standard 1,817-horsepower Venom F5 can reach 60 mph in around 2.6 seconds, but it is the Venom F5 Evolution’s claimed 0–200 mph times that are the real headline grabbers.
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Why The Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution Is A Legend Already
Boasting the most powerful engine ever created for a road-legal supercar is one thing, but the Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution is a legend for other reasons. Chiefly, Hennessey reports that the F5 Evolution is able to hit 200 mph in as little as 10.3 seconds. An unbeatable road-legal feat as it stands.
Only a handful of road-legal cars can reach 200 mph in under 20 seconds, and the Venom F5 Evolution outsprints the likes of other unbelievably powerful supercars like the Rimac Nevera (16.7 seconds), the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport (17.4 seconds), and the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut (18 seconds).
What Makes The F5 Evolution’s Fury V8 A Special ‘V’
Not only can the Venom F5 Evolution hit 200 mph in a reported 10.3 seconds, which, however you look at it, is insane, but it also boasts the best engine configuration for those of us who want to hold on to a bit of old-school American brute force on the road. Not many cars, super or not, offer a twin-turbo V8 on the modern market, so we take our hats off to Hennessey for honoring some American auto tradition while still making it usable on modern roads.
The Evolution’s Fury V8 is not just bolting a powerful set of turbos on and hoping; it has been meticulously designed in partnership with Ilmor Engineering, a company with decades of experience in IndyCar and endurance racing. Hennessey and Ilmor took a ground-up approach in getting the most out of the Fury V-8, rethinking airflow, cooling, and internal component strength. The twin Precision 76/80 Next Gen turbos utilized are some of the largest mirror-image turbos ever fitted to a road car, engineered for lightning-fast spool and consistent boost.
Feeding these turbos is an advanced intercooling network that boasts dual high-capacity radiators, a redesigned intake piping, and ultra-efficient heat exchangers that keep intake temperatures steady, even after repeated full-throttle abuse. Lastly, the Fury V8’s torque shaping across the power band ensures it pulls aggressively from 3,500 to 8,000 rpm without turbo lag, while the boost ramps are carefully managed to maintain traction. Combined with the reinforced internals and precision ECU mapping, you get a ferocious American supercar with serious racing heritage for the road that is as fun to drive as it is terrifying.
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The Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution As A Supercar
There is little doubt that, even outside of engine performance, the Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution is an epic American supercar in all senses of the word. It is unbelievably expensive, it is rapid, it is exceptionally exclusive, it looks the part, and it is built to be driven aggressively on the track. It is just a cheeky bonus that it can also be driven on the road.
Road-Legal But With Performance Features That Belong On A Track
The Venom F5 is already an immense supercar built like a track weapon that you can drive on the road, but the Evolution takes things a bit further. Sitting on a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis with lightweight body panels, fully independent double-wishbone suspension, and adjustable Penske dampers, the Venom F5 is made for razor-sharp reactions at extreme speeds. Rack-and-pinion steering is tuned for both high-speed stability and precision cornering, while the body’s aerodynamic design keeps airflow working for grip. It is real track-worthy engineering.
The Venom F5 Evolution adds a fully adaptive suspension system that adjusts ride height, damping, roll control, and steering control across different driving modes (Sport, Road Race, Wet, and F5 Mode). Aerodynamic upgrades come from the expert eye of Dr. Mark Handford in the shape of a redesigned front splitter, underbody airflow channels, dive planes, wheel arches, and a revised Gurney rear lip. All of this gives the F5 Evolution even more bite and precision than its Venom F5 counterparts, and makes it one of the ultimate high-priced American supercars (however, we’ve got models like the Corvette for the affordable supercar market).
Venom F5 Evolution Price And Exclusivity
The Venom F5 Evolution isn’t just about raw performance; it is a true statement of exclusivity. Hennessey has intentionally kept production limited, with only 99 Venom F5s planned, ensuring that each F5 Evolution is one of the rarest cars on the planet. Every model is hand-built in Hennessey’s Texas facility, and if you’re in the market for the most powerful ICE supercar, you can specify bespoke touches, from paint schemes to custom interior materials. Effectively, this makes each Venom F5 Evolution a one of a kind.
The serious price tag isn’t surprising considering the level of craftsmanship and rarity, and while Hennessey doesn’t publicly list every figure, estimates place the Evolution well into the $3 million range. These eye-watering prices don’t just justify the immense horsepower you get from a Fury V8, though, but also the hand-assembly, the aerodynamic grit, and the racing-derived components that go into each model. Owning an F5 Evolution isn’t just about speed and power; it is about being part of a group of select collectors who own a car that blends American muscle tradition and modern engineering precision.
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How Other Road-Legal Supercars Stack Up Against The Venom F5 Evolution
While Hennessey is working on consistently breaking the 300 mph barrier with the Venom and is arguably bringing the most old-school guts to the modern supercar market, they are not the only marque turning out ridiculously powerful supercars. The twin-turbo Fury V8 under the hood of the Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution is the most powerful engine you can get in a supercar, but there are a couple of more powerful models out there that boast either electric motors or hybrid tech that are bringing the competition straight to the Venom’s door.
|
DEUS Vayanne |
Rimac Nevera R |
Rimac Nevera |
Pininfarina Battista |
Bugatti Bolide |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Engine/Motor |
Tri-Motor |
Quad-Motor w/ 108 kWh Lithium-Ion Battery |
Quad-Motor w/ 120 kWh Lithium-Ion Battery |
Quad-Motor w/ 120 kWh Lithium-Ion Battery |
8.0-Liter Quad-Turbocharged W16 |
|
Horsepower |
2,243 Horsepower |
2,107 Horsepower |
1,914 Horsepower |
1,900 Horsepower |
1,825 Horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,475 LB-FT |
1,741 LB-FT |
1,740 LB-FT |
1,969 LB-FT |
1,180 LB-FT |
|
0–60 MPH |
2 Seconds |
1.74 Seconds |
1.85 Seconds |
1.79 Seconds |
2.1 Seconds |
|
Top Speed |
249 MPH |
258 MPH |
258 MPH |
217 MPH |
310 MPH (Est.) |
Sources: Hennessey Special Vehicles