Hennessey Venom GT2 to bring 1,500 hp

Hennessey

The Hennessey Venom GT2 will debut in late 2013 from Texas tuner Hennessey Performance Engineering. The already-bonkers Corvette-powered Lotus will now house a twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V8 making an unthinkable 1,500 hp. Hennessey didn't reveal the weight but says that the Venom GT2 has more than one horse per 2.2 pounds (1 hp/kg). That's race car territory. Transmission options include a seven-speed paddle-shifted unit or a six-speed Ricardo manual.

The "regular" Venom GT produces 1,200 hp. Performance numbers on that car are 2.2 seconds to 62 mph and a claimed top speed of 272 mph, with a curb weight of 2,685 pounds. We'd have to guess that this one will be faster than that.

The engine tunes cost $4,897 for 25-hp upgrade and $11,979 for the 45-hp upgrade. The custom wheels are a cool $17,317 and the exhaust system costs $6,527.

Other improvements include changes to the doors, and some added headroom with the addition of a double-bubble roof. Lotus headlights are ditched in favor of customized units while a new air dam, new hood and new mirrors change the front view. Coefficient of drag is also reduced by two clicks to 0.42.

The Hennessey Venom GT2 will cost $1.25 million when it debuts next year.

Hennessey

Hennessey

By Jake Lingeman