Hennessey has announced its third hypercar, the “Hennessey Blackbird.” The vehicle, which follows on from the Venom F5 and Venom GT, is not aiming to be the fastest car in the world. But the upcoming $2.5 million vehicle is still packing a ridiculous amount of horsepower and a 2.5-second 0-60 time.
Under the hood is a 6.2-liter V8 which will have an estimated 800 to 850 horsepower. That power will be ripping through a six-speed manual transmission. It was developed by Ilmor Engineering, a company best known for marine and high-performance racing engines. Indycar fans will likely know that manufacturer pretty well.
In a statement, John Hennessey, Company Founder and CEO said: “Blackbird isn’t just the next chapter in the Hennessey story, it represents the beginning of a new book. Our third hypercar, Blackbird, is unexpected by design, yet it’s exactly what I wanted to create and what our customers have been asking for. Challenging expectations has always been part of our DNA.”
The hefty $2.5 million price tag is not the main barrier to entry. Production of the Blackbird is limited to 71 vehicles, which is low enough to make a Pagani look pretty common. Those 71 examples are set to be spread across the globe, with Hennessey saying the hypercars will be “homologated for key global markets.”
With a target weight of less than 3,000 pounds, and hefty use of carbon fiber including a newly developed, bespoke, Hennessey full-carbon tub. The Blackbird is aiming to achieve a lot of its performance targets through lightness rather than overall power. Though 850 horsepower isn’t exactly weak.
Those performance targets include the aforementioned 2.5 second 0-60 time, and a top speed of 220 miles per hour. For context, I’ve driven the 300 mph+ Venom F5 and had neither the space nor skill to safely get it over 200. Hennessey itself hasn’t pushed that vehicle to its limits as finding a stretch of road long and straight enough to get it up above 315 and then slow it down safely is not easy.
So it wasn’t built to break speed records, but its 0.2 second advantage over the Venom F5 might make it punchier, or at least equal, in an environment where it can realistically be used. The manual transmission may hamper the 0-60 time a little too, as is the case in other manual hypercars. But again that shows the company is happy to sacrifice a little raw performance for aesthetics and a pure driving experience.
There’s also the uniqueness to consider. Hennessey himself explained The Blackbird’s rarity saying: “From the beginning, Blackbird was guided by a simple idea: to deliver an analog experience where beauty and drama define every moment.
This is not a numbers car. We set out to create an unparalleled emotional experience, from the first time you see it to the moment you take the wheel and feel the connection between driver and machine.”
And those looks are based on one of the most iconic planes of all time.
Like its namesake, the Hennessey Blackbird is very good looking
Lockheed Martin’s Blackbird is one of the most iconic military planes of all time. After making its debut in the mid-60s, the stealth-focused aircraft has firmly embedded itself in the national psyche. Despite being over 60 years old, it still has the record for fastest air-breathing manned aircraft.
Instead of dropping flares or having the pilot work his way through a series of evasive maneuvers, the Blackbird was designed to simply outrun any threats. And it must’ve worked as none were shot down.
Most of its airframe was made from a titanium alloy. As the Soviet Union was the world’s major supplier of titanium at the time, the CIA had to smuggle up to a third of the metal used in from America’s main enemy at the height of the Cold War.
You don’t even have to be an aerospace nerd to appreciate the Blackbird. Marvel picked it as the jet the X-Men get around in. And Hennessey has chosen it as the basis for what might become one of the world’s most iconic hypercars.
Its stabilizers deploy at 71 mph and sit at a 71-degree angle, a nod to the Blackbird’s official name the “SR-71.” The hypercar has a long stance, aerospace-led surfacing, and bodylines inspired by the legendary jet.
The overall focus of the vehicle, which centers on long-distance high-speed touring is also a nod to the operational profile of the US’ most legendary aircraft. It’s worth noting that the quad exhaust design isn’t actually Blackbird inspired, those are more of a homage to the Bell X-1.
There is one massive difference though. Hennessey’s new vehicle stands out to the point where there’s no way you’re going to fly under the radar with it.
