A test driver for supercar maker Hennessey walked away from a 250-mph crash involving a Venom F5 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida earlier this month, the company’s founder said in a statement published to Instagram on Saturday.
John Hennessey said his team was testing a new aerodynamic setup for the F5, an 1,817-horsepower supercar released in 2020, when the car lost downforce at 250 mph, causing the test driver to lose control. Amazingly, the driver walked away from the crash without any injuries.
A cause for the crash has not been determined. Hennessey says his team is working to analyze the data to figure out the root cause of the incident.
“I am very grateful to our team of engineers and technicians who have designed and built an amazingly strong vehicle,” Hennessey said in a statement. “We are also very thankful to the first responders and staff at KSC for their quick response to ensure everyone’s safety.”
Hennessey touts the Venom F5 as the fastest production vehicle on the planet, capable of a claimed top speed of 311 mph. No attempt to reach that speed has been recorded as of this writing, however. The company did not give a reason for the new aero testing, though considering the location of the test, we suspect the aero was meant to help improve straight-line speed.
There’s no word on the condition of the test car or the nature of the crash, nor do we have a timeline for Hennessey’s top-speed test. Hopefully the damage isn’t too bad; we’re dying to see an American car break the 300-mph barrier.