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Skip to navigationSkip to content 6:37AM Wednesday Apr 17, 2013 Fairfax MediaBrisbane Times Real Estate Cars Jobs Dating Newsletters More Drive News Reviews Drive.TV Photos Car Advice Car of the Year New Cars Buy a Car Sell a Car My Shortlist Faster than a Bugatti?

Date April 3, 2013 Comments 143Vote Andrew MacLean American tuner, Hennessey, claims its 430km/h Venom GT is faster than the standard Veyron.

Tweet Pin Itsubmit to redditEmail articlePrintReprints & permissions Click to play video Is the Bugatti Veyron the world's fastest car? American tuner claims its 427km/h Venom GT is the fastest car you can buy Bugatti's stranglehold on the title of the world's fastest road car has come under threat from a little-known American challenger.

Texas tuning company, Hennessey, has claimed its Lotus-based Venom GT is now the world's fastest production car after it recorded a top speed run of 427km/h at a US Naval air base in California recently.

While Bugatti's million-dollar Veyron Super Sport has officially recorded a top speed of 431km/h - and is recognised by Guinness World Records as the fastest production car - it was recorded with the car's 415km/h electronic speed limiter removed on a nine-kilometre straight section of Volkswagen's high-speed test track.

Click for more photos Bugatti has a new challenger for world's fastest car Venom GT

Company founder, John Hennessey, claims his Venom GT should claim the title as the Veyron Super Sport wasn't in the specification available to customers.

Advertisement "While a Veyron Super Sport did run 267.8 mph [430.98km/h], Bugatti speed-limits its production vehicles to 258mph [415km/h]," Hennessey said. "Thus, at 265.7mph [427.60km/h] the Venom GT is the fastest production car available to the public."

And if not, the company is confident the car will go even faster - potentially reaching 445km/h - given the same distance as the Veyron.

"While the 2.9mile [3.2km] long runway is more than enough acceleration distance for a F/A-18 fighter jet, it was far too short for the Venom GT to reach it's true top speed," added Hennessey Performance CEO, Don Goldman.

It's not as though the Venom GT hasn't already been recognised as being fairly rapid. It holds the Guinness record for the quickest accelerating production car, rocketing from 0-300km/h in 13.63sec - around the same time it takes a SS Commodore to achieve half that speed.

The Venom GT is based on a Lotus Exige chassis but its supercharged four-cylinder engine has been replaced by a handbuilt twin-turbo 7.0-litre V8 that produces in excess of 925kW and, unlike the all-wheel drive Veyron, transmits the outrageous amount of power to the ground through only the rear wheels.

Hennessey plans to build a total of 29 of the carbon fibre Venom GTs - coincidentally one less than Bugatti's Veyron Super Sport edition - each costing a little more than $1.1 million. It claims that more than one-third have already been sold in the United States.

Hennessey's position goes against the current trends from traditional hypercar brands, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren, which have all admitted the Veyron's top speed mark has become unbeatable, but also irrelevant.

Instead, McLaren believes its new plug-in hybrid P1 flagship has been designed to be the fastest car around a racetrack while Ferrari has headed down the same path with its LaFerrari.

Poll: Do you care about the fastest car in the world? Poll form

Yes, it's great to push automotive boundaries.
No, what's the point of a 400km/h car?

View results Disclaimer: These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate. 143 comments so far I would be more impressed if the body didn't look like a stretched Lotus. CommenterMighty Reds Location Date and time April 03, 2013, 4:23PM Which part of "Lotus-based" did you not understand? CommenterRelentless Location Date and time April 03, 2013, 4:46PM I agree. It has none of the refinement and sophistication of the Veyron. That's what makes the Veyron so brilliant. It's not just a seat strapped to a buggy and then fed horse steroids. CommenterBender Location Date and time April 03, 2013, 10:38PM I'd be enormously impressed if a stretched Lotus didn't look a bit like a... stretched Lotus... CommenterElise Location Date and time April 04, 2013, 5:31AM I think he gets it Relentless, but I too have a problem with this being a stretched version of an existing Lotus vehicle. Looks ok, but it looks more like something you see at a custom car show, not an ultra exotic hypercar competing against bespoke works of art from Zonda, Konegsegg, Bugatti, McLaren and Ferrari CommenterSeats and a steering wheel Location Date and time April 04, 2013, 7:07AM And of course, what any one else can do, the Yanks can do better, and bigger.... CommenterTommyP Location Date and time April 04, 2013, 8:26AM I wonder if they kept the Exige's inherent superior handling? That would be one thing it can hold over the Veyron if it did.... CommenterProblem? Location Date and time April 04, 2013, 10:15AM How the hell does making SIX vehicles qualify as a PRODUCTION car? When the military makes half a dozen new fighters, they're called prototypes - until a REAL production order is forthcoming. CommenterWoz Location Albury Date and time April 04, 2013, 11:36AM Could be worse, it could look like a Veyron! CommenterElise Location Date and time April 04, 2013, 4:54PM Why are people so stupid? I have never commented on anything before but this just made me, this is a production car it can be ordered, bought and driven by anyone who wants it bad enough. The reason they have used a lotus is because its a good base and a good car to improve. Bugatti has V.W Budgets to play with if they couldn't get it right then they really would have problems. Don't be upset just because Hennessey is kicking goals and your walking around kicking cans. Commenterggttrr Location in the know Date and time April 07, 2013, 4:52PM More comments Login to Comment New user? Sign up Tweet Pin Itsubmit to redditEmail articlePrintReprints & permissions Related Coverage Click to play video Video Is the Bugatti Veyron the world's fastest car? American tuner claims its 427km/h Venom GT is the fastest car you can buy

Click for more photos

Bugatti has a new challenger for world's fastest car American tuner, Hennessey, claims its 430km/h Venom GT is faster than customer-spec Veyron. Driving the world's fastest car 19 DEC Behind the wheel of the Bugatti Veyron, the $4 million supercar 0-370km/h in less than 20 seconds 6 DEC Lightweight with a V8: Hennessey Venom GT supercar shows startling pace.

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