Hennessey Special Vehicles, the acclaimed Texas-based hypercar manufacturer, recently celebrated a significant milestone: delivering its 16th Venom F5. Marking this ‘Sweet 16’ in style, the firm’s latest production is a stunning, bespoke ‘Heritage Edition’ of the Venom F5 Roadster, which has found a new home in Houston, Texas, in the garage of VIP client Rafael ‘Rafa’ Martinez. Rafa, the founder and principal of Rafa Racing, is a renowned supercar enthusiast and collector, already boasting an impressive collection including vehicles such as the Ferrari SF90, McLaren P1 and Senna, Ford GT, and more. The latest addition to his collection, the Venom F5 Roadster ‘Heritage Edition’, is a masterstroke of design and performance.
Drawing inspiration from the 1998 Dodge Viper GTS-R Championship Edition, the bespoke Venom F5 features a striking Magna White exterior, complimented by Sapphire Blue stripes and brushed high-gloss silver wheels. If this all sounds familiar, this isn’t Rafa’s first ‘Heritage Edition’ Hennessey Venom F5 – another example was delivered to him earlier: inspired by the 1996 Dodge Viper GTS.
Hennessey and the Dodge Viper have a history of their own, as John Hennessey is a founding member of the Viper Club of America, and has a special affection for the Dodge SRT Viper, as it played a key role in the formative years of Hennessey Performance. His firm first caught the limelight back in 1997 when it modified a Viper, the Venom 650R, to exceed 200 mph, earning a spot on the cover of Motor Trend in 1999.
Contrary to many hypercar counterparts that are beginning to use electric and hybrid power to achieve similar specs, the Venom F5 is powered by a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged ‘Fury’ V8 engine, boasting an astonishing 1,817 horsepower. This raw power, combined with a lightweight carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, is what pushes Hennessey to use the car to test the limits of a 300-mph top speed. With a second Venom F5 in his garage, which is another incredibly special one-off inspired by another historic American performance car legend, Rafa Martinez has certainly accrued one of the most incredible car collections ever.
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Sources: Hennessey