He brings three decades of experience to the hypercar arena.
The automotive world is abuzz with the latest announcement from Texas-based high performance powerhouse Hennessey. The brand, known for breaking speed records and innovating within the realm of high-performance vehicles, has taken a significant step to solidify its position in the industry. Brian Jones, a heavyweight in motorsports and high-performance vehicle engineering, has been named the VP of Engineering at Hennessey. This strategic move aligns perfectly with Hennessey’s commitment to redefine speed, agility, and performance in modern automotive engineering.
Before joining the Hennessey squad, Brian Jones had an illustrious tenure as the Chief Engineer of Vehicle Development and Integration at Multimatic Special Vehicle Operations. There, he played a key role in developing iconic cars like the Ford GT and the Mercedes-AMG ONE. Jones’ portfolio also includes serving as a general manager at AeroDyn Wind Tunnel, a lead engineer at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and a vehicle dynamics specialist at General Motors Corporation. To put it mildly, Brian Jones is a reservoir of experience and expertise.
What makes Jones’ appointment truly intriguing is the gamut of responsibilities that come with his new role. He’ll not only oversee vehicle and powertrain development but will also be involved in integration, testing, regulatory certification, and production launch. John Hennessey, the company’s founder and CEO, expressed his enthusiasm over Jones joining the team. He said, “Brian is a leader who brings the group decades of automotive engineering experience with ultra-high-performance vehicles. He will help us raise the bar across all of Hennessey’s products.”
Jones joins Hennessey at a thrilling juncture. The company is gearing up to set new world records with its 1,817 bhp Venom F5 hypercar. The engineering team, led by Venom F5 Chief Engineer John ‘Heinrocket’ Heinricy, will work closely with Jones to perfect this monstrous machine. Moreover, he will also oversee the development of high-performance cars, trucks, and SUVs for Hennessey Performance Engineering. For perspective, the company plans to modify nearly 700 vehicles in 2023 alone.
With his multi-faceted role and a promise to lead both the hypercar and high-performance vehicles engineering teams, Brian Jones himself stated, “It’s an exciting time to work with a company so experienced with extreme combustion-powered vehicles.” Hennessey’s global portfolio already includes remarkable models like the new Venom F5 Revolution Roadster, which debuted during Monterey Car Week. And with Jones now steering the engineering ship, it’s safe to say the brand’s ability to wow the automotive community is about to shift into high gear.
