Form with function
Hennessey’s design boss reveals to STEPHEN DOBIE how to design a Bugatti-baiting hypercar – and how to follow it up
Ever wondered why so many supercars claim a ‘217mph-plus’ top speed? The McLaren P1, LaFerrari and Lamborghini Revuelto are just a trio of heavyhitting examples. An easy, clean conversion to a mite under 350kph is one possible reason. Another explanation, however, is aerodynamics.
“There’s an exponential increase in difficulty and complexity beyond 220mph,” says Nathan Malinick, Hennessey’s director of design. “Most hypercars can do that no problem, but 250mph and above remains very, very difficult. You have to know what you’re doing.”
His most dramatic work so far is the Hennessey Venom F5, its target to be the fastest production car in the world. Its theoretical 310mph-plus top speed (itself a neat 500kph) will outstrip Bugatti and Koenigsegg should it come to fruition, but Malinick is only too familiar with the soaring aerodynamic challenges as you try to surpass the triple-ton – at which point you’re covering a mile every 12 seconds and pushing tyre technology to its very margins. Handily, his CV includes work in the aerospace industry.