Manual 'box, RWD, and the most powerful nat-asp V8 in the world: meet the Hennessey Blackbird

If there was one company likely to relinquish its deathgrip on horsepower, you wouldn’t have guessed it would be Texan manufacturer Hennessey. Purveyors of the Venom series, the current Venom F5 sports 2,031bhp and styling heavily influenced by the aerodynamic constraints of 300mph engineering - even if the cars ‘only’ manage 280-ish. They are, particularly in manual form, deliciously exceptional - and faintly terrifying.

The new Blackbird upends everything you thought you knew. It features a naturally-aspirated V8 engineered by Ilmore (Hennesseys usually feature biturbo bent-eights) with ‘just’ 800-850bhp that revs to 9,000rpm, making it the most powerful production n/a V8 in existence.

More than that, it’s got three pedals and a six-speed ‘box, and an interior that reflects exactly no screens. The engine sits in a carbon chassis clothed in carbon bodywork and weighs well under 1,400kg. So it’s light, analogue and only lacking in power by Hennessey’s own stratospheric metrics; still 200mph+, still 2.5 seconds 0-60, a couple of tenths more to European 0-62.

The big news, however, is that styling. Because this is a Hennessey that’s more about form than function, artistry and heart rather than ruthless efficiency - although it’s apparently still got the aero chops to make super-200mph a realistic possibility.

As you might have guessed, designer Nathan Malinick took cues from the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft nicknamed ‘Blackbird’ - hence the name. But it’s not a caricature. The vertical rear fins that rise up from the middle section of the rear wing are the most obvious inspiration, but they look entirely appropriate, if a little theatrical. But they add stability at speed and help vent the engine bay at speed.

The jury’s still out on whether they look better up or down, mind - the longtail profile looks particularly elegant when they’re stowed. Whatever, they actually rise at 71mph and sit at +/-71-degrees, which proves that John Hennessey has both an eye for detail and a sense of humour.

It’s definitely a departure for Hennessey. The front features a big splitter bracketed by a pair of tusks, the LED headlights swept up and onto the front wings a bit like an F5, with the four lighting elements arranged in a diamond motif. Something echoed throughout the rest of the car. The sides get a deep and architectural undercut in the sills, all the better to make the engine nacelle of the side intake pop out like the sinews of a forearm, the rear haunch the meatier bicep.

Then there are little winglets that reach towards the middle on the front and rear wheelarches, giving it some tension. But there’s fun in the creases - the sharp lines on the sides ape the fuselage of the aeroplane, but you only guess it when it’s pointed out.

At the back is a small rear wing and longtail profile, interrupted by those fins, which sit atop a quad exhaust (very Pagani-ish, but actually a shout out to the Bell X-1 experimental jet), again in a diamond motif. There are afterburner rear lights - the only bit that’s a bit on-the-nose - and more traditional aero on the lower third. But there’s detail everywhere you look, from the fretwork rear grille that allows visual access to the length of the exhaust, to the little inlets and sharp angles that stop the car from looking blobby.

It’s even more fascinating in the metal, and feels smaller than it looks. Oh, and that roof scoop isn’t actually part of the bodywork - it’s attached to the engine in true shaker-hood style. But whatever the minutiae, Hennessey wanted something ‘timeless and beautiful’ - and the Blackbird proves that it isn’t just Europeans who can manage that aesthetic.

The real surprise is probably that the company is pitching the Blackbird as ‘touring focussed’. Doors are gullwing and wide. There are four - count ‘em - four cupholders. There’s space for a pair of standard flight cases in the frunk, space behind the front seats and more storage in the rear haunches - like a Mclaren F1.

The interior is elegant, featuring slim, touring style seats without the big bolsters of the racier stuff. There’s a triplet of dials in front of the driver - the middle one is a big revcounter - a physical key, and a pleasingly minimal vibe. But it’s still got that detail - the front of the dash features a stylised 3D-pop-up of an SR-71 ejecting itself from the front of the car.

There’s a ‘Whiskey compass’ on the dash - which is just a traditional compass and a nod to old-school navigation. But the ‘whiskey’ part comes from pilot slang for a traditional, liquid-filled magnetic backup; the bulb of which was filled with alcohol to prevent freezing back when aeroplanes didn’t have very good HVAC, and a subtle nod to the aviation inspiration.

There’s also talk of a dash-top timepiece, possibly one you can liberate from the car and wear on your wrist, á la the Parmigiani Fleurier Tourbillon that graced the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept of 2009. Or the Audemars Piguet in the Veyron F.K.P Hommage of 2025. Niche, sophisticated inspiration. After that, there’s a central spar that houses other buttons for various functions, terminating in the delicious potential of that manual ‘box. But it’s a calm, considered environment rather than a glowing datacentre.

Underneath, there’ll be adaptive suspension, Michelin Cup2s, ABS and traction control (and a backup camera), but no Level X hands-free or stop/start. And it’ll be the better for it - more of an edit of what you might want, rather than a edict from governmental draconia. No it won’t be available for a couple of years, and yes, it’s expensive at $2.5million dollars. But there will only ever be 71 of these things, natch.

So this is Hennessey accepting that the relentless pursuit of top speed and acceleration from internal combustion has reached a nadir. EV horsepower is just too cheap. Instead there’s a pivot to a car that promises more engagement, beauty, inspiration and emotion. More involvement than just the stats. It’s the dawn of a new-but-old-school era for hypercars with more soul than speed. And it’s come from the most unlikely of directions.

Price: $2.5million (+local taxes)
Engine: 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8
Power: 800-850bhp, n/a lb ft, 9,000rpm redline
Transmission: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds, 220mph top speed
Weight: Sub-3,000lb (1,360kg)