Hennessey Venom GT Spyder sets blistering world's fastest convertible speed record

No supercar/hypercar manufacturer in recent history has held such a tight hold on the top speed stakes as Bugatti. Barring a few swipes from other boutique manufacturers like Koenigsegg and SSC North America, the Veyron – and its numerous iterations – has always been the top dog when it comes to straight-line speed in the 21^st century. The latest swipe for one of the outgoing hypercar’s crowning achievements comes in the form of another American manufacturer, Hennessey.

Love them or hate them, you must have heard of tuner John Hennessey’s manic creations before. While some automotive circles are content to dismiss them as nothing more than souped-up Lotuses, there’s no denying the fact that Hennessey has time and again moved the goalposts forward with his tuning skills.

This time round, the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder, the convertible version of the Venom GT, has unofficially laid claim to the title of the world’s fastest convertible after hitting 427.4 kilometres per hour down the 4.6-kilometre long runway at US Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. That's a full 17 kmph faster than the mark set by the open top Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse in 2013. The 1,451 horsepower record-busting car was piloted by Ford Performance Racing School director Brian Smith.

It is also noteworthy that Hennessey set an unofficial 435.31-kmph production car speed record in the coupe version two years ago.

But why unofficial, in both instances? Because it was only an one-way run which means it doesn't qualify for the Guinness World Records but Hennessey is also quick to point out that the Bugatti's open top record wasn't ratified by GWR either. Instead, Hennessey said that the run was confirmed by speed testing firm Racelogic.

"I thought that this would be a special way to celebrate 25 years of making fast cars faster," said John Hennessey, referencing the company's 25th anniversary taking place this year. "I've wanted to test the top speed of our Venom GT Spyder, without the roof, ever since our coupe ran 270.4 mph on the Space Shuttle landing runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in 2014. This was a great way to validate the technical excellence of our car which includes high-speed stability with an open roof."

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To commemorate this achievement, Hennessey will build three Venom GT Spyder "World Record Editions" with a price tag of US$1.3 million apiece before taxes. Beyond a world record pedigree, each car will boast a 7.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that is capable of sprinting to 96 kmph from standstill in under 2.4 seconds.

Watch the record-setting video here.