Meet Hennessey's ‘Venom 775’ F-150

Texas-based manufacturer Hennessey has reintroduced its updated Venom 775 – a Ford F-150-based pickup fitted with a supercharged V8 that offers more horsepower and torque than the factory RAM TRX and Ford Raptor R.

As originally intended, the Ford F-150 comes with the 5.0-litre Ti-VCT V8 but Hennessey has bolted on a 3.0-litre supercharger to increase intake pressure and add an air to water intercooler to lower the charge temperature. The fuel injectors and fuel system are upgraded, and a high-flow air induction system is installed. A stainless-steel cat-back exhaust is mounted to reduce back pressure and improve the exhaust note.

The mechanical upgrades are complemented with Hennessey’s Engine Management Calibration to deliver a new output of 775 bhp and 727 lb-ft of torque – a 94% increase in power and a 77% increase in torque. A 0-60mph time of just 3.6 seconds and a quarter mile time of 11.9 seconds are remarkably impressive.

The Venom 775 is now sitting six inches higher on 20-inch 'Hennessey' 10-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in 35-inch off-road tyres to make it even more comfortable off-road. The suspension is upgraded, and multi-piston Brembo brakes with red callipers shorten stopping distances and add visual impact. A 'Hennessey Venom' front bumper, with LED illumination, is matched to the 'Hennessey Venom' bumper on the rear.

Ferrari SP-8 is Latest One-Off from Maranello

Ferrari has unveiled the latest addition to its One-Off series, the Ferrari SP-8. Part of the marque’s Special Projects programme and designed by the Flavio Manzoni-headed Ferrari Styling Centre, it is a mid-rear-engined V8 based on the F8 Spider from which it inherits its layout, chassis and engine. The SP-8 one-off joins the ranks of the most exclusive segment in the Ferrari range, unique cars crafted around individual clients’ specifications.

The car’s name celebrates its 3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, one of the most critically acclaimed power units in history. 

For a closer look at the one-off car, it will be displayed at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello from November 16th 2023 until March 2024.

Match your Bugatti Baby II with a limited edition, hand-crafted CMC model

The Little Car Company has partnered with CMC Models to offer customers the opportunity to own a hand-crafted scale model of their Bugatti Baby II.

Customers who buy their Bugatti Baby II in one of a select few liveries will receive one of CMC Models’ limited edition, hand-made models, celebrating the iconic status of the Bugatti Type 35.

The Bugatti Baby II is built in partnership with the famous French marque and is a 75% scale, contemporary tribute to Ettore Bugatti’s original Type 35 from 1926. Fully electric, the vehicle was developed by The Little Car Company in partnership with Bugatti to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the iconic brand.

First all-electric Munro Series-M 4x4 leaves production line

Scotland’s only volume car company, Munro Vehicles, has announced the completion of its first pre-production model. The white Series-M Utility, a hard top five-seater all electric 4x4, leaves the factory in East Kilbride not long after Munro unveiled the MK_1 prototype model in Edinburgh in December 2022.

The vehicle is offered in ‘standard’ M170 170kW and ‘high-power’ M280 280kW guises and in Utility (hard top) and Truck (open-bed) configurations. 

Munro plans to expand its production facilities and grow its workforce, bringing 300 new jobs to the region by 2027. This will allow Munro to increase production from 50 vehicles over the next twelve months, to 200 units per annum and 2500 by 2027. As of now, more than 250 pre-orders for both the Utility and Truck models have been received.

Mazda rotary engine production passes two million units

Mazda has announced that the total production volume of Mazda rotary engine vehicles has surpassed two million units.

The first vehicle Mazda equipped with a rotary engine was the Mazda Cosmo Sport (Mazda 110S), introduced in 1967. In the subsequent decades, Mazda worked on fine tuning the performance of their rotary engines by improving output, fuel economy and durability.

In June this year, Mazda resumed production of rotary engine vehicles - in its production of the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV - for the first time in eleven years after having ended production of the Mazda RX-8 in 2012.

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Hennessey, Ferrari North Europe, Munro Electric Vehicles, Mazda & The Little Car Company