One-Upper: The Hennessey Venom F5 Targets 290 MPH

When it comes to the fastest cars in the world, there's no such thing as being satisfied. The Hennessey Venom GT and the Bugatti Veyron have developed an auto rivalry equivalent to the Bears vs. Packers, except that both sides are actually competing on a consistent level (sorry, Chicago). If you look at the facts, the Venom GT is really the faster car and should have the world record for speediest production vehicle. But, by the laws of Guinness, the Venom GT doesn't qualify, making the Veyron SS the fastest. Now both sides are working on new vehicles that can outdo not only each other, but their own previous models. 

First up is the Venom F5 (yes, like tornados), which Hennessey claims will go 290 mph, thanks to a 1,400hp, twin-turbo, 7.0L V8. The car will still be based on the cut-up Lotus Exige and will hit the scales at less than 2,900 lbs. Price? More than the GT's $1.2M tag. When? It'll debut next year and will be delivered in 2016. By then, we should have a much clearer picture of that rumored 1,500hp hybrid that Bugatti is working on. 

[via Hennessey]