Late last week Texas-based manufacturer Hennessey Performance 'claimed' the crown of fastest production car in the world with its Venom GT clocking a 265.7mph (427.6km/h) run on a 2.9-mile (4.7-kilometre) long runway at a United States Naval Air Station in Lemoore, Central California.
The high-speed run was completed in a production specification and street legal Venom GT, complete with a stereo system designed by Aerosmith's Steve Tyler and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres. The run was recorded by 2 VBOX 3i GPS-based data logging systems and VBOX officials were on hand to certify the numbers, which, once announced, led to calls of the Venom being the 'world's fastest production car'.
However, there is one slight issue - according to the Guinness Book of Records, the fastest production car in the world is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which ran 267.8mph (431.072km/h) at Volkswagen Group's private test track located near Ehra-Lessien in German. Those paying attention will note that this makes the Veyron a fraction quicker than the Venom. Not that Hennessey Performance president and founder John Hennessey is bothered: "While a Veyron Super Sport did run 267.8mph, Bugatti speed-limits its production vehicles to 258mph. Thus, at 265.7mph the Venom GT is the fastest production car available to the public."
This may seem like fighting over a technicality but it seems someone from Guinness World Records Ltd. was listening, as the Veyron has been stripped of its title as fastest production car. According to Jamie Strang from Guinness:
"It has come to the attention of Guinness World Records that there was an oversight in its adjudication of the 'Fastest production car' which was set in 2010 by the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. As the car's speed limiter was deactivated, this modification was against the official guidelines. Consequently, the vehicle's record set at 431.072km/h is no longer valid."
So where does that leave the Venom GT and more importantly, the record?
In limbo seemingly - to qualify for the official record all speeds must be quoted in km/h rather than mph and at least 50 identical cars must be produced. With stated plans to produce only 29 Venom GTs it looks as if Hennessey may never officially hold the title.
And as for the current record holder - Jamie Strang had this to say: "As we are now reviewing this category with expert external consultants there is no current record holder."