Blackbird
Revealed on August 3, 2026, the Hennessey Blackbird is an American hypercar announced around a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 developed with Ilmor Engineering. Hennessey is targeting between 800 and 850 bhp, sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. The project differs from the Venom F5 by placing less emphasis on maximum output and more on mechanical response, low mass, and driver involvement. Hennessey has also announced a planned production run of 71 cars, a target weight below 3,000 lb, and an estimated top speed of 220 mph. The Blackbird should still be treated as an announced and planned model rather than an established production car: customer availability is expected later, and final specifications may change before deliveries begin.
Variants by year
2026
Model summary
Data from the ScanRacer library, organized to compare versions quickly.
Model introduction
Revealed on August 3, 2026, the Hennessey Blackbird is an American hypercar announced around a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 developed with Ilmor Engineering. Hennessey is targeting between 800 and 850 bhp, sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. The project differs from the Venom F5 by placing less emphasis on maximum output and more on mechanical response, low mass, and driver involvement. Hennessey has also announced a planned production run of 71 cars, a target weight below 3,000 lb, and an estimated top speed of 220 mph. The Blackbird should still be treated as an announced and planned model rather than an established production car: customer availability is expected later, and final specifications may change before deliveries begin.
History
The Blackbird enters Hennessey’s product strategy as a third purpose-built hypercar after the Venom GT and the Venom F5 family. Before its official presentation, the project was teased under the codename Project Overlord, with a reveal scheduled for August 3, 2026. Early reports described it as an American interpretation of the Porsche Carrera GT, largely because of its naturally aspirated engine and manual transmission. The public reveal confirmed a more analogue direction than the Venom F5, whose 6.6-liter twin-turbo Fury V8 is designed around substantially higher power figures. The Blackbird name refers to the Lockheed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, whose shapes and tail surfaces influenced several parts of the bodywork. The moving vertical rear fins are the clearest visual reference. Hennessey has announced a planned run of 71 cars and an approximate price of $2.5 million before taxes. As of the research date, these details describe a future program rather than a vehicle already delivered to customers. Final production timing, certification, and technical specifications therefore remain subject to confirmation.
Generations
No generational succession has been documented for the Hennessey Blackbird. The model was presented in 2026 as a separate project, with an architecture and philosophy distinct from the Venom GT and Venom F5. In the ScanRacer classification currently available, the name is associated with one period only: 2026, with a single Base variant. That period should be interpreted cautiously. The Blackbird was revealed as a car intended for future production, and public reports still describe several specifications as targets rather than as final delivered-vehicle data. It is therefore too early to divide the model into multiple generations, facelifts, or phases. No year-by-year changes to the engine, transmission, bodywork, or market availability have been confirmed. The 2026 entry should consequently be understood as the first documented period and a library classification, not proof that a complete run of 2026 production cars already exists. A later update can separate a launch version, technical evolution, or special series only when Hennessey provides sufficiently specific supporting information.
Key differences
The Blackbird is primarily distinguished from the Venom F5 by its technical recipe. It is announced with a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8, without turbochargers or hybrid assistance, whereas the Venom F5 uses a 6.6-liter twin-turbo Fury V8. The Blackbird also uses a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, with a lower target output of approximately 800 to 850 bhp. Its cabin emphasizes physical controls and a screen-free layout rather than a fully digital presentation. The design is more explicitly aviation-inspired, particularly through its moving rear fins based on the SR-71. It should not be confused with the official Hennessey Blackbird SUV, a Cadillac Escalade-V conversion rated at 1,005 bhp: that is a separate vehicle using the same name.
Photo recognition
The Blackbird can first be identified by its very low, elongated shape, carbon-fiber surfaces, and visual references to the Lockheed SR-71. Its most distinctive feature is the pair of vertical fins mounted above the rear section, with movement reportedly beginning at 71 mph. The front combines four-element headlamps arranged in a diamond pattern with a large splitter and side forms intended to suggest an aircraft fuselage. At the rear, the car uses a longtail-style profile, a small wing, four exhaust outlets, and lamps designed around an afterburner-like theme. Inside, look for three instruments ahead of the driver, a central tachometer, a physical ignition key, and a cabin with very limited screen use. These identification points describe the car revealed in 2026 and may differ on eventual customer vehicles. Since production has not yet been fully documented, photographs of prototypes or display cars should not automatically be treated as proof of final specification.
Important versions
Only one version is currently documented in the ScanRacer context: Blackbird Base, associated with the 2026 year. Published information does not identify a separate engine variant, open-top body, track derivative, or officially distinct special series. The announced figures—6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8, 800 to 850 bhp, six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and a planned run of 71 cars—appear to describe the project’s general configuration rather than a fully published model range. The Base label should therefore be understood as a library category pending a more complete commercial nomenclature. A future version should be added only when Hennessey confirms a clearly identifiable technical or bodywork difference.
References
- Manual 'box, RWD, and the most powerful nat-asp V8 in the world: meet the Hennessey BlackbirdTop Gear
- Hennessey BlackbirdHennessey Performance
- https://www.zero2turbo.com/2026/08/new-hennessey-blackbird-is-a-manual-v8-hypercar-built-for-driverszero2turbo.com
- https://us.auto-mania.fr/enthusiast-classic-cars-us/hennessey-blackbird-a-manual-v8-hypercar-that-wants-to-fly-without-the-jet-fuel/us.auto-mania.fr
- https://www.diariomotor.com/noticia/hennessey-blackbird/diariomotor.com
- https://www.reddit.com/r/supercars/comments/1vepp8v/hennessey_blackbird_pure_v8_pure_manual_pure_speed/reddit.com
- https://www.reddit.com/r/supercars/comments/1vgfidv/texan_automaker_hennessey_unveils_the_blackbird/reddit.com
Frequently asked questions
- What years was the Hennessey Blackbird produced?
- ScanRacer's referenced versions cover 2026.
- How many Hennessey Blackbird examples are documented on ScanRacer?
- 8 published scans from 1 member, with the latest photo added in August 2026.