Hennessey Venom GT Drops Its Top

A Lotus Elise (or in this case, the higher-end Exige) with a V-8? Yeah the prospect is pretty crazy, but if there was anyone that specializes in craziness, it is Hennessey. The company has been talking for a few years about its Venom GT super car.

Last year it was unveiled in production guise, as a super elise, with a host of upgrades to turn it into a super car. Chief being its twin-turbocharged V-8 from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Three power outputs are available: 725, 1000 and 1200 horsepower. This is all in a car that weighs just 2,400 pounds.

The company builds five copies of the $950,000 Venom GT per year, and it says it has already sold two of them for the 2013 model year. Now, the company is dropping the Venom GT's top for the Spyder model. The Spyder, as always with convertibles, will command a premium of $150,000 over the coupe model.

Chief Executive Officer Don Goldman says dropping the top enhances the whole experience: "With the hardtop in place, the Venom GT offers a very visceral, raw, driving experience....with the hardtop removed, the wind and the growl of the twin turbo V8 will offer our clients an even greater driving sensation." Check out the Hennessey Venom GT Coupe (Hennessey hasn't released a Spyder gallery yet) in our gallery below.