Venom GT sets world's fastest-car record at 435kmph

US firm Hennessey Performance Engineering's Venom GT has set the new record as the fastest car in the world  with a top speed of 435kmph during a test run at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Reaching a top speed of 435kmph, the Venom beat the previous record of 431kmph set by Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which will continue to be listed in the Guinness World Records as the fastest car in the world as the Venom could only be driven one way on the NASA landing strip.

For an official listing, Guinness requires as the fastest car, a run to be made in two directions to account for variables like gradients and wind speeds.

The Venom GT is a stretched Lotus Exige with a 7.0-litre, 927kW twin-turbo V8 wedged between its axles.

Experienced test driver and vehicle dynamic engineer, Brian Smith, director of Miller Motorsport Park, drove the Venom GT through all phases of the testing at the at the Kennedy Space Center on the Shuttle Landing Facility's 3.2-mile runway.

''I knew the car had it in it, but it's satisfying to officially validate the Venom GT's high-speed stability,'' said Hennessey CEO / partner Don Goldman. ''We're elated to have met our goals of aerodynamic stability and crosswind tolerance.''

Validating the Venom GT's performance, stability and safety at speed on such an incredible runway is why we came here,'' said company founder and president John Hennessey. ''I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. Neil Armstrong was my childhood hero. Even though the astronaut thing didn't work out for me, I am humbled to have had the opportunity to conduct our testing on the hallowed grounds of the Kennedy Space Center.''

To date, Hennessey Performance has built and delivered eleven Venom GTs to owners around the world. Each vehicle is built to order and takes six months to complete. As the production run will be limited to a total of just 29 units worldwide.

Hennessey Performance Engineering is an US engine tuning firm specialising in modifying sports and super cars from several brands like Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Chevrolet, Dodge, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Nissan, Mustang, Cadillac, Lotus, Jeep, Ford, BMW, Bentley, Chrysler, Corvette, GMC, Lincoln and Lexus. Established in 1991 by John Hennessey, their main facility is located west of Houston, Texas.

HPE focuses on mechanical component modification for creating high-powered cars. Besides performance automobiles, it also tunes SUVs like Ford Raptors and Jeep Cherokees. It also works on luxury cars like Bentleys.