Hennessey Performance unveiled a hypercar earlier this month inspired by an iconic strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The BLACKBIRD is a sleek tribute to Lockheed’s SR-71 Blackbird — or as others know it — the X-Jet from the X-Men franchise. Anyway, what truly matters here is the immersive motoring experience it brings to the street or tracks.
Clients of the Sealy, Texas-based firm know that it specializes in top-tier aftermarket tuning of existing vehicles. Although the team mostly deals with American makes and models, they occasionally cater to other international badges. As for the BLACKBIRD, it’s a completely bespoke build designed from the ground up in-house.
Its foundation begins with a custom carbon fiber monocoque, alongside the bodywork made out of the same composite. We can safely say the aggressive silhouette is not only for show, but to keep this ride firmly planted even in the most demanding driving scenarios. No matter what angle you view it from, everything appears extremely aerodynamic.
For optimal weight distribution, the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated engine — co-developed with Ilmor Engineering — is mounted just behind the cockpit. Hennessey Performance completes the powertrain with a six-speed manual gearbox. The target output is anywhere between 800 horsepower and 850 horsepower at over 9,000 rpm.
The rear-wheel-drive hypercar should effortlessly reach 60 mph from a standstill in 2.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Hennessey Performance is also looking at a top speed of 220 mph. More details about the BLACKBIRD are yet to follow, but we do know telemetry and other interior elements will evoke an analog motif. Finally, only 71 examples are due for production.
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Images courtesy of Hennessey Performance
