HYPERCARS

Hennessey Blackbird Debuts As A Screen-Free, Manual-Only Analog Hypercar

08.13.2026 // 1 MIN READ // Apex

Key points

The Hennessey Blackbird is powered by a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 co-developed with Ilmor Engineering, producing 800-850 horsepower and revving past 9,000 rpm — the highest-revving, most powerful NA V8 ever fitted to a road car.
Power routes through a six-speed gated manual gearbox to the rear wheels only, with a claimed 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds.
Hennessey is building just 71 units priced from $2.5 million before taxes, with production starting in 2029-2030; more than two-thirds of the run is already spoken for.

Hennessey unveiled the Blackbird at The Quail during Monterey Car Week — a deliberately analog, screen-free hypercar built around a naturally aspirated V8 and a genuine gated manual gearbox.

Why it matters

While most of the hypercar class is chasing turbo boost and hybrid assist, the Blackbird bets that a small production run of buyers still wants an unfiltered, manual-only driving experience.

What to watch

Hennessey says deliveries won't begin until 2029 at the earliest, giving the 71 confirmed buyers years to wait for what the company calls a modern answer to the Porsche Carrera GT.

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Sources

Motor1