- car and driver talked to john hennessey about this latest wild design from hennessey performance, project deep space.
- it has a central driving position, but still manages a total of four seats in a diamond configuration.
- the vehicle will be priced above $3 million with deliveries to start in 2026.
we haven’t driven the production version of hennsessey performance's f5 hypercar yet, but the texas company has already announced what it is planning to build next. and even by the brand's high standards of showmanship the grandly named project deep space is outlandish enough to have us checking calendars to see if april 1 has come five months ahead of time.
project deep space is set to be a street-legal, six-wheeled ev "hyper gt" which will feature a carbon-fiber structure, a central driving position, a diamond-shaped four-seat layout, and a power output that is likely to be somewhere around 2400 horsepower. it will cost at least $3 million, no more than 105 will be made, and production is scheduled to begin in 2026.
hennessey performance has only released these two sketches to illustrate the basics of the car’s layout and proportions, but car and driver has been given both a closer look at more detailed designs and the chance to talk to john hennessey about what, if delivered, will be his company’s most extreme vehicle so far.
"i’ve been looking at electrification since tesla came out, but the biggest thing that's bothered me about evs is always the weight," he said. "they can be as fast as a dragster in a straight line, but when it comes to turning or stopping you can't bend the rules of physics . . . then i thought, what if our next car isn't a hypercar like the f5 and we accept the fact it is going to weigh something more than 4000 pounds—that maybe it could be something that carries more than two people."
the project began as a sketch on the back of an envelope. hennessey described his idea to head of design nathan malinick, with the proposal including both six driven wheels, to maximize traction, and a central driving position. this is flanked by two passenger seats, in the style of the mclaren f1 and gma t.50, but also includes a full reclinable "vvip" seat in back.
"when we realized the six-wheel configuration would give a very long wheelbase, the idea evolved," hennessey says. "what if we built the modern equivalent of something like a bugatti royale? something long, sleek, quiet, and with world-class nvh. so the rear seat will be like the executive seat in a private jet."
the few previous road cars to feature six-wheel drive have tended to do so for theatricality rather than practicality; the mercedes g63 amg 6x6 is the best recent example. but increasing the number of driven wheels does bring traction benefits for ultra-high-performance powertrains.
"we're not making any announcements on horsepower yet, but it is pretty common to be able to generate 400 hp per electric motor," he says, "so doing the math suggests a serious amount of power if we do that." if those numbers are achieved (or bettered), then the 2400-hp deep space would outgun the 1880-hp rimac nevera and even the 2000-hp lotus evija.
hennessey says the car's structure will be made from carbon fiber, and it will be around 20 feet long. in addition to its human cargo, it will be able to transport both four flight bags and four full-size golf bags, and the cabin will be accessed through split-opening gullwing doors, with the top 2/3 moving upward while the bottom section moves down. the battery will be mounted under the floor, within the space between the front and middle axles. hennessey says that delta cosworth and shell pennzoil will be helping to develop the electric drivetrain.
there are no detailed performance claims yet, but hennessey says the plan is to create the fastest ever four-seater from rest to 200 mph. nor is there any word on range or charging capacity. "we're not ready to talk about that yet," hennessey says, "but we do believe project deep space will have a range greater than what currently exists."
the first version has already been sold, after hennessey showed the concept sketches to an existing customer. "he's the guy who owns the gold car [a venom f5 in mojave gold] we revealed at pebble beach back in august," he says. "he was my one-man focus group, and he immediately ordered the first car. how many more guys are out there? i'm not sure, but i do know that in this part of the market people want to have something completely different from what their friends and rivals own."
if you're a thrill-seeking ev enthusiast billionaire who gets upstaged by your buddies, this is clearly the car for you.