Hennessey’s Blackbird aims for a full analogue experience

American supercar builder Hennessey has unveiled its latest creation – the Blackbird.

Arriving as the brand’s third new model, the Blackbird has been designed to maximise driver engagement through the use of more analogue features, including a gated six-speed manual gearbox.

That setup is linked to a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 developing around 850bhp and enabling a 0-60mph time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 220mph.

Surrounding the engine and gearbox is a carbon-fibre tub and body, which help the Blackbird to tip the scales at a target weight of just 1,360kg. Each car is built and produced at Hennessey’s headquarters in Texas, USA and every one of the 71 examples created will cost $2.5m, or around £1.8m.

Inspired by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird aircraft, this supercar has been designed around ‘the quality of connection between driver, machine, and road’ with a classic rear-wheel-drive layout, meeting a screenless cabin for a truly analogue experience.

Despite its lightweight, high-performance nature, the Blackbird has also been designed for ‘touring ability’, which is why it still gets cup holders, luggage capacity for two carry-on bags and further cabin storage. Adaptive suspension can be used to make the car’s ride more comfortable on long-distance drives, too.

However, drivers will find no infotainment screen in the Blackbird, while steering wheel buttons are also left out for a purer driving experience. Instead, there’s a large analogue tachometer as the key point of reference for the person behind the wheel.

Hennessey says that the Blackbird has been ‘homologated for key global markets’ and represents the brand’s ‘most significant engineering and development commitment to date’.