Hennessey has found a way to make the already outrageous Venom F5 even more unhinged. The new Venom F5-M is heading to the Goodwood Festival of Speed with a gated six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and a staggering 2,031 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter Fury V8. In an era when most hypercars chase tenths with automated gearboxes and electric assistance, Hennessey is going in the opposite direction by putting the driver right in the middle of the madness.

The “M” stands for Manual, and that is the whole point of this machine. Hennessey originally announced the Venom F5-M Roadster with 1,817 horsepower, but the production version arrives with the upgraded 2,031-horsepower output tied to the company’s latest Evolution performance development. That makes it one of the most powerful production cars in the world and, more importantly for enthusiasts, one of the most extreme manual-transmission cars ever created.

All of that power is sent only to the rear wheels, which feels both thrilling and slightly terrifying in the best possible way. The Venom F5-M uses a new carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and revised bodywork, including an integrated roof scoop and a massive 55-inch dorsal fin designed to add stability at very high speeds. Hennessey says the aero changes are especially important above 200 mph, which is exactly the kind of sentence that reminds you this is not a normal roadster.

The first production example is already a showpiece. Commissioned by a UK customer through Hennessey’s Maverick bespoke division, the debut Venom F5-M features exposed purple carbon fiber, real 24-karat gold accents, hand-painted flags on the dorsal fin, and the owner’s family name, “Sheikh,” displayed on the car. It is exactly the kind of over-the-top personalization you expect when the starting price is $2.65 million.

Hennessey will build only 12 examples of the Venom F5-M, and that limited production run makes it far rarer than the standard Venom F5 Coupe, which already starts around $2.1 million. The F5-M is offered exclusively as a roadster and also introduces adaptive suspension to the Venom lineup for the first time, giving owners another layer of control over a car that is clearly built to deliver spectacle as much as speed.

The Venom F5-M will make its production debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it is scheduled to run up the famous hill climb twice daily during the four-day event with racing driver Alex Brundle behind the wheel. For Hennessey, this is more than another horsepower headline. It is a statement that the manual gearbox still has a place at the very top of the hypercar world, even when that world is moving faster, quieter, and more digital than ever.