He had it for over a year, but Bugatti’s 304mph record eventually lost its number one spot. Since October 2020 there is a new champion, a company and a name that few have heard of: SSC and Tuatara.
Many argue that the Chiron can reach higher speeds, and test driver Andy Wallace confirmed this after driving it, although Bugatti has stated that it is no longer interested in reclaiming the title of fastest car. Koenigsegg , meanwhile, will give the Chiron some worthy competition, and they’ve confirmed that the Jesko Absolute is the fastest car they’ll ever make, though they haven’t had a chance to test it on the track yet. Although 330 mph is “theoretically” possible, it is much easier said than done.
Until that happens, what follows are the 10 fastest cars in the world . We must add the word “production” here, as we do not include dragsters , rally cars or custom one-offs. We also try to limit our selection to those with top speeds recognized as legitimate by the automotive media and sanctioning groups.
1- SSC Tuatara (316 mph – 508.55 km/h)
Founded in 1998, the Washington-based Shelby Super Cars Company (SSC) is the current top speed record holder. Test driver Oliver Webb averaged 316.11 mph (Guinness certified) on a closed stretch of Route 160 in rural Nevada. He hit 301.07 mph during his first foray and raised his mark to 331.15 mph on his return; his record was obtained by averaging both routes. What’s more impressive is that the Tuatara was equipped with street tires and used no racing fuel.
Power from the world’s \\\comes from a 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that makes 1,750 hp when burning E85, or 1,350 hp using 91-octane fuel. The car reached a weight of around 2,750 pounds.
2- Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ (304 mph – 489.24 km/h)
The second fastest car in the world is the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. British driver Andy Wallace reached 304 mph (489.24 km/h) at the wheel of this limited edition model in August 2019, becoming the first person to break the 300 mph threshold in a production car. Many of Bugatti’s rivals claim to have exceeded 300 mph on several occasions; Rather than talk, the French manufacturer went to the Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany and did just that.
“It’s great,” Wallace replied with a smile when asked by Digital Trends how it feels to go 304 mph.
The record car is a 1,600-horsepower evolution of the regular Chiron. It could even go over 304 mph, according to Wallace, but Bugatti has announced that he will stop chasing speed records to focus on other projects.
3- Hennessey Venom F5 (301 mph – 484.4 km/h… or so they say)
In terms of top speed, Hennessey Performance Engineering is blowing away the competition. Hennessey’s Venom GT, which posted its monumental — but unofficial — 270 mph mark in 2014, has been at the top of this list for quite some time. And Hennessey defies the laws of physics again.
All this has to be confirmed officially, but we are going to give them the benefit of the doubt, especially since we are very excited about the possibility that a “production” car reaches these figures and does not dissolve on the asphalt. With an (assumed) top speed of 301 mph, the Venom F5 breaks the previous top speed figure by over 30 miles. To do so, Hennessey worked on a new 2,950-pound carbon fiber chassis (the Venom GT is based on the Lotus Exide), to which he bolted a 1,600-horsepower twin-turbocharged 7.4-liter V8. The results are absolutely astounding, with the model able to go from 0-249-0 mph in less than 30 seconds total. But as we have said,
4 – Koenigsegg Agree RS (278 mph – 447.39 km / h)
In terms of spec sheets, Hennessey’s Venom F5 is impressive. His claimed top speed of 301 mph trails several by a very significant margin, though Hennessey hasn’t verified his numbers with the Guinness Book of World Records. Koenigsegg has done his homework before witnesses, and although on this list he gets the silver medal, in the “official” world the Agora RS is the true king of speed.
To set the official record, Koenigsegg asked the Nevada Department of Transportation to close an 11-mile stretch of Route 160 between Las Vegas and Pahrump. On this public highway, the 1,160-hp Swedish supercar at one point hit 284.55 mph during its first run, and 271.19 mph during its second, averaging 277.9 mph.
5 – Hennessey Venom GT (270 mph – 434 km/h)
Combine a Lotus Elise chassis and a 1,244-hp 7.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine and you have one of the fastest production cars in the world. Of course, that depends on what you define by “production car” and by “fast.”
Hennessey clocked in at a speed of 270.4 mph (434 km/h) at the Kennedy Space Center, but only in one direction. The route is usually made in two directions, the average is recorded and the wind conditions are taken into account.
There is also the debate about the fact that this car is handmade and therefore, if the Venom GT can fall into the category of a production car. Despite claiming to have the fastest speed on record, this Hennessey monster is not recognized as the fastest by the Guinness Book of World Records.
6 – Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (268 mph – 431 km/h)
When Volkswagen bought the Bugatti brand, it had one goal: to build the fastest production car in the world. The Veyron achieved that goal with a $1.7 million price tag and a W16-powered quad-turbo charger producing 1,000 hp. However the Veyron was dethroned by SSC Ultimate Aero so Bugatti decided to invest in the Veyron Super Sport. The result was a 1,200 hp Veyron-Plus and aerodynamic design changes in order to gain a few extra miles per hour.
It has a speed of 268 mph (431 km/h), recorded on the Volkswagen Ehra-Lessein track. It is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest production car in the world. The Veyron Grand Sport Vitec is the fastest convertible car, with a top speed of 254 mph (408 km/h).
7 – Rima Concept Two (258 mph – 415.2 km/h supuestamente)
In 2016, Croatian firm Rimac Automobili caught the world’s attention with its Concept One, an electric supercar so powerful it nearly killed The Grand Tour ‘s Richard Hammond . At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the company presented an even faster successor: the Concept Two.
Everything about this Concept Two is insane. Rimac claims its four electric motors produce a combined 1,914 horsepower and 1,696 pound-feet of torque, making it go from 0 to 60 mph in 1.85 seconds. This would make it the fastest accelerating production car in the world, electric or not. Its top speed is 258 mph, and Rimac claims the 120-kilowatt-hour battery pack will provide 404 miles of range in the new European driving cycle test standard.
The company only plans to make 150 cars (including a few for the US), and their price is expected to be somewhere beyond $1 million. Mind you, Rimac recently got the investment from Porsche, so it’s possible the German company’s technology will make its cars (a little) more affordable in the future.
8 – SSC Ultimate Aero (256 mph – 411 km/h)
For a moment, the Volkswagen group and Bugatti were overtaken by a company no one had ever heard of.
Shelby Supercar’s (SSC) held the title of the fastest car in the world. It reached 256 miles per hour (411 km/h) in 2007, breaking the record for the non-sport version of the Veyron. The speed was achieved thanks to a 6.3-liter V8 engine with 1,287 hp. It has no power assists to help it achieve that power, creating a unique driving experience for experts and a death-scenario for non-professionals.
9 – Aston Martin Valkyrie (250 mph – 402.3 km/h, supuestamente)
Aston Martin has teamed up with Red Bull Racing to develop the Valkyrie , a supercar that benefits from technology fine-tuned in the Formula 1 paddock. Although the final version has yet to be released, we know it will use a 6.5-litre V12 engine mounted in the middle, tuned to generate 900 horsepower. It’s an impressive stat on its own, but the 12-cylinder is part of a hybrid powertrain in this creation. Aston predicts that the Valkyrie’s total output will be around 1,130 horsepower, enough to reach a top speed of 250 miles per hour. In any case, we will have to wait for the final production model and see if it meets those predictions.
10. McLaren Speed tail (250 mph)
The limited-edition McLaren Speed tail is called BP23 internally, a name that stands for ‘bespoke project 2’, and also refers to its linear seating arrangement of three. Like the sold-out P1, the Speed tail is powered by a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain built around a V8 engine, although McLaren isn’t releasing any further technical details at this time.
We know the system makes 1,035 horsepower, which is enough to send the Speed tail to a top speed of 250 mph. That figure makes it the fastest McLaren road car in history. It is capable of accelerating from zero to 186 mph in 12.8 seconds.
Speed tail production will be limited to just 106 units, matching F1’s total production run, and all of them have already been sold despite a fixed price tag of around $2.2 million. Deliveries will start in 2020.
However, there is something you should consider: the Speed tail is not street legal in the United States. The 30 or so examples destined for the US market will arrive under the Show and Display rule, which grants an exemption from safety and emissions standards to models deemed historically or technologically interesting.
11. Tesla Roadster (250 mph / 402.3 km/h supuestamente)
The original Tesla Roadster was a sports car based on the Lotus Elise, and while its performance was certainly impressive, it is best known for establishing Tesla as a key player in the automotive world. The new Roadster , with its authentic supercar levels of performance, is something else.
Revealed as a surprise at the end of the Tesla Semi unveiling , the second-generation Roadster features the most impressive specs of any electric vehicle: 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds 0-100 mph in 4.2 seconds, with a claimed top speed of 250mph (402.3km/h). While these numbers have yet to be confirmed, the Roadster’s 200kWh battery pack is big and will undoubtedly take electric vehicles to another level. By the way, the largest battery you can get in a Model S or Model X is half that size.
In addition to the ridiculous acceleration and speed, Tesla founder Elon Musk claimed that the Roadster will have a range of 620 miles (998 kilometers). However, using computer simulations to get theoretical numbers is easy; We’ll see if Tesla can walk when Roadster production begins. It already delayed its production once.
12. Milan Red (249 mph / 400.7 km/h supposedly )
Despite its name, Milan Red does not come from Italy but from Austria. It’s made by newcomer Milan Automotive and appears to have been designed by aliens. It reportedly costs $2.3 million. But Milan offers reasons to convince you to spend that money on a car from a company no one has ever heard of.
Named for the Red Kite, a large bird of prey, the Milan Red is powered by a 6.2-liter turbocharged V8 engine, producing 1,307 hp and 1,303 lb-ft of torque. According to Milan Automotive, it can reach 0-62 mph in 2.47 seconds and a top speed of 249 mph.
The CEO of the company is Markus Flux, a former driver who competed in the International GT Open and ADAC GT Masters series. However, he won’t have to oversee a lengthy production run, as Milan plans to make only 99 copies of the Red.
13. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo (248 mph / 399 km/h)
Among performance junkies, the Saleen S7 is a legend. There are several reasons for this: exotic styling, performance, and incredible tuning potential, to name a few. However, much of the appeal is historical: Produced between 2000 and 2009, the S7 was America’s first mid-engine supercar.
However, it was not only the first in the United States. It is one of the best supercars in all history. Built on a lightweight aluminum and steel chassis, the vehicle featured a huge 7.0-liter V8 that produced 550 hp, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. About halfway through its life cycle, Saleen introduced the S7 Twin Turbo, which took the car’s performance to almost comical levels.
With 750 horsepower, the S7 could hit 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds before tearing through the quarter mile in 10.5 seconds. However, its most amazing stat is its top speed of 248 mph, making it one of the fastest cars around.
14. Koenigsegg CCR (242 mph)
Swedish super sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg briefly held the title of “world’s fastest”, before being overtaken by the original Bugatti Veyron. The CCR reached 242 mph at the Nardo Ring, the southern Italian test track in 2005.
The CCR was essentially an earlier generation of the cars Koenigsegg is building today. It featured a 4.7-liter V8 of the company’s own design, a carbon-fiber body, and not much in the way of electronic aids. But despite his impressive stats, CCR’s moment in the spotlight was as brief as his claim on the world record. It was soon outclassed by Koenigsegg’s own CCX, and then by the current Agree.
15. McLaren F1 (241 mph)
F1 is more than a car that was once the fastest in the world. With its carbon fiber bodywork, 6.1-litre inline BMW M V12 engine and center driver’s seat, it’s one of the most expensive and fabulous cars ever built.
Before it tried to take on Ferrari and Porsche with the MP4-12C, McLaren was only known as a successful racing team in Formula 1 and the defunct Can-Am series. However, his first street car wasn’t exactly a hobby effort.
McLaren intended to make the F1 the ultimate supercar, but its design was based on the company’s racing experience. From F1 he even went on to a fairly successful racing career in his own right, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.
16. Pagani Huayra BC (238 mph)
No sensible person would call the Pagani Huayra an everyday car. With an AMG Biturbo V12 pushing less than 3,000 pounds, the Italian car is the definition of a beast. However, the formula can always be improved and at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Pagani demonstrated this with the Huayra BC.
Lighter and lighter than the standard Huayra, the BC’s engine was massaged to produce 789 hp, while total curb weight dropped to a paltry 2,645 pounds. That’s effectively the same weight as the latest Honda Civic Coupe with five times the horsepower. It should come as no surprise that the BC’s top speed is a ridiculous 238 mph.
The Huayra BC is no exception to Pagani’s innovative wingers. Incredibly, they’ve figured out how to improve the world’s first turbocharged hyper car. They made them more aerodynamic, gave them better performance, especially the wheels, and a fresh look. However, this beauty is based on performance. There’s not a lot of extra space, so don’t expect a lot of space for amenities. A stylish, yet comfortable interior seats just two passengers in leather bucket seats.
