The 30 Fastest Cars in the World, Ranked
Automakers have competed for top-speed bragging rights almost since the day cars were born.
The first production vehicle to crack 200 mph (321 km/hr)was the Ferrari F40. The year was 1987; immediately after that Italian stallion’s speedometer registered 201, the race to enter the 300 mph (482 km/hr) club began. In 2019, amid fervent competition between Koenigsegg, Hennessey, and Bugatti, the Chiron Super Sport bested the others by a horseshoe nose, achieving a staggering 304.7 mph (490 km/hr). In early 2020, a bevy of new hypercars was announced—several promising at least 300 mph (482 km/hr). Then, in 2021, SSC North America turned a claim into reality, cementing the SSC Tuatara’s spot among the fastest ever.
Meanwhile, a relatively new name, innovative Czinger Vehicles, and long-standing icon Gordon Murray have both gained momentum. And, of course, Bugatti and Koenigsegg are busy being Bugatti and Koenigsegg, with the Bolide claiming a top speed of 311 mph (500 km/hr) and the Jesko Absolut claiming 330 mph (531 km/hr).
Testing those claims has proven to be a challenge, as most tracks simply aren’t configured for high-speed testing. Further, the competition might be less relevant than ever, but that doesn’t make it any less serious for those vying for the title. (Two notes: our sole criterion is top speed, and unproven manufacturer claims are noted.)
McLaren P1 — 217 MPH (349 km/hr)
The McLaren P1 was a stunning car in many ways, perhaps most of all that it was a genuinely worthy follow-up to the McLaren F1, perhaps the greatest sports car of all time. The P1’s top speed of 217 mph (349 km/hr) was impressive, but so was its acceleration, going from zero to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and to 186 mph in 16.5 seconds. The top speed was limited because of tyre compounds, though with different rubber the car was said to be capable of going 249 mph (400 km/hr) or more. A P1 in decent shape will, these days, run you close to US$2 million.
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport — 217 MPH (349 km/hr)
The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is one of several Chiron variants, all of which are tuned for specific preferences, the Pur Sport’s speciality being handling. As a result, its top speed was kicked down a notch compared to the other Chirons and is a mere 217 mph (349 km/hr). That is less than the original Chiron’s 261 mph (420 km/hr) top speed and much less than the Chiron Super Sport’s top speed of 304.7 mph (490 km/hr), but even in that diminished form, more than enough to get your heart pumping.
Ferrari Enzo — 218 MPH (350 km/hr)
The Ferrari Enzo was announced in 2002 as the follow-up to the F50, meaning it had enormous shoes to fill. It did so with a claimed top speed of 217 mph (349 km/hr), or 15 mph faster than the F50. A lot of the Enzo came directly from Formula 1, including the carbon fibre. Its V‑12 made 651 horsepower, which was enormous for its time. The Enzo got to 60 mph from a stop in 3.7 seconds, also quick for its day but, in 2026, slower than many EVs. But those EVs aren’t Ferraris.
Pininfarina Battista — 218 MPH (350 km/hr)
The Pininfarina Battista is an Italian hypercar that impressed Robb Report Car of the Year voters so much that it needed to be put in its own category — that much better than the other cars competing that year, so much that it almost wasn’t fair, according to the voters. This is down to the Battista’s across-the-board excellence, but also what happens when a coachbuilder sits down and really focuses. The officially limited top speed of 217 mph (349 km/hr) is the last thing on your mind.
Mercedes‑AMG One — 219 MPH (352 km/hr)
The Mercedes‑AMG One is a plug-in hybrid hypercar that the German automaker helpfully named, simply, One. As in, this is the one car that matters. A record at the Nürburgring proved its cred, and the electronically limited top speed of 219 mph (352 km/hr) shows it means business in a straight line. The car is a little outside of Mercedes’ core competency, given that the brand isn’t well known for hypercars, but that made it all the more a delight.
Aston Martin One‑77 — 220 MPH (354 km/hr)
This limited-edition coupé from Aston Martin was capped at 77 units, though after an accident in Asia, only 76 examples remain. Beneath the long bonnet lies a 7.3‑litre V‑12 from Cosworth, good for 750 hp and 553 ft lbs (749 Nm) of twist. That propels the aluminium-and-carbon-fibre chassis from a dead stop to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. A series of tests by Aston showed that its steed was capable of 220 mph (354 km/hr) back in 2009.
Lamborghini Aventador LP 780‑4 Ultimae — 221 MPH (355 km/hr)
As the “Ultimae” moniker denotes, Lamborghini’s latest Aventador represents the pinnacle performance variant of an impressive supercar chassis that first debuted back in 2011. The original’s naturally aspirated 6.5‑litre V‑12 has transformed over the years, however, and now produces up to 769 hp and 531 ft lbs (719 Nm) of torque—as compared to the 690 hp and 509 ft lbs (690 Nm) of torque from the LP 700‑4 of 2011. With a more subtle exterior (at least for Lamborghini) that eschews much of the aggressive aerodynamics seen on the more track‑focused SVJ, the Ultimae also retains all‑wheel drive and an incredibly outdated single‑clutch automated seven‑speed transmission. That said, it still manages a zero‑to‑60 mph time of 2.8 seconds on the way to a 221 mph (355 km/hr) top speed. The supercapacitor‑hybrid Sián pumps out more power overall, and Lamborghini has announced further plans to transition quickly towards fully electric supercars, but the Ultimae will reign as the most powerful, purely internal‑combustion Aventador ever built. This year, the next generation of Raging Bulls should debut with an all‑new V‑12 complemented by electric motors.
Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 — 230 MPH (Claimed) (370 km/hr)
Gordon Murray served as designer of the McLaren F1, which set new standards for performance with a world‑beating top‑speed run of 240.1 mph (386 km/hr) in 1998. This was thanks to the BMW‑sourced V‑12 and advanced‑for‑the‑time carbon‑fibre construction. More recently, Murray founded his own eponymous marque and penned the svelte T.50 using the same recipe of a lightweight body and a naturally aspirated 12‑cylinder mill. This time around, the engine was built by Cosworth to displace 4.0 litres and produce 654 hp and 344 ft lbs (466 Nm) of torque on the way to a screaming redline of 12,100 rpm. Murray claims the T.50 can hit a top speed of 230 mph (370 km/hr), a bit shy of the F1’s original record. But then the T.50 has a lower‑displacement power plant, a kerb weight of only 2,174 pounds (986 kg), and significant improvements in downforce made possible by a 15.7‑inch fan that effectively sucks the chassis towards the ground.
Pagani Huayra — 238 MPH (383 km/hr)
The successor to the game‑changing Zonda, the Huayra comes from Italian speed master Horacio Pagani and is named after Huayra‑tata, a Quechua wind god—fitting, considering the 720 hp coming from a twin‑turbocharged Mercedes‑AMG V‑12. A seven‑speed single‑clutch gearbox puts down the power while delivering chunky, whiplash‑inducing shifts, allowing you to scream from zero to 60 mph in a mere 2.8 seconds.
Pagani Huayra BC Roadster — 240 MPH (Estimated) (386 km/hr)
The “BC” in the moniker of this entry is an homage to Benny Caiola, an Italian‑born businessman who became a New York real estate titan. Caiola bought the first Zonda off Horacio Pagani himself, subsequently becoming a dear friend. This iteration of the open‑top Huayra launched in 2019, after Pagani left the Geneva International Motor Show with five unsolicited deposits for a more aggressive version of the Huayra Roadster. The resulting machine features a new Mercedes‑AMG twin‑turbo V‑12, tweaked to be about seven per cent more powerful than the coupé version of the BC. The 791 hp output should be more than ample to rocket the US$3.5 million open‑top hypercar to 240 mph.
McLaren F1 — 240.1 MPH (386 km/hr)
The iconic three‑seater from McLaren was a revolutionary model from the brilliant mind of designer Gordon Murray. Built in 1993, it was the first carbon‑fibre‑bodied production car ever built, and featured a 6.1‑litre V‑12 from BMW that was good for 618 hp and 479 ft lbs (649 Nm) of torque. For the then‑expensive, now‑bargain price of £500,000, you were rewarded with blistering speed: zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and zero to 100 mph required just 6.3 seconds. These are simply mental performance figures, especially when you factor in that the engine is naturally aspirated. It officially set the world speed record back in 1998, and the 240.1 mph (386 km/hr) run remained top dog until 2005, when the Koenigsegg CCR bested it by all of 1 mph.
Saleen S7 Twin Turbo — 248 MPH (399 km/hr)
Steve Saleen set out to build a Bugatti Veyron challenger, and this street‑legal race car was the result. One of the first American mid‑engined performance machines ever crafted, the Saleen S7 was 100 per cent hand‑built. A heavily tweaked 7.0‑litre twin‑turbo Ford 351 Windsor Small Block gets bored and stroked, bestowing the handsome coupé with 750 hp.
Koenigsegg CCXR — 249 MPH (400 km/hr)
The CCXR uses the same 4.7‑litre twin‑turbo V‑8 mill as the CCX, but the Swedish company modded the power plant to run on E85 race gas, which shot the power from 795 hp up into the four‑figure range—1,004 hp to be exact. Given the CCXR’s upgraded aerodynamics package and engine, it would be interesting to see how it performs in a proper top‑speed run that’s in a straight line and not on a circular track (which is how the Koenigsegg CCR ran).
Koenigsegg Gemera — 249 MPH (Claimed) (400 km/hr)
The second hypercar from the Swedish automotive wizards to grace our list is referred to as a “mega GT” by founder Christian von Koenigsegg. That’s because it’s packing 1,700 hp, 2,581 ft lbs (3499 Nm) of torque and has four seats, each of which was designed to hold an actual human. (Thoughtfully, there’s room for the storage of one carry‑on suitcase per passenger.) The sprint to 60 mph is over in 1.9 seconds—faster than you can read this sentence.
Tesla Roadster — 250+ MPH (Claimed) (402 km/hr +)
Elon Musk launched Tesla with a coupé, so this electric Roadster is a fitting return to his roots. Only he’s turned everything up to 11. Tesla claims its 200 kWh battery pack will provide up to 620 miles (997 km) of range, while a trio of motors will propel the US$200,000‑plus four‑seat supercar to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds. With that quickness, the quarter‑mile is in your rear‑view in just 8.8 seconds.
Aston Martin Valkyrie — 250 MPH (Claimed) (402 km/hr)
When engineers from Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing put their heads together, the world benefits. The Valkyrie, or AM‑RB 001 as it was known in development, is a fantastically wild‑looking hypercar. Behind your seat, a 6.5‑litre Cosworth V‑12 churns out 1,160 hp, more than enough to compress your innards during the 2.3 seconds it takes to hammer to 60 mph.
McLaren Speedtail — 250 MPH (402 km/hr)
The rear‑wheel‑drive Speedtail employs a hybrid system good for 1,035 hp, and its sleek shape and lightweight carbon‑fibre construction is tailor‑made for its top speed of 250 mph (402 km/hr). McLaren claims it’ll take only 12.8 seconds to go from a dead stop to 186 mph, which is an eye‑watering stat.
Czinger 21C V Max — 253 MPH (Claimed) (407 km/hr)
American hypercar start‑up Czinger Vehicles aims to completely revolutionise the automotive industry by introducing the sustainable use of 3‑D printing and AI‑assisted designs in mass production. Along the way to mainstream adoption, Czinger plans to produce world‑beating hypercars, starting with the 21C, a unique 1+1 that already set lap records at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Circuit of the Americas on road‑legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tyres.
At Monterey Car Week, in August of 2022, Czinger then revealed a smoother and longer aerodynamic body for the 21C, dubbed the V Max, which reduces drag while using the same twin‑turbocharged 2.88‑litre V‑8 paired with dual electric motors. The combination delivers a total of 1,250 hp to all four wheels. With a low dry weight of 2,756 pounds (1250 kg), Czinger claims the V Max should be able to sprint to 60 miles per hour in under 1.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 253 mph (407 km/hr).
SSC Ultimate Aero TT — 256.1 MPH (412 km/hr)
SSC North America’s 2007 Ultimate Aero TT has a Guinness Book of Records–verified top speed of 256.18 mph (412 km/hr). That record has since been broken by others and now belongs to its successor, the SSC Tuatara. But that doesn’t take anything away from this fully carbon‑fibre behemoth. Power comes from a twin‑turbocharged Corvette C5R V‑8 that’s tuned to produce more than 1,100 hp and 1,094 ft lbs (1483 Nm) of torque. The rip to 60 mph is 2.7 seconds, and the task of stopping the land missile is aided by twin air brakes that pop up from the rear wings.
Rimac Nevera — 258 MPH (415 km/hr)
With twice the power of a Formula 1 car, the ability to hit 60 mph in under two seconds, and a US$2.4 million sticker price, the new Rimac Nevera should intimidate even an experienced hypercar owner. Yet the automaker’s 33‑year‑old founder, Mate Rimac, intended his masterpiece to be a highly usable, no‑fuss grand tourer. So which is it—Hyde or Jekyll? The answer from behind the wheel, amazingly, is both.
The 1,914 hp Nevera is currently the world’s fastest‑accelerating production car. And at full steam, the Nevera is far from the stereotype of a silent EV, with 1.4 megawatts actually screaming through the car. The noise adds to the drama, as much psychological as physical, in a way no other road car can match, making for a dangerously charismatic split personality worth every one of its seven figures.
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport — 267.8 MPH (430 km/hr)
Here’s yet another Bugatti, this one built back in 2010 for the sole purpose of securing the accolade of fastest production car ever built. And the Veyron Super Sport achieved it, per Guinness. From the same W‑16 power plant, engineers managed to eke out an additional 180 hp, bringing the grand total to 1,184 hp. To unlock the potential for max speed, you’ll need a second key that’ll give unfettered access to the engine.
Hennessey Venom GT — 270.4 MPH (435 km/hr)
John Hennessey’s eponymously named performance group is obsessed with power and speed, evidenced by shoehorning as much oomph as it can into production cars from other manufacturers. Then Hennessey built his own supercar in 2014, powered by a 7.0‑litre twin‑turbo GM V‑8 packing 1,244 hp and 1,287 ft lbs (1744 Nm) of torque. The Venom reached 270.4 mph (435 km/hr) at the Kennedy Space Center’s 3.2‑mile landing strip, but only in one direction. Since both directions are required for a record‑holding run, in addition to a production volume of 30 or more cars (only 13 Venoms have been sold), the Hennessey doesn’t qualify for official record books. But still, the beast has surpassed 270 mph (434 km/hr), and that’s impressive as hell.
Koenigsegg Agera RS — 277.8 MPH (447 km/hr)
In November of 2017, a Koenigsegg Agera RS, running E85 fuel (meaning it was getting 1,360 hp), was driven by a factory driver to a two‑way average speed of 277.8 mph (447 km/hr) on an 11‑mile strip of closed road in Nevada. The car, owned by a customer who suggested the feat, actually hit 284.5 mph (457 km/hr) during the record attempt, which is staggering. At the time, it also nabbed the fastest zero‑to‑250 mph‑to‑zero metric (33.2 seconds), the highest average speed during the flying kilometre (268 mph), and for the flying mile on a public road (276.3 mph).
Bugatti Mistral — 282 MPH (Roof off) (453 km/hr)
Just about any Bugatti will make the cut among the world’s fastest production cars, simply because the quad‑turbo W‑16 engine, first pioneered by the Veyron, established an entirely new era of four‑figure horsepower output back in 2005. The Veyron managed a 253 mph (407 km/hr) top speed then, and Bugatti consistently upped that number through 2019, when the Chiron Super Sport 300+ managed a 304.7 mph (490 km/hr) single‑direction run. But the Veyron, Chiron, Bolide, and others were all coupés—now Bugatti plans to take a new world record home to Molsheim with the Mistral roadster, which features a final application of the quad‑turbo W‑16 before the marque partnered with Rimac and the resultant hybridisation and electrification of future models. More importantly, the Mistral required significant revisions to Bugatti’s established design language to create sufficient downforce and engine cooling to allow for an incredible top speed of 282 mph (453 km/hr). And that’s a figure that the Mistral somehow achieved with the roof off.
SSC Tuatara — 295 MPH (474 km/hr)
In October of 2020, SSC North America’s founder, Jerod Shelby, took his latest hypercar to a Nevada desert and hammered out a run that was touted to have averaged 316.11 mph (508 km/hr). The internet, however, was sceptical and shredded that session’s data in short order, negating it. In January of 2021, Shelby decamped to the proving grounds at Kennedy Space Center for a redux, bringing ample recording devices and external groups to monitor the attempt. That trial resulted in a 279.2 mph (449 km/hr) speed on a northbound run, followed by the car reaching 286.1 mph on a southbound pass. Those (certified) results average to 282.9 mph (455 km/hr), which is more than enough to notch the SSC Tuatara above the Koenigsegg Agera RS on this list.
Hennessey Venom F5 — 300+ MPH (Claimed) (482 km/hr)
Hennessey Performance Engineering’s Venom F5 picks up the baton from its older sibling and rockets away. A 6.6‑litre twin‑turbo V‑8 pumps out 1,817 hp and 1,193 ft lbs (1617 Nm) of twist, which propels the 2,950‑pound (1338 kg) coupé to 60 mph in under two seconds. And in case you were wondering, its name is an homage to the F5 category of tornadoes, the most intense level possible on the Fujita scale.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport — 304.7 MPH (490 km/hr)
The top spot for the world’s fastest supercar goes to Bugatti. In 2019, pilot Andy Wallace drove a tweaked version of the 1,600 hp, 8.0‑litre quad‑turbocharged Chiron Super Sport around the Ehra‑Lessien track. The modifications included lengthening the body by 10 inches, lowering it, and giving it a new rear aero kit, as well as a new exhaust setup. The real heroes, however, were the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, which were X‑rayed before fitment to ensure perfect structural integrity.
Yangwang U9 Xtreme — 308.4 MPH (496 km/hr)
The Yangwang U9 Xtreme is very likely the world’s fastest production car, currently, at least among automakers that have tested their claims in conditions that are more or less believable. In Yangwang’s case, that meant runs at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg in Germany, where the U9 Xtreme reached 308.4 mph (496 km/hr), beating a previous U9 Xtreme best of 293.5 mph (472 km/hr), when it became the fastest all‑electric car in the world. The new run at 308.4 mph meant that it is still the fastest all‑electric car in the world—and the fastest production car, too.
Bugatti Bolide — 311 MPH (Claimed) (500 km/hr)
Inspired by the Molsheim manufacturer’s Vision Le Mans concept, Bugatti’s Bolide combines its fantastical X‑themed design language with the brand’s unprecedented W‑16 power plant to yield an estimated top speed in excess of 311 mph (500 km/hr). Bolstered by a lightweight monocoque incorporating titanium and carbon fibre, the Bolide presents a sci‑fi aesthetic that complements what are hyped to be otherworldly performance figures. Those specs are promised to include a zero‑to‑60 mph time of less than two seconds.
Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut — 330 MPH (Claimed) (531 km/hr)
The Swedish manufacturer’s 5.0‑litre twin‑turbo V‑8 engine is mated to a novel Light Speed gearbox that can handle its prodigious output, which can reach 1,600 hp when running on E85 biofuel. Even more remarkable about the Jesko is its aerodynamics, which in the limited‑production Jesko Attack model produce more than 3,000 pounds of downforce. Although all 125 examples of the Jesko are currently sold out, we anticipate the standard model should be able to achieve (and likely exceed) Christian von Koenigsegg’s projected top speed for it, which is 278 mph (447 km/hr). The fastest variant, the Jesko Absolut, is claimed to reach 330 mph (531 km/hr) by tweaking the aerodynamics, reducing drag, and increasing stability. Koenigsegg is expected to make a new speed run with the Jesko Absolut sometime this year.
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