When you think about what makes a car really useful, its speed from 0 to 60 mph isn’t the most important factor. But nothing captures the imagination like top speed. It takes innovation, technology, and design to go at such speeds that far exceed what humans were supposed to achieve.
Going fast isn’t just a matter of building a bigger engine. World record holders need to hide a small yet powerful engine under a highly adaptable aerodynamic body to harness all that power.
The list below – detailing eight production cars with the highest top speeds in the world – features vehicles that look more like spacecraft or fighter jets than passenger cars.
And that’s not all that’s on display. Stunning speeds require a lot of dynamic lateral force to prevent them from literally flying off, meaning engineers need to be creative in their designs.
They must be able to maintain stability at legendary speeds, slice through the air like knives, and keep the driver safe in the event of an accident.
Their engines are also technological marvels. In all of them, turbochargers push air into the intake ports – sometimes with pressure exceeding twice that of the atmosphere – and massive injectors deliver large amounts of fuel to match.
More gasoline may not be all it takes to keep your engine on top for long. In a change from previous decades, one of the cars on this list is a hybrid gas-electric vehicle, indicating a potential shift in the market.
The field has really changed since 2005, when the Bugatti Veyron emerged and topped speeds of 250 mph, making it the fastest car in the world. Now most of the fastest cars are designed to go over 300 mph.
Let’s start near the top, where we rank eight production cars with the highest top speeds in the world:
8. Koenigsegg Agera RS: 277.9 mph
The Agera RS held the title of the fastest car in the world for a while, after recording an average speed of 277.87 mph in November 2017. It still holds the record for the highest speed on a public road by a street-legal car, but has been surpassed by others on the track. The Agera RS is not slow; its 5-liter V8 engine generates 960 horsepower with the help of ceramic ball turbochargers.
7. Czinger 21C: 281 mph
The Czinger 21C, a 3D-printed vehicle from Los Angeles, offers a unique entry: its powertrain is a hybrid gas-electric system. A 2.88-liter twin-turbo V8 drives the rear wheels, while two electric motors power the front wheels, bringing the total output to 1250 horsepower at 10,500 RPM. It holds the record for the fastest lap for a production car at Laguna Seca and the Circuit of the Americas.
6. SSC Tuatara: 295 mph
This American car features a 5.9-liter V8 engine with a flat crankshaft for high revving capabilities. Like most cars on this list, it’s twin-turbo and has varying power outputs depending on the fuel in the tank: standard 91 octane gasoline produces 1350 horsepower, while E85 fuel pushes it to 1750 horsepower. Its drag coefficient is just 0.279, meaning it glides through the air like a fish in water. It was pushed to a speed of 295 mph over a distance of 2.3 miles at the Space Launch and Landing Facility in Florida in 2022.
5. Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster: Over 300 mph
At a speed
With a maximum capability of over 300 mph, we now enter a new era of supercars – or hyper-speed cars, or mega cars, depending on the manufacturer’s promotional materials. No matter how you slice it, a Texas-built Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster might just blow your hat off while you’re driving over 300 mph. With a carbon fiber structure and a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the Venom F5 produces 1,817 horsepower at 8,000 rpm.
4. Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+: 304 mph
France may not be the first place you think of when considering the fastest cars in the world, but the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ has recorded a speed just over 304 mph. Its 8-liter W16 engine features four turbochargers and a water-to-air cooling system feeding 1,600 horsepower through a seven-speed transmission.
3. SP Automotive Chaos: 310 mph
Greece may be the least likely place to find a hypercar, but the 4-liter V10 engine producing 3,065 horsepower tells a different story. The company claims its parts are cutting-edge, such as a cast aluminum block, carbon fiber turbocharger covers, and a 3D-printed crankshaft, allowing the engine to spin at over 10,000 rpm.
2. Hennessey Venom F5 Coupe: 311 mph
Slightly faster than the Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster, the coupe version features a naturally stiffer chassis, thanks to the presence of a roof. It comes from the factory with the same drivetrain, making it one of the fastest cars in the world.
1. Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut: 330 mph
This Swedish beast is built to go faster than anything else out there. Its drag coefficient is lower by a thousandth compared to the Tatuara, at 0.278. Not only does the radical car’s structure slip through the air, but it also maintains grip on the road, with underbody panels helping to reduce drag. Its 5-liter engine is fed by twin ceramic ball turbochargers, generating 1,600 horsepower on E85 fuel and 1,280 horsepower on gasoline. The Jesko Absolut appears to stand firm, turning the world beneath it and unleashing power through a 9-speed transmission.
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