Since the inception of the automobile, manufacturers and engineers have been battling it out to produce the fastest and most powerful cars they car, culminating in the creation of the supercar.
These purpose-built machines turn their back on mundane qualities like practicality and economy, and instead focus their full intention of mind-blowing performance. Throughout the 1990s, supercars such as the Bugatti EB110 and McLaren F1 cracked the 200 MPH barrier; while this was mightily impressive for the day, the hypercars on our list start at 250 MPH, showing just how far technology has moved on.
Which will be crowned the fastest supercar in the world, and have we finally been able to smash the 300 MPH barrier?
13 McLaren Speedtail
Top Speed: 250 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
250 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.9 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
3,521 lbs |
|
Power |
1,036 horsepower |
|
Torque |
848 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, hybrid, rear-wheel-drive |
This super-sleek effort from McLaren almost looks like it’s doing 250 MPH standing still, so just imagine what seeing one at full-chat is actually like!
Much the same as the legendary McLaren F1, only 106 units of this hypercar will be built, and the similarities don’t end there either, because the Speedtail has a central driving position, just like in the 1990s icon. It’s clear then, where the inspiration for this awesome feat of engineering comes from, and with a 250 MPH top speed, we’d say they’ve done the brand proud.
12 Koenigsegg Regera
Top Speed: 251 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
251 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.8 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
3,240 lbs |
|
Power |
1,797 horsepower |
|
Torque |
944 lb ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, hybrid, rear-wheel-drive |
The Koenigsegg Regera manages to pip the aforementioned Speedtail by just 1 MPH, despite having over 700 horsepower more! If anything, this proves just how aerodynamic that McLaren truly is.
Regardless, the Regera is faster still, and it manages this by utilizing an awesomely powerful combination of not just a twin-turbocharged V8 engine, but also 3 electric motors – forming what Koenigsegg call their Direct Drive system. The brand have dubbed this their first ‘Megacar’, which they state offers not only impressive performance, but also supreme comfort and sublime technological advances.
11 Rimac Nevera
Top Speed: 258 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
258 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
1.7 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
4,740 lbs |
|
Power |
1,914 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,741 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Electric, all-wheel-drive |
This article is all about top speed, but can we just take a moment to appreciate that 0 – 60 MPH time?! By the time you’ve had chance to simply utter the words ‘blistering acceleration’, this EV masterpiece would already have powered from a standstill up to law-breaking speeds.
Perhaps the most interesting stat about the Nevera though, is that it smashed 23 performance records on the day of its launch!
10 Bugatti Veyron Supersport
Top Speed: 268 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
268 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.4 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
4,160 lbs |
|
Power |
1,184 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,106 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, all-wheel-drive |
With exception to the McLaren F1, this Bugatti Supersport is for sure the old-school king of high speed records, as it truly astounded the motoring world when it finally cracked the production record set by the ’90s Brit.
What’s more impressive though, is the way Bugatti’s Veyron goes about these speeds. While the old king McLaren may have astounded the world decades earlier with straight-line speed, the Bugatti does it in incredible comfort, with relative quiet, and it can access those speeds so much quicker. This is no doubt thanks to the clever all-wheel-drive system and modern adaptive aerodynamics.
9 Hennessey Venom GT
Top Speed: 270 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
270 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
3 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
2,743 lbs |
|
Power |
1,244 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,155 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Keen to show the Europeans who’s boss, American firm Hennessey set about shattering the record previously set by Bugatti, and the tool of choice was to be a 1,244 horsepower, twin-turbocharged LS9 6.2-liter V8 engine.
Sure enough, this massively re-worked Lotus Exige did indeed shatter the speed previously managed by Bugatti, although in turn it inspired many other manufacturers to go about beating their 270 MPH figure.
8 SSC Ultimate Aero TT
Top Speed: 273 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
273 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.8 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
2,848 lbs |
|
Power |
1,287 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,106 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
The Americans clearly have a favored method when it comes to high-speed supercars, as similarly to the Hennessey above, this SSC opts for a sleek design and low weight over brute force alone.
Having said that, a huge amount of power will of course be required to hit these speeds, regardless of how light or aerodynamic the car is; fortunately the twin-turbo motor that lurks within the SSC produces a monstrous 1,287 horsepower.
7 Koenigsegg Agera RS
Top Speed: 278 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
278 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.8 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
3,075 lbs |
|
Power |
1,360 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,011 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
At the other end of the spectrum, it’s clear that the Europeans prefer to produce a more complete package, as this frankly outrageous Koenigsegg will now demonstrate.
The Agera RS uses the awesome power of modern technology to keep the weight down, while clever aero tweaks such as carbon winglets and carefully carved spoilers front and rear ensure the hypercar remains stable at speeds. Just as well, really, as this monster will top out at almost 280 MPH – the last thing you need on the way to speeds like this is a lifting and twitchy front end.
6 SSC Tuatara
Top Speed: 282 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
282 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.5 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
2,750 lbs |
|
Power |
1,750 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,280 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Keen not to be outdone, SSC decided to strike back with the Tuatara – one of the most powerful production cars of all time, with a simply outrageous 1,750 horsepower!
Somehow, the Tuatara manages to lay this awesome amount of power down without much fuss, as can be demonstrated by the ferocious 2.5 seconds 0 – 60 MPH time. Of course, the fun doesn’t stop there, because if you’re brave enough (and the straight is long enough), this striking and ultra-exclusive hypercar will continue all the way on to 282 MPH.
5 Hennessey Venom F5
Top Speed: 301 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
301 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.6 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
3,053 lbs |
|
Power |
1,817 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,193 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Finally, someone has stepped up and designed a hypercar that can crack the 300 MPH barrier and go down in history forever as the fastest production car of all time, and the first to reach this fabled speed.
Mogul of motoring John Hennessey is the man behind the machine, and although currently unproven, the claimed top speed is a staggering 301 MPH. Let’s hope the wind is blowing in the right direction when the day finally comes, as we’d love nothing more than to see this underdog American hero crack the claimed top speed.
4 Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+
Top Speed: 305 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
305 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.3 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
4,360 lbs |
|
Power |
1,577 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,180 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, all-wheel-drive |
Manufacturers like Koenigsegg, SSC and Hennessey have been keen to build solid reputations in the world of speed in recent years, but thanks to the launch of the Veyron some years ago now, no brand is quite so synonymous with speed as Bugatti.
In 2019, Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace took a pre-production model of this, the Chiron Supersport 300+, and reached a simply mind-boggling 304.773 MPH (we’ve rounded it up for him today, although 304 MPH is just as impressive!).
The market for insanely expensive seven-figure hypercars has been insanely hot for years now, but just how fast can these cars get, and will we ever see a record stand quite so impressively as that of the McLaren decades ago?
3 Bugatti Bolide
Top Speed: 311 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
311 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.2 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
3,197 lbs |
|
Power |
1,578 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,180 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, all-wheel-drive |
This insane-looking Bugatti will be limited to a tiny production run of just 40 examples, and each will set you back somewhere in the region of $4 million; so what do you get for such an extortionate price?
The fastest Bugatti to date, is what you get, and with a top speed of 311 MPH, we’re thinking that’s plenty fast enough! These track-only monsters will take some beating, and by the looks of the aggressive aero, it’s likely safe to assume that the Bolide is just as quick around the corners, too.
2 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut
Top Speed: 330 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
330 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
2.5 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
3,064 lbs |
|
Power |
1,280 horsepower |
|
Torque |
1,106 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Another Koenigsegg joins the list of the fastest cars in the world right now, and this one rightfully so, with a top speed upwards of 330 MPH!
The Jesko Absolut is a sleeker, more aerodynamic variant of the ‘standard’ Jesko, designed to cut the air cleaner, and thus enabling it to reach those mind-blowing speeds. If previous Koenigsegg results are anything to go by, then we’ll bet the Jesko Absolut will reach the claimed speed no problem.
1 Devel Sixteen
Top Speed: 347 MPH
Performance
|
Top Speed |
347 MPH |
|
0 – 60 MPH |
1.6 seconds |
|
Curb Weight |
5,070 lbs |
|
Power |
5,007 horsepower |
|
Torque |
3,757 lb-ft |
|
Layout |
Mid-engine, all-wheel-drive |
While none of the hypercars featured here look plain in any sense, the Devel Sixteen is something else entirely, looking like it was designed by a gaggle of school boys! We mean that in the most positive way possible, as the Devel really is a caricature of everything a hypercar represents.
Even down to the figures – again, no hypercar is lacking in the power department, but this thing is 5 times as powerful as a Bugatti Veyron. Only time will tell exactly how fast this awesome creation can go, all we know is blink and you’ll miss it.
The World’s Fastest Supercars, Ranked
|
Devel Sixteen |
347 MPH |
|
Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut |
330 MPH |
|
Bugatti Bolide |
311 MPH |
|
Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ |
305 MPH |
|
Hennessey Venom F5 |
301 MPH |
|
SSC Tuatara |
282 MPH |
|
Koenigsegg Agera RS |
278 MPH |
|
SSC Ultimate Aero TT |
273 MPH |
|
Hennessey Venom GT |
270 MPH |
|
Bugatti Veyron Supersport |
268 MPH |
|
Rimac Nevera |
258 MPH |
|
Koenigsegg Regera |
251 MPH |
|
McLaren Speedtail |
250 MPH |
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