The Buggatti.
The first production car with a recorded speed was the 1894 Benz Velo that had a top speed of just 12 mph. Few verified records exist from that point until around 1950, when the Jaguar XK120 set a production car speed record of 124.6 mph (not to be confused with the tuned prototype that managed to hit 133 mph) From this point on, it became a trend for automotive publications to do their own top speed test. Even the venerable McLaren F1 was tested by Car & Driver, and in 2005 we got our first government-official speed record set by the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 and verified by German inspection officials in 2005. It was that moment when the official challenge between manufacturers kicked off, and since then there have only been a handful of cars up to breaking the record. This list covers the top 10 fastest cars in the world, ranked from slowest to fastest speed of 250 mph
One of the newest cars on our list, the McLaren Speedtail, was introduced in 2019, and it’s considered a spiritual successor to the iconic F1. But that’s mostly because it features a three-seat layout with the driver’s seat in the center. Unlike other cars on this list, the Speedtail is a hybrid, combining a twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 gasoline engine with an electric motor. McLaren says that the Speedtail is able to hit 250 mph, which makes it the company’s fastest vehicle yet. However, the British firm has yet to release proof that the Speedtail is indeed capable of such speeds.
Read our full review on the McLaren Speedtail:
Bugatti Veyron: 253.8 mph
The fourth Bugatti on our list, the standard Veyron, is the first production car that surpassed the 250-mph mark. And it did it back in 2005 when it put an end to McLaren’s long-standing record set with the F1 in 1993. The Veyron, fitted with an early version of the 8.0-liter W-16, hit a top speed of 253.8 mph on April 19, 2005. Its record stood for two years, but it was recaptured by the SuperSport version and then by its successor, the Chiron. This is the only Bugatti in our list that generates less than 1,000 horsepower. The W-16 used in the original Veyron cranks out 987 horses and 922 pound-feet of torque.
Read our full review on the Bugatti Veyron:
SSC Ultimate Aero: 256 mph
The Ultimate Aero is the car that briefly stole the record from the Bugatti Veyron. Until the Veyron Super Sport came to take it back. SSC set its record in 2007 with a twin-turbo version of the car. The Ultimate Aero hit a top speed of 256.1 mph somewhere in West Richland and held the record until 2010. The Ultimate Aero was discontinued in 2013 after several limited-edition models, but SSC is now working on a new contender for the world’s fastest production car, the Tuatara. While the record car came with 1,183 horsepower and 1,094 pound-feet of tap, SSC increased power to 1,300 horses toward the end of production. It also switched the original 6.3-liter V-8 with a 6.9-liter engine.
Read our full review on the SSC Ultimate Aero:
Koenigsegg Agera R: 260 mph
The Agera RS may be the fastest of its kind, but the Agera R isn’t far behind. Produced from 2011 to 2014, the Agera R featured the company’s legendary 5.0-liter V-8 engine, capable of up to 1,124 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque. The Swedish firm used this car to set a handful of records for production cars in 2011, but these were eventually reset by the Agera RS. Although it didn’t set a record for top speed, the Agera R was nearly as fast as the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport at 260 mph. This benchmark places it in fifth place on our list and makes it the second Koenigsegg to make our top 10.
Read our full review on the Koenigsegg Agera R:
Bugatti Chiron: 261 mph
The standard Bugatti Chiron made it on our list as one of four Bugattis. Introduced in 2016 as a replacement for the Veyron, the Chiron retains the quad-turbo W-16 engine, but power was upgraded to 1,479 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. The Chiron’s top speed is officially limited to 261 mph, which is a bit below the Veyron Super Sport. On the other hand, the Chiron Super Sport tops the list with more than 300 mph, so we know there’s plenty of potential under the hood.
Read our full review on the Bugatti Chiron:
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport: 268 mph
The Bugatti Veyron may be 16 years old as of 2021, but it’s still among the fastest supercars ever built. Actually, the record set by Bugatti in 2010 places the Veyron in fourth place with a top speed of 267.8 mph. This benchmark was achieved with a beefed-up model called the Veyron Super Sport. Bugatti built a special run of 30 cars called World Record Edition to celebrate the event, but these vehicles are limited to 258 mph to protect the tires. The Super Sport was also the most powerful version of the Veyron, with its 8.0-liter W-16 rated at 1,184 horsepower, 197 more than the regular model.
Read our full review on the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport:
Hennessey Venom GT: 270 mph
The Venom GT was introduced in 2011 and remained in production until 2017. Despite the seemingly long run, only 13 cars were built. Based on the Lotus Exige, the extensively modified Venom GT features a twin-turbo, 7.0-liter V-8 engine under the hood. Based on General Motors’ LS7 V-8, the unit pumps out up to 1,244 horsepower and 1,155 pound-feet of torque. The Venom GT hit its highest top speed in February 2014, when it reached 270.4 mph on Kennedy Space Center’s shuttle landing strip in Florida. Although the speed was higher than the world record at the time, it did not qualify for the Guinness Book of Records because Hennessey’s run was in a single direction. Also, the limited production run of only 13 cars went against Guinness rules.
Read our full review on the Hennessey Venom GT:
Koenigsegg Agera RS: 278 mph
The most powerful version of the Agera, the Agera RS, became the world’s fastest car on November 2017, when Koenigsegg hit an average speed of 277.9 mph. The record lasted less than two years, but the Agera RS still owns a handful of benchmarks, including acceleration from 0 to 200 mph, braking from 200 to 0 mph, and 0 to 200 mph and back to full stop. Unlike Bugatti, Koenigsegg didn’t build a limited-edition version of the Agera RS to celebrate the record, but the RS itself was limited to 25 examples.
Read our full review on the Koenigsegg Agera RS:
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+: 304 mph
The standard Bugatti Chiron is already among the fastest cars in the world with a top speed of around 261 mph, but the French firm wanted to set a new record, so it created an even more potent beast. Bugatti took the slightly more powerful engine from the Centodieci, rated at 1,578 horsepower (99 more than the standard Chiron), added longer gear ratios to the gearbox, and crafted a revised aerodynamic package that increases the car’s length by almost 10 inches. The modified car hit a top speed of 304.7 mph on August 2. To celebrate the even, Bugatti is building a production model based on the prototype called the Chiron Super Sport 300+. This car is limited to 30 examples, enough to validate the speed record with the Guinness World Records.
Read our full review on the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+
SSC Tuatara: 316 MPH
It’s not uncommon to see controversy surrounding top speed records, especially when it comes to breaking the once-mythical and downright impossible 300-mph barrier. It all started in October of 2020 when the SSC Tuatara supposedly hit a high speed of 331 mph, which would have made it the fastest car in the world by a long shot. It took mere hours before people started pointing out discrepancies in the videos and, sure enough, what would have been a record-breaking run just couldn’t be verified. SSC is still anxious to prove that the SSC Tuatara is the fastest car in the world, and it made a second attempt. Unfortunately, that second attempt wasn’t as good as the first, but it did set an official record of 282.6, pushing the Koenigsegg Agera RS out of the second position, leaving the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ as the current fastest car in the world. So, why have I put the Tuatara ahead of the Bugatti? Because it’s a fun twist and, let’s be honest, I would be cool if the Tuatara really did set a new record. Until then, however, the Tuatara is technically out of place
Read our full review of the SSC Tuatara
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS THE FASTEST CAR IN THE WORLD 2019?
The fastest car in the world in 2019 was the Bugatti Chiron Sport with a top speed of 261 mph. It beat out the Mercedes-AMG Project One with a rating of “at least 217 mph” and the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ with a top speed rating of 217 mph.
WHAT IS THE FASTEST CAR IN THE WORLD 2020
Controversially, the SSC Tuatara was the fastest car in the world in 2020, a record that was set by combining a one-way run of 330 mph with a second run of 301 mph, averaging a Wawa aGuinness-certified world record of 316 mph. However, this record’s validity has been called into question, so Koenigs:ddÃ