Pictures of 10 fastest cars in the world
Hennessey Venom GT (270 mph)
The combination of a Lotus Elise chassis and 1,244-hp 7.0-liter
twin-turbocharged V8 gives us the fastest production car in the world.
Depending on your definition of “fastest” and “production car,” that is.
Hennessey recorded a 270.4-mph run at the Kennedy Space Center
last year, but only in one direction. To be considered legitimate,
record attempts usually require one run in each direction. An average is
then taken to account for wind conditions.
Because of its hand-built nature, there’s also some debate about
whether the Venom GT qualifies as a production car. While it can claim
the highest recorded speed, Hennessey’s monster isn’t recognized as the
world’s fastest car by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Bugatti Chiron (261+ mph)
The Bugatti Veyron was a monumental feat of engineering, a supercar whose performance was so marvelous, Top Gear presenter James May compared it to the automobile equivalent of the Concorde. After ten years of production, the Volkswagen Group has unveiled the Veyron’s successor, the Bugatti Chiron.
Named for a famous centaur in Greek mythology, the Chiron is intended
to improve upon the Veyron in every way. Hitting 261 mph using street
legal settings, the 1500 hp Chiron is like a beast in chains. On the
racetrack, Bugatti aims to break those chains as well as the current
speed record (271 mph) held by the Hennessey Venom GT. For now, its top
speed remains a mystery to the public. Although the Chiron is built like
a racecar, one needn’t be a professional to operate it; the car is
engineered to automatically adjust its machinery as the speed increases
or decreases, ensuring optimal performance.
The Chiron will not be a mere speedster, but a comprehensive luxury
vehicle as well. Beyond a beautiful leather interior, the car also
sports a decadent sound system, with a diamond diaphragm inside each
speaker. The dashboard features high-resolution digital displays that
will adjust as the car’s speed changes, showing only crucial information
at higher speeds. The Chiron looks to be a king among supercars, which
is fitting, as kings will be among the few to obtain one; only 500 will
be released for the first generation, and they cost a staggering $2.6
million.
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (268 mph)
When Volkswagen purchased the Bugatti brand, it had one goal: build
the fastest production car in the world. The original Veyron achieved
that goal, and with a price tag of $1.7 million and a quad-turbocharged
W16 engine producing 1,000 hp, it also boasted the most superlatives of
any production car.
Yet the Veyron was soon dethroned by the SSC Ultimate Aero, so
Bugatti came back with the Veyron Super Sport. This Veyron-plus has
1,200 hp, and numerous aerodynamic changes meant to help gain a few
extra miles per hour.
With a top speed of 268 mph recorded at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessein
test track, the Veyron Super Sport is still recognized as the world’s
fastest production car by Guinness. The related Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is also the world’s fastest open-topped car, with a top speed of 254 mph.
SSC Ultimate Aero (256 mph)
Briefly, the might of the Volkswagen Group and the prestige of the
Bugatti name were bested by a car company no one had ever heard of.
Shelby SuperCars (SSC) has nothing to do with Carroll Shelby of Cobra
fame, but for a moment its Ultimate Aero was the fastest production car
in the world. It hit 256 mph in 2007, beating the non-Super Sport
version of the Veyron.
Helping it achieve that velocity is a 6.3-liter twin-turbocharged V8
with 1,287 hp. There are no electronic driver aids to help control that
power either, creating a purer driving experience for those with talent,
and a scenario for certain death for those without it.
Saleen S7 Twin Turbo (248mph)
Among performance addicts, the Saleen S7 is legend. There are
several reasons for this — the exotic styling, insane performance, and incredible tuning potential
to name a few — but much of the vehicle’s appeal is actually
historical. Produced from 2000 to 2009, the S7 was America’s first
mid-engined supercar.
It wasn’t just the first in the U.S. though; it’s one of the best
supercars ever made. Built on a lightweight chassis crafted from
aluminum and steel, the vehicle featured a hulking 7.0-liter V8 that
produced 550 hp, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds.
About halfway through its lifecycle, Saleen debuted the S7 Twin Turbo,
which brought the car’s performance to near comical levels.
Now producing 750 hp, the vehicle could hit 60 mph in just 2.8
seconds before smashing the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds. However, its
most stunning statistic is its top speed of 248 mph, making it one of
the fastest cars ever put to pavement.
Koenigsegg CCR (242 mph)
Swedish supercar builder Koenigsegg briefly held the “world’s
fastest” title before being bested by the original Bugatti Veyron. Its
CCR reached 242 mph at Italy’s Nardo Ring 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.
Despite its impressive stats, the CCR’s moment in the spotlight was
as brief as its claim on the world. It was soon supplanted by the CCX,
and then by the current Agera. Koenigsegg says the Agera-based One:1
will top out at over 270 mph, but no one has tried it yet.
McLaren F1 (241 mph)
The F1 is more than just a former world’s-fastest car. With its
carbon-fiber body, gold-lined engine bay, 6.1-liter BMW M V12, and
center driver’s seat, it just might be the coolest car ever made.
Years before it attempted to take on Ferrari and Porsche with the
MP4-12C, McLaren was known only as a successful race team in Formula 1
and the defunct Can-Am series. Yet its first road car wasn’t exactly an
amateur effort.
McLaren intended to make the F1 the ultimate road-going supercar, but
its design was informed by the company’s racing experience. The F1 even
went on to a fairly successful racing career in its own right, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.
Pagani Huayra BC (238 mph)
No sane person would ever call the Pagani Huayra tame, because with
an AMG-sourced biturbo V12 pushing less than 3,000 pounds, the Italian
dynamo is the definition of a beast. The formula can always been
improved though, and at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Pagani proved it by
debuting the Huayra BC.
Lighter and more powerful than the standard Huayra, the BC’s engine
was massaged to produce 789 hp, while total curb weight was slashed down
to a paltry 2,645 lbs. That’s effectively the same weight as the latest
Honda Civic Coupe with five times the power. It should come as no
surprise, then, that the BC’s top speed is rated at a ridiculous 238
mph.
Zenvo ST1 (233 mph)
One of the only performance cars to come out of Denmark is also
one of the fastest motorcars ever built. Assembled in Zealand, the Zenvo
ST1 exhibits the height of Danish engineering prowess, as the car
combines a 6.8-liter V8 with both a supercharger and a
turbocharger to create 1,104 hp and 1,054 lb-ft. All of that power goes
straight to the rear wheels, making the ST1 a handful for anyone outside
of the professional racing scene. If you can get the tires locked up,
though, the bullish coupe will shock you with raw ability.
Flat out, the ST1 is capable of reaching 233 mph given enough road,
but it’s important to note its top speed is electronically limited.
Without the digital nannies on board, we suspect the ST1 would be even
faster in the top end, which is a scary thought indeed.
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