Cars have changed how we live, and fast cars captivated people ever since. Supercars are getting sleeker and faster every year. Manufacturers are racing head-to-head in building the world’s fastest car. Engineers in Bristol, UK are cooking up a treat, or rather a threat of snatching the title from our number 1. The British are more than adamant to knock some names off this list. But we won’t be seeing Bloodhound SSC, dubbed as the next fastest car in the world, until 2017. For now, here’s the top 15 fastest cars in the world.
15. Ferrari LaFerrari (217 mph)
Ferrari’s first mild hybrid is at the hefty price tag of $1.3 million with 949 horsepower. The Enzo successor beats its predecessor at 1 minute and 20 seconds at 150 mph. It once ruled the land of exotic sports cars. The interior is custom fit for its user. This hybrid gets at least 161-hp boost from an electric motor. It’s also interesting to note that LaFerrari is the only car from the flagship devoid of Pininfarina bodywork. Expect the usual carbon-ceramic Brembo discs on the front and rear, as well as Pirelli P Corsa tires. Top speed exceed 217 mph or 350 km per hour, and it boasts a 1:19.70 lapping of Fiorano Test Circuit.
Think Ferrari is fast? Wait until you see the next car! The Jaguar XJ220…
14. Jaguar XJ220 (217 mph)
Jaguar XJ220 held the record for the fastest production car in the world until 1994, when it was beaten by McLaren F1. This mid-engined supercar was first unveiled to the public in 1988. The concept car garnered positive reactions from the public, which prompted Jaguar to start the production. They have taken 1500 deposits, each amounting to £50,000. But people were dismayed when the V12 engine, initially part of the production, was replaced by a turbocharged V6 engine.
Only 275 cars were produced in 1992 when a number of buyers chose not to continue with the purchase. Despite of the controversy and public disappointment, Jaguar XJ220 has confidently established its place in supercar history.
13. Aston Martin One-77 (220 mph)
Another one from the British flagship, Aston Martin One-77, was given a limited run of only 77 cars. It was fully unveiled in 2009 at Geneva Motor Show. Delivery started in 2011, each sold for a whopping £1,150,000. It claimed to be the world’s most powerful naturally-aspirated production car. Its V12 engine boasts of 750 horsepower; brakes were of carbon ceramic matrix-made and featured Pirelli Corsa tires.
A test run in 2009 revealed 220.007 mph or 354.067 km/h. Aston Martin One-77 appeared in several video games, including Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Asphalt 3D and Gran Turismo 6, to name a few.
12. Lamborghini Aventador (220 mph)
Codenamed LB834, Lamborghini Aventador, was made to replace the decade-old Murcielago as the new flagship model for the Italian manufacturer. Lamborghini achieved a milestone of building 2,000 cars, half of the production limit, in 2013. Design-wise, it has relied heavily on Revention and Estoque concept car. Inside the Lamborghini Aventador is a new V12 engine, note that it’s the first time a new engine was made since 350GT.
The official top speed is 217 mph, but Sports Auto Magazine gave 230 mph for Aventador.
11. McLaren P1 (217 mph)
As a long-awaited successor to the F1, our number 11 is not as fast; it also lack the 3-seat layout of its predecessor. However, it boasts greater power and performance than the old F1. This plugin hybrid sports car started production in 2013, and was strictly limited to 375 units.
Blend electric motor and twin turbo-charged V8 engine together, and you’ll get 903 bhp total power and 978 Nm torque output. Pricing starts at US$1,350,000, and if you don’t have that huge amount, the Lego Speed Champions version retails at just $17.
10. Noble M600 (225 mph)
Is it worth the £300,000 asking price? Yes, according to a TV show race driver, The Stig, who got a 1:17.7 output around the Top Gear track. The result beat the Pagani flagship model and Bugatti Veyron.
Noble was hand built in Leicestershire by just 20 engineers. It is no Ferrari but several road tests showed that it was faster than the McLaren F1, from 20 to 160 mph.
9. Pagani Huayra (231 mph)
Richard Hammond compared it to a unicorn. Pagani Huayra won several Car of the Year awards in Europe and made car nuts go wild. Top Gear magazine honored it with a Hypercar of the Year award in 2012.
Each vehicle costs $1.2 million, a dizzying number for its 230 mph capacity, which is not even street legal.
8. Zenvo ST1 (233 mph)
Zenvo stirred some controversy when it first appeared in the British motoring program Top Gear. Unfortunate events transpired, including the car bursting into flames, attributed to a cooling unit failure. Another Zenvo unit from the show successfully finished a wet timed lap, but was beaten by a BMW M5.
The €660,000-priced sports car was made by hand and runs at 233 mph.
7. McLaren F1 (241 mph)
It was the world’s fastest car for 8 years and almost unbeatable in numerous proprietary technology features: lighter than other modern cars, centered driver’s seat, track oriented powerful engine and other features that support usability and comfort.
The designers intended to create the ultimate road car out of McLaren F1, and they didn’t fail one bit. Performance-wise, McLaren aficionados still claim it to be the world’s fastest naturally-aspirated production cars.
6. Koenigsegg CCR (242 mph)
The Koenigsegg CCR was the third generation car from the Swedish manufacturer Koenigsegg, and was briefly the world’s fastest car before the title was snatched by Bugatti Veyron.
CCR reached 241 mph in Nardo Ring 2005, beating the eight-year ruling of McLaren F1.
5. Saleen S7 TT (248 mph)
America’s first mid-engine supercar and first proprietary car by Saleen, S7, is a 2-door coupe – powered by Ford 427 and 7.0 L naturally-aspirated V8 engine.
The driver’s seat is custom-fitted towards the center to improve visibility. Twin Turbo was introduced in 2005 as an updated version of Saleen S7. Maximum power was increased to 750 horsepower, and torque output at 949 N•m.
4. SSC Ultimate Aero (256 mph)
This muscle car sealed the record as the fastest production car in the world in 2007, when it reached a top speed of 267.8 mph on a public highway in Washington. The Ultimate Aero held the title until 2010 when it was bested by the Veyron Super Sport, hitting a top speed of 267.8 mph.
In a surprising turn of events, the Ultimate Aero reclaimed the title in 2013, after the Guinness Book of World Record disqualified the Veyron Super Sport due to official rule violations. The Veyron unit tested was said to have a disabled speed limiter at the time of testing.
3. 9ff GT9-R Porsche (254 mph)
With a top speed of 254 mph, this sports car was faster than the Bugatti Veyron, but lagged behind the SSC Ultimate Aero and Veyron Super Sport.
The interior was stripped out to enhance lightness, and looked rather basic than the original Porsche 911 where is was loosely based. Asking price ranged from £150,000 to £540,000.
2. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (268 mph)
It caught everyone’s attention when it first came out. More so when it set the record as the fastest production car in the world. It won Car of the Decade Award by Top Gear, sharing the fame with the original Bugatti Veyron, winner of the Best Car Driven All Year award.
After the Guinness Book World record controversy in 2013, with Shelby Supercars announcing its reclamation of the title, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is still recognized as title holder by Guinness.
1. Hennessey Venom GT (270 mph)
The supercar that busted the Bugatti Veyron’s speed record is a Texas-based baby. Boasting 1,244 hp 7.0 L twin turbocharged V8 engine, it looks like the Venom GT will keep the title for a while – until Venom F5 comes out.
The Hennessey recorded a top speed of 265.7 at Naval Air Station Lemoore, and a top speed of 270.49 mph was verified in Kennedy Space Center last year. Although Guinness Book Word Records doesn’t recognize the Hennessey (because minimum 30 units is needed to be a qualifier), numbers don’t lie and up to this day, it’s still the world’s fastest car ever built.
