Back in the early 1900s, pioneer automobile makers from Germany and America were already testing the limits of their first cars. For instance, the 1900 Tatra Rennzweier – powered by a modified 9-hp Benz engine – was built specifically for racing. Capable of reaching a top speed of 50 mph, the Rennzweier was considered a really fast car – especially compared to the horse-drawn carriages of that time.
The quest to produce the fastest car in the world has been an ever-moving goalpost for car manufacturers as land speed records keep getting pushed higher and higher. The 100-mph barrier was broken between 1904 and 1905, and the 200-mph hurdle was surmounted in 1970 by a Dodge Charger Daytona racecar. The need for speed spilled out from the tracks and onto the streets, and in 1987, the Ferrari F40 became the fastest street-legal car of its time. The Ferrari F40 was the first production car to exceed 200 mph.
Today’s fastest cars go by different names, like supercars, hypercars, and believe it or not – “ultracars” and “megacars.” The naming convention has been blurred, but the top speed target is the same: to beat the 304.7-mph record that Bugatti set in 2019 with the Chiron Super Sport 300+.
A few hypercar makers have risen to the challenge of dethroning Bugatti from its current perch in the production car category. So has Bugatti’s top speed record been broken yet? Read on and find out. Here are the world’s fastest cars today, ranked.
10. Koenigsegg One:1
Top Speed: 273 MPH (Claimed)
The Koenigsegg One:1, fittingly named due to its 1:1 power-to-weight ratio (1,360 PS to 1,360 kg), uses an F1-inspired lightweight carbon-fibre construction to maximize its speed potential. Powering the Koenigsegg One:1 is a twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V8 engine – adapted from the Agera R but tweaked to produce slightly more horses (1,342 hp) and twist (1,011 lb-ft). Dubbed by the Swedish carmaker as its first “megacar” due to the 1-megawatt power output, the One:1 could sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds and is claimed to be able to reach a top speed of 273 mph.
Performance
| 0-62 MPH | 2.5 sec |
| Top Speed | 273 mph |
| Curb Weight | 2,998.3 lbs |
| Power | 1,342 hp |
| Torque | 1,011 lb-ft |
| Layout | Mid-engine, RWD |
9. Koenigsegg Agera RS
Top Speed: 277.9 MPH (Recorded)
Coming in at the 9th position is another Koenigsegg – the Agera RS. Using the Agera range’s revered 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with the 1-megawatt upgrade, the Koenigsegg Agera RS claimed the title of the world’s fastest street-legal car in 2017. The Agera RS’s recorded top speed of 277.9 mph has since been broken, but it’s still good enough to make it to the top 10 today. Only 25 units of the Koenigsegg Agera RS were ever made.
Performance
| 0-62 MPH | 2.6 sec |
| Top Speed | 277.9 MPH |
| Curb Weight | 2,877 lbs |
| Power | 1,340 hp |
| Torque | 1,011 lb-ft |
| Layout | Mid-engine, RWD |
8. CZinger 21C V Max
Top Speed: 281 MPH (Claimed)
Established in 2019, Czinger is a young American car manufacturing company that aims to disrupt the automotive industry with hybrid-powered hypercars. The Czinger 21C – the company’s first model – is the world’s first human-AI-designed and 3D-printed hypercar. Using a Czinger-designed 2.88-litre twin-turbo hybrid V8 (1250-1350 hp), the 21C V Max low-drag variant can supposedly reach a top speed of up to 281 mph.
Performance
| 0-62 MPH | 1.9 sec |
| Top Speed | 281 MPH |
| Curb Weight | 2,755.8 lbs |
| Power | 1,250-1,350 hp |
| Torque | 1,061.3 lb-ft |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, AWD |
7. SSC Tuatara
Top Speed: 295 MPH (Recorded)
Although SSC North America had to retract its controversial 331-mph claim for the Tuatara’s top speed run in 2020, the hypercar made two more official speed runs and eventually landed a verified 295-mph record in 2022. Using a 5.9-litre flat-plane crank V8, the SSC Tuatara has a published output of 1,750 hp, but dyno tests by Nelson Racing Engines (the official supplier of the 5.9-litre engine) revealed that the Tuatara was capable of 1,890 hp.
Performance
| 0-60 MPH | ~2.5 sec |
| Top Speed | 295 MPH |
| Curb Weight | 2,749 lbs |
| Horsepower | 1,750 hp |
| Torque | 1,279 lb-ft |
| Layout | Mid-engine, RWD |
6. Koenigsegg CC850
Top Speed: 300+ MPH (Claimed)
Aside from the One:1, the CC850 is another proof of Koenigsegg’s penchant for matching performance numbers. The Koenigsegg CC850’s 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 1,385 hp and 1,385 Nm of torque for its 1,385-kg body, making the CC850 another Koenigsegg model with a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio. Koenigsegg has yet to publish the CC850’s top speed officially, but one of its spokespersons claimed that the CC850 will be capable of breaking the 300-mph mark.
Performance
| 0-60 MPH | ~2.5 sec |
| Top Speed, MPH | 300+ MPH |
| Curb Weight, lbs | 3,053 lbs |
| Power | 1,385 hp |
| Torque | 1,021 lb-ft |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, RWD |
5. Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+
Top Speed: 304.8 MPH (Recorded)
As of July 2023, only the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ has been able to break the 300-mph barrier officially. Using Bugatti’s legendary 8-litre quad-turbo W16 engine, the 1,577-hp Chiron Super Sport 300+ achieved a world record-breaking top speed of 304.8 mph in its 2019 pre-production guise. Bugatti only made 30 production units of the Chiron Super Sport 300+, all of which are electronically limited to a top speed of roughly 273 mph.
Performance
| 0-60 MPH | 2.2 sec |
| Top Speed | 304.8 MPH |
| Curb Weight | – |
| Power | 1,577 hp |
| Torque | 1,180 lb-ft |
| Layout | Mid-engine, AWD |
4. SP Automotive Chaos Zero Gravity Version
Top Speed: 310+ MPH (Claimed)
The Spyros Panopoulos Group (SP Group) is a Greek design and manufacturing company that dabbles in the aviation, aerospace, naval, medical, and automotive industries. Last 2022, SP Automotive revealed the Chaos – a revolutionary “ultracar” made from aerospace materials and built using 3D printing technology. Using a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V10 with hybrid assist, the base Chaos “Earth” version promises to deliver 2,048 hp and 1,025 lb-ft of torque. As if 2,000 horses weren’t enough, the Chaos’ top-performance “Zero Gravity” variant has a published output of 3,064.7 hp and 1,462.9 lb-ft of torque. SP Automotive claims that in both Earth and Zero Gravity configurations, the Chaos will be able to reach a top speed of over 310 mph.
Performance
| 0-62 MPH | 1.55 sec |
| Top Speed | 310+ MPH |
| Curb Weight | 2,804.2 lbs |
| Power | 3,064.7 hp |
| Torque | 1,462.9 lb-ft |
| Layout | Mid-engine, AWD |
3. Hennessey Venom F5
Top Speed: 310+ MPH (Claimed)
In 2017, after 26 years of developing high-performance model versions for different car companies (e.g. GM, Ford, Dodge), Hennessey finally launched its own model – the Venom F5. Named after the F5 tornado rating (wind speeds of 261-318 mph) of the Fujita scale, the Hennessey Venom F5 aims to reach a top speed of over 310 mph with its 6.6-litre twin-turbo V8 (1,817 hp, 1,193 lb-ft).
Performance
| 0-62 MPH | 2.6 sec |
| Top Speed | 310+ MPH |
| Curb Weight | 3,053.4 lbs |
| Power | 1,817 hp |
| Torque | 1,193 lb-ft |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, RWD |
2. Bugatti Bolide
Top Speed: 310+ MPH (Claimed)
The standard Bugatti Veyron was the first production car to break the 250-mph barrier in 2005. Last 2019, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ was the first production car to surpass 300 mph. After proving its top speed capabilities on the road, Bugatti is now aiming for a higher record, but this time with the track-only Bugatti Bolide. Based on the Chiron platform, the Bugatti Bolide will use 110-octane fuel to allow its 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine to produce 1,825 hp and 1,365 lb-ft of torque – meaning that the Bolide will have over 240 more horses than the Bugatti Super Sport 300+. With a curb weight of just over 2,700 lbs (earlier Chirons weighed approximately 4,400 lbs), the Bugatti Bolide is expected to reach a top speed of well over 310 mph.
Performance
| 0-60 MPH | 2.17 sec |
| Top Speed | 310+ MPH |
| Curb Weight | 2,734 lbs |
| Power | 1,824 hp |
| Torque | 1,364 lb-ft |
| Layout | Mid-engine, AWD |
1. Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut
Top Speed: 330 MPH (Claimed)
Last on our list is the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut – the Swedish company’s fastest “megacar” to date. With a 3,064-lb curb weight, the Jesko Absolut is roughly 300 lbs heavier than a Bugatti Bolide. However, with its fighter jet-inspired, streamlined design that results in a low 0.278 drag coefficient, powered by a 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (minimum 1,600 hp), the Jesko Absolut is aiming to reach 330 mph to smash all production car top speed records. Will the Jesko Absolut be able to do so, officially? Time will tell.
Performance
| 0-60 MPH | 2.5 sec |
| Top Speed | 330 MPH |
| Curb Weight | 3,064.4 lbs |
| Power | 1,600 hp |
| Torque | 1,106.3 lb-ft |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, RWD |
