Do you love driving at high speeds? If so, you’re not alone. The adrenaline rush that comes with speeding excites most of us, and our fascination with it often begins at an early age. As soon as we learn to ride bicycles, we crave the thrill of going faster. A few years down the line, we get our hands on motorcycles and eventually cars – automobiles capable of reaching triple-digit speeds in no time. Then there are sports cars, which, although beyond reach for most of us, never cease to hold our fascination. Whether it’s watching one zoom past or admiring them in showrooms, we all feel that twinge of exhilaration and such occasions also evoke a question: just how fast can these beautiful machines go? On this theme, this article takes a step further and explores the fastest cars in the world today.
1. Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut – over 500 km/hr (claimed)
The Swedish automaker, Koenigsegg is acclaimed for making some of the fastest hypercars and the 2024 Jesko Absolut is aimed to be the wildest offering so far. Equipped with a 5-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine which produces 1,600 HP, the Jesko Absolut can do a 0 to 100 km/hr dash in 2.5 seconds. Moreover, in a recent discussion with Top Gear, Koenigsegg’s chief, Christian von Koenigsegg, revealed that the latest Jesko Absolut can achieve a top speed of over 500 km/hr. Now, this might sound like a marketing statement, but they seem to have done some serious simulations and are pretty sure about their estimations.
Recently, the Jesko Absolut nabbed world records as well. It did 0-400-0 km/hr in 27.83 seconds. In simpler terms, it sprinted to 400 km/hr from a standstill and was back to a standstill in 28.81 seconds. For context, that’s the time it takes most mass market cars to reach 100 km/hr. Moreover, it achieved a top speed of 412 km/hr, making three more world records in the process. These include 0 to 400 km/hr in 18.82 seconds, 0 to 402 km/hr in 19.2 seconds, and 0-402-0 km/hr in 28.27 seconds. Reports also suggested that even after clocking 412 km/hr, the Jesko Absolut could go even faster.
2. Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ – 489 km/hr
If you grew up in the 2000s, then you will most likely remember the legendary Bugatti Veyron as the fastest car. Well, the Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ is the successor of the Bugatti Veyron and brings the same sprightly spirit. It is powered by an 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 petrol engine which churns out 1,600 HP. With this, as the name suggests, the Chiron Supersport 300+ can rocket over 300 mph, or 489 km/hr. The French hypercar achieved this speed at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track. However, the Chiron 300+ doesn’t hold an official world record though because it was driven in one direction only. To set the record, a car needs to drive twice in opposite directions, which Bugatti skipped for some reason.
3. SSC Tuatara – 474 km/hr
While the W16 engine of the Bugatti Chiron packs a solid punch, it’s slightly complicated in construction. In contrast, the American supercar, SSC Tuatara brings a simpler, tried and tested V8 construction with its 5.9-litre twin-turbo petrol engine which generates up to 1,750 HP when it’s fuelled with ethanol. Nevertheless, there is a controversy surrounding the SSC Tuatara’s top speed. In October 2020, SSC North America’s founder, Jerod Shelby took the Tuatara to the Nevada desert and drove it to its top speed, which he claimed was 532 km/hr, but later he admitted it to be a GPS error. The other test in 2022 saw the Tuatara hit the actual top speed of 474 km/hr.
4. Hennessey Venom F5 – 482 km/hr
Following the SSC Tuatara is another American hypercar, the Hennessey Venom F5. The Venom F5 comes from a special manufacturer. Hennessey has its core mastery in tuning and augmenting the performance of cars from other brands. They also tune pick-up trucks and SUVs such as Ford Raptor and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Coming back to the topic on hand, the Venom F5 is the successor to the Venom GT which was originally based on Lotus Exige.
The Venom F5 is equipped with a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine which produces 1,817 HP power and 1,617 Nm of torque and makes the Venom F5 sprint from a standstill to 100 km/hr in 2.6 seconds. The Venom F5 can reach the top speed of 437 km/hr for now, while Hennessey wants to push its limits and is targeting a top speed of over 300 mph, or 482 km/hr.
5. Rimac Nevera – 412 km/hr
Electric cars are renowned for offering instant acceleration; however, the added weight of heavy batteries can curb their top speeds. This is where the Rimac Nevera breaks the mould. This zippy electric car packs a big 120 kWh battery connected with four electric motors which produce 1,914 HP and 2,300 Nm torque. This force is enough to launch the Nevera from 0 to 100 km/hr in 1.9 seconds and reach the top speed of 412 km/hr. Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that the Nevera is completely built with carbon fibre to keep its weight in check.
6. McLaren Speedtail – 403 km/hr
As a hybrid hypercar, the McLaren Speedtail gets 306 HP of power assistance from its electric motor, which in tandem with a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine gives a total output of 1,036 HP. These high-octane power figures with an immensely aerodynamic teardrop design, make the Speedtail the fastest McLaren car, with a top speed of 403 km/hr.
7. Koenigsegg Regera – 403 km/hr
Following the McLaren Speedtail is the Koenigsegg Regera with the same top speed of 403 km/hr. The Regera held the previous 0-400-0 km/hr record, which has now been claimed by the Jesko Absolut. Equipped with a 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, the Regera can reach its top speed, using only one gear. Yes, you read that right – whether you cruise at 40 km/hr or accelerate to reach the top speed, you can do it all in only one gear. This is because of the single-speed fixed-gear transmission of the Regera, often called a direct-drive.
8. Aston Martin Valkyrie – 402 km/hr
The collaboration of engineers from Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing has given birth to a peach of a hypercar in the form of the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Now, while the Aston Martin Valkyrie looks like a full-blown racing car, which is supposed to compete in the Le Mans endurance championship, it is indeed a production hypercar. The 6.5-litre hybrid V12 petrol engine produces a total output of 1,160 HP, capable of rocketing this F1-inspired car from 0 to 100 km/hr in 2.5 seconds.
9. Pagani Huayra BC Roadster – 384 km/hr
The Pagani Huayra, a fantastic-looking Italian hypercar, is engineered with great attention to detail. Most of Huayra BC is built with carbon fibre to keep its weight down and rigidity high. It is equipped with a Mercedes AMG 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 petrol engine capable of generating 731 HP and 1,000 Nm. With such might in its heart, the Pagani Huayra BC can sprint to 384 km/hr.
10. Lamborghini Revuelto – 350 km/hr
In an era of downsizing and turbos, the engineers at Lamborghini have stuck to the purity of a naturally aspirated engine for their flagship, Revuelto. However, its 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine is not free of any electric assistance and gets three electric motors which help it put out 1,015 HP, making the Revuelto the most powerful Lamborghini car ever. The Lamborghini Revuelto can do a 0 to 100 km/h dash in 2.5 seconds and go to a top speed of 350 km/hr.
Summary
Nothing beats the adventure speeding a car sparks and driving enthusiasts all around the world seek the cars that can reach triple-digit speeds in a jiff. Today, the fastest cars in the world are more than capable of blowing your socks off even if you drive them slower than their top speeds. Even though these cars are far beyond the reach of our bank accounts, appreciating such marvellous engineering is a delight of a whole different kind.
