Is there anything cooler than a ridiculously fast car? Granted, it’s all relative to the era, but I’m going to hazard a guess that all the cars on this list will enjoy notoriety for quite some time, especially considering that the fastest few are closer to 300 mph than they are to 200. What will the cars of the future hold in terms of performance? Who cares, the cars of today are doing just fine on their own. See for yourself. And bring your checkbook.
9. McLaren MP4-12C
While most people think of the teenage F1 when they think of McLaren, the newer, faster, and better MP4-12C is currently blowing back the thinning hair of McLaren enthusiasts—remarkably, with only 8 cylinders instead of 12. Of course, those 8 cylinders are capable of producing almost 600 horsepower, so this guy is pretty far from the little engine that could. The two-seat coupe has a 7-speed gearbox and is the first car wholly produced by McLaren. It has a top speed of 205 mph.
8. Porsche 911 GT2 RS
What’s essentially a racing version of Porche’s iconic 911 Turbo gets out of the gate a lot faster than its luxurious precursor. While boasting a similar 523 horsepower, the GT2 RS is able to get a little more out of that muscle by lightening the weight. It does that by dumping most of the creature comforts and creating a leaner, meaner version of the Turbo.The 3.6 liter inline six not only ensures the car pushes speed on the top end at 205 mph, but also gets out of the gate quickly, clocking in at 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.
7. Ferrari FF
The FF is our first entry with a bonfide V-12, kicking 651 horses out of the 6.3 liter engine. The result? 208 mph, far eclipsing the FF’s precursor, the 612 Scaglietti. The production of the FF is dated 2012, but they are about to start rolling out this month, promising the horse enthusiasts a wild ride capping out at about 208 mph. The fastback coupe not only represents a slight departure in terms of Ferrari’s traditional aesthetic, but also in their performance, raising the bar yet again for the black and yellow. Blackandyellow, blackandyellow, blackandyellow.
6. Ferrari 599 GTO
When it rains, it pours. Ferrari locks down the next spot on the list with the 6-liter V-12 599. The 661 horses can take this guy up to 208 as well, meaning that the bragging rights among the engineers for the FF and 599 will have to be settled in some other forum. Like POGs or cagefighting.
5. Pagani Zonda F
Well, we’ve entered “supercar†territory with this esoteric entry. While many may consider the McLaren to fall under this umbrella as well, you can’t deny that Pagani is indeed an exotic car, especially considering that few have even heard of the brand. The word won’t be spreading much longer, though. The turbocharged V-12 may net this Italian stallion 215 mph, but the car ends its 13-year production run this year. It leaves not quite on top, but pretty damn close.
4.Pagani Huayra
Yup, Pagani’s got not one but two entries on this list. The superior Huayra comes in at a downright gaudy 235 mph from over 700 horsepower. Not bad at all. The mid-engine follow up to the Zonda mops the floor with its older brother. And it should, considering the beast is clocking in at about $1.6 million dollars. Getting accurate stats on this car proves to be a bit of a chore, but the common sentiment is that this guy can do 0-60 in about 3.3 seconds, which we can all agree is way faster than running.
3. Koenigsegg CCXR
How the heck did the manufacturers of this car managed to squeeze a mind-blowing 1,064 horsepower out of a V-8 engine? Though the name may appear German at first glance, the outfit is actually Swedish. That’s right. Volvo, Saab, and this monster, which achieves a top speed of about 250 mph. There was a time when cracking 200 was a big deal. Not anymore, I guess. First one to 300 wins! The manufacturer claims that they have actually gotten the car to go up to 271, but we’ll go with the independent tests, thankyouverymuch.
2. SSC Ultimate Aero
Hey hey hey. The “SSC†stands for Shelby Supercars, which has been making fast cars even faster since the early days of the Cobra and the Mustang. They’ve raised the stakes with this car, however, getting a readout of 256 on September 13, 2007 from 1,287 horsepower. Of course, SSC is on record as saying that the new lighter Aero TT can top 300. We’ll believe it when we see it, but with this murderers row of cars, you have to believe that cracking the vaunted 300 mph barrier is just a matter of time.
1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
For the times when the regular Bugatti Veyron just won’t do. Or when you just need to get from A to B at 267 mph. The Veyron TT is the world’s fastest production car and was deemed “Car of the Year†by none other than the gearheads over at BBC’s Top Gear. 1,184 horsepower are being generated by a ridiculous W16 engine. The size of that engine? Just 8.0 liters. No big deal. The $1.4 million car isn’t for everyone, though. The cost of replacing the Veyron’s tires will run you more than a Nissan Versa. So start saving. You and 1,000 of your friends.