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.
We've cross-referenced vehicle specifications, press releases, reviews, and performance figures from manufacturer websites, Zero To 60 Times, and J.D. Power to give you the 10 fastest cars in the world today based on recorded and claimed top speeds.
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-fiber construction to maximize its speed potential. Powering the Koenigsegg One:1 is a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter 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
| Performance Category | Values |
|---|---|
| 0-62 MPH, sec | 2.5 |
| Top Speed, MPH | 273 |
| Curb Weight, lbs | 2,998.3 |
| Horsepower | 1,342 |
| Torque, lb-ft | 1,011 |
| Layout | Mid-engine, RWD |
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-liter 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
| Performance Category | Values |
|---|---|
| 0-62 MPH, sec | 2.6 |
| Top Speed, MPH | 277.9 |
| Curb Weight, lbs | 2,877 |
| Horsepower | 1,340 |
| Torque, lb-ft | 1,011 |
| Layout | Mid-engine, RWD |
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-liter 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
| Performance Category | Values |
|---|---|
| 0-62 MPH, sec | 1.9 |
| Top Speed, MPH | 281 |
| Curb Weight, lbs | 2,755.8 |
| Horsepower | 1,250-1,350 |
| Torque, lb-ft | 1,061.3 |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, AWD |
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-liter 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-liter engine) revealed that the Tuatara was capable of 1,890 hp.Performance
| Performance Category | Values |
|---|---|
| 0-60 MPH, sec | ~2.5 |
| Top Speed, MPH | 295 |
| Curb Weight, lbs | 2,749 |
| Horsepower | 1,750 |
| Torque, lb-ft | 1,279 |
| Layout | Mid-engine, RWD |
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-liter 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
| Performance Category | Values |
|---|---|
| 0-60 MPH, sec | ~2.5 |
| Top Speed, MPH | 300+ |
| Curb Weight, lbs | 3,053 |
| Horsepower | 1,385 |
| Torque, lb-ft | 1,021 |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, RWD |
