Well, not quite. It’s not polite to misinform readers, so I won’t. But some of the cars we are about to discuss do approach the speed of lower-power handguns and smaller caliber rounds which make their bullets travel at about 350 mph. The top fastest cars in the world can now reach an impressive average maximum speed of ~250 mph and the no. 1 maximum speed is a staggering 273 mph.
Not bad for an automotive industry whose primitive beginnings were between 100 and 200 years ago at the mind-boggling speed of 4-6 miles per hour. Still some way to go to the average speed of a bullet which is around 1700 mph (yes, more than twice the speed of sound a.k.a. 767.29 mph).
But it’s not impossible. So don’t be a spoil-sport, old boy, be progressive in your thinking, and while we wait for the future 7 cars faster than a speeding bullet, let’s take a look at the top 7 fastest cars of the moment. I mean after all, you got guns references AND fast cars in the same article. What more could you want?
7. Mclaren F1
Built by the British Mclaren Conglomerate group with a BMW engine, 107 F1’s were built between 1994 and 1998, with the prototype appearing in 1992 (despite conception and plans since 1988). 65 cars out of the total were sold to private customers, which is something, considering that they cost around 1 million dollars at the time. Still, for a car which was created from the desire to build a super car for public roads, based on formula 1 concepts, with a top speed of 231 mph (a record it held for a decade), 631 hp and 2.3 seconds 0-60 time, it was worth it.
6. Koenigsegg CCR
Most notable for taking the speed record from the Mclaren F1 by achieving a top speed of 241 mph, among other cool features. Swedish creator Christian von Koenigsegg, at only 22 years old, was determined to make a car that would combine Swedish safety with Italian sexiness to create something unique. And many say he did, with the help of designer David Crafoord. The CC8S prototype debuted in Paris in 2001, then the CCR model was produced in only 14 copies, making each an extremely rare and valuable piece.
5. Koenigsegg CCXR
As you can see, Koenigsegg’s ambition is not to be trifled with, as he didn’t settle on his laurels with the breaking of the speed record with the CCR. He wanted an even faster car, which he got in the form of the CCXR. An 806 hp beast when it’s running on your “ordinary” high-octane gasoline. But if you put E85 ethanol in the tank (which this car can switch to drinking with pleasure, thank you) things become much more dramatic, with yields of 1018 hp and a top speed of over 250 mph.
4. Bugatti Veyron 16.4
Due to the good publicity this car got, perhaps you’ve heard of it. But its fame is not just the result of a sleek marketing campaign. It’s earned its place by the 253 mph top speed and the 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. Also, the brand itself is no newbie, with it’s history going back to the aforementioned dawn of the automotive age. And with good manufacturing capabilities too. The company produced 400 cars of the Veyron model since 2005 when they launched it. And no matter the variation on the particular Veyron you choose, they also have the prestige of being one of the most expensive cars in the world, with the cheapest one costing at least 1.5 million $.
3. SSC Ultimate Aero
Possibly less in the spotlight as the “traditionally” dominant fast-car companies of Italy and other European producers, this one hails from Eastern Washington state, of the U.S. of A. SSC is the acronym for the name of the company that produces it: Shelby Super Cars, founded in 1999. And they weren’t kidding when they chose the name Super Cars. Because 8 years of hard work later, they released their first ever production car and it broke the speed record, clocking in at 258 mph. Who is to thank? The 1183 hp V8 engine and its awesome designers.
2. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
Yes, Bugatti again. Apart from their sleek eye-catching production cars, like the 16.4 mentioned above, which they limit to max 258 mph, they are also interested in pure speed and breaking records. Which they did when they designed the Super Sport specifically for the race track. The speed it reached on a test was 267 mph in July 2010, which earns it this second place in the list.
1. Koenigsegg Agera R
Surprise, surprise. Did I mention Koenigsegg’s ambition is not to be trifled with? It appears the ambitious youth that wants to be no. 1 is still alive and well inside of the now mature Christian Koenigsegg, because he didn’t settle with the CCXR either. Inspired by the movement of dolphins through water, which he reasoned could be transferred to a car moving through air, he created the Agera series, which culminated in the Agera R. It has a top speed of 273 mph and a 0-62 mph acceleration in 3 seconds. Not to mention breaking the speed records for braking at extreme speed ranges! Cool stuff indeed.
Leave a Reply