This is a list of the world's record-breaking top speeds achieved by street-legal production cars (as opposed to concept cars or modified cars). For the purposes of this list eligible cars are defined in the list's rules. This list uses a different definition to the List of automotive superlatives. The variation is because the term production car is otherwise undefined.
See also: List of automotive superlatives. Because of the inconsistencies with the various definitions of production cars, dubious claims by manufacturers and self-interest groups, and inconsistent or changing application of the definitions this list has a defined set of requirements. For further explanation of how these were arrived at see the talk pages of both this article and the above link. After the Koenigsegg Agera RS was found not eligible for this list since only 11 cars had engines rated higher than 865 kW, the former 25 car minimum was dropped and replaced with new rules based on suggestions by Koenigsegg PR manager Steven Wade.
This list is also limited to post World War II production road cars which reached more than 124mph, older cars are excluded even if they were faster. The Benz Velo as the first petrol driven car is the only exception.
For the purposes of this list, a production car is defined as a vehicle that is:
To establish the top speed for cars the requirement is, in addition to the above, an independent road test with a two-way run. The mean of the top speed for both runs is taken as the car's top speed.[1] In instances where the top speed has been determined by removing the limiter, the test met these requirements, and the car is sold with the limiter on then the limited speed is accepted as meeting this requirement. For the McLaren F1 the estimation by Car and Driver about the speed at the rev-limiter is used.
| Year | Make and model | Top speed | Engine | Number built | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | Benz Velo | 200NaN0[2] | single-cylinder | 1,200 | First production car | |
| 1949 | Jaguar XK120 | 124.6abbr=onNaNabbr=on[3] | inline-6 | 12,000 | Some publications cite the XK120's timed top speed as almost 133abbr=onNaNabbr=on in 1949.[4] The XK120 that achieved this speed was a tuned prototype, not a production car. The production car reached 124.6abbr=onNaNabbr=on. | |
| 1955 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | 150.7abbr=onNaNabbr=on[5] | inline-6 | 1,400 | Two-way average speed tested by Automobil Revue in 1958. 2451NaN1 reached in one direction. | |
| 1959 | Aston Martin DB4 GT | 152mph[6] | inline-6 | 75 | Tested by Autosport in December 1961. | |
| 1963 | Iso Grifo GL 365 | 161mph[7] | V8 | over 400 | Tested by Autocar in 1966. A total of 412 Iso Grifos were built 1963–1974.[8] | |
| 1965 | AC Cobra Mk III 427 | 165mph[9] | V8 | >25 | Tested by Car & Driver. Top speed described as observed | |
| 1967 | Lamborghini Miura P400 | 171abbr=onNaNabbr=on[10] | V12 | 275 | Tested by Motor in June 1967. Over 750 units built in 1966–1973 period, which includes P400, P400 S and P400 SV models. | |
| 1968 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona | 174mph[11] | V12 | about 1,400 | Tested by Autocar in 1971. | |
| 1969 | Lamborghini Miura P400S | 179.3abbr=onNaNabbr=on[12] | V12 | 338 | Tested by Sport Auto in 1970. | |
| 1982 | Lamborghini Countach LP500 S | 182abbr=onNaNabbr=on[13] | V12 | 323 | Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport | |
| 1983 | Ruf BTR | 3050NaN0[14] | turbocharged flat-6 | about 20–30 | Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport, about 20-30 built with Ruf VIN | |
| 1986 | Porsche 959 | 198mph[15] | twin-turbocharged flat-6 | 337 | Tested by Road & Track in 1987. The 959 Deluxe version attained 197abbr=onNaNabbr=on, the Sport version 198abbr=onNaNabbr=on. 29 were built in a performance-enhanced 515PS sports version which reached 339km/h tested by Auto, Motor und Sport at Nardo in 1988.[16] [17] | |
| 1987 | Ruf CTR | 342abbr=onNaNabbr=on | twin-turbocharged flat-6 | 29[18] | Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport at Nardò Ring in 1988. | |
| 1992 | McLaren F1 | 221abbr=onNaNabbr=on | BMW S70/2 60° V12 | 69 | Some publications cite the F1's timed top speed as . This speed was achieved by a modified F1 with the rev limiter raised from 7500 rpm to 8300 rpm, not a production car.[19] The F1 in an unmodified state is gear limited at . | |
| 1993 | Dauer 962 Le Mans | 251.4abbr=onNaNabbr=on[20] | twin-turbocharged flat-6 | ≥10[21] | Independently measured at Ehra-Lessien in November 1998.[22] | |
| 2005 | Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 | 253.81mph | quad-turbocharged W16 | 300 | Recorded and verified by German inspection officials on 19 April 2005.[23] | |
| 2007 | SSC Ultimate Aero | 412.22 km/h(256.14 mph) | 6.3-liter twin turbo V8 engine | 5 | Inspected and verified by Guinness World Records on 9 October 2007. | |
| 2010 | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport | 267.856abbr=onNaNabbr=on | quad-turbocharged W16 | 30 | Out of the initial production run of 30 cars, 5 were named the Super Sport World Record Edition, which had the same electronic limiter as the other 25but turned off. Pierre-Henri Raphanel drove the unlimited Super Sport World Record Edition to a 431.072km/h two-way average, verified by Guinness World Records.[24] [25] [26] When sold, the electronic limiters were re-activated, limiting them to the same 415km/h as the entire production run. | |
| 2017 | Koenigsegg Agera RS | 277.87abbr=onNaNabbr=on | twin-turbocharged V8 | 25 | The base engine is rated at 1160hp, 11 cars were factory specced with the option. Niklas Lilja drove the 1 MW Agera RS to a top speed of 447.19km/h, independently verified by Racelogic.[27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] |
Comparing claimed speeds of the fastest production cars in the world, especially in historical cases, is difficult as there is no standardized method for determining the top speed and no central authority to verify any such claims. Examples of the difficulties faced were highlighted in a two-week long dispute regarding Bugatti's record set in 2010, and Hennessey's 2013 claim that their own top speed runslower than Bugatti's, lacking the required two-way average, and lacking the minimum 25 car production runwas the real record, due to an issue regarding electronic limiters.[33] [34]
On 4 July 2010, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport reached 431.072km/h for a two-way average. Bugatti built 30 identical Super Sports, with 5 of them named World Record Edition. All 30 were equipped with electronic limiters, but the World Record Edition had their limiters turned off for the record attempt. After the record run, all five had their electronic limiters reactivated, so that the entire production run was delivered to customers with a limit of 4152NaN2. Guinness Book of Records, which had listed speeds by British cars with modified rev. limiter as production car records in the 1990s, listed the unlimited 431.072km/h as the production car speed record.
In April 2013, following a press release claiming the record for the Hennessey Venom GT due to the electronic limiter issue, The Sunday Times quoted Guinness public relations director Jaime Strang as saying: "As the car's speed limiter was deactivated, this modification was against the official guidelines. Consequently, the vehicle's record set at 431.072km/h is no longer valid."[33] Five days later, Guinness World Records officially posted on its website that it: "...would like to confirm that Bugatti's record has not been disqualified; the record category is currently under review."[35] Five days later Bugatti's speed record was confirmed: "Following a thorough review conducted with a number of external experts, Guinness World Records is pleased to announce the confirmation of Bugatti's record of Fastest production car achieved by the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The focus of the review was with respect to what may constitute a modification to a car's standard specification. Having evaluated all the necessary information, Guinness World Records is now satisfied that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."[33]
Some cars were not considered to be the fastest production vehicles, for various reasons. Here is a list of some well-known cars that have not been able to meet standards needed to be the fastest production car.
| Year | Make and model | Top speed | Engine | Number built | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Pegaso Z-102 | 152mph | V8 | 84 | 360 hp turbocharged variant. Tested by Belgian Automobile club, at Belgium's Jabbeke highway, but the results are not officially recognized worldwide. Classic Car commented that the Z-102 tested was a proto-type.[36] |
| 1959 | Maserati 5000 GT | 172.4mph | V8 | 2 | No accurate measurement and only the first two cars had the engine, 22 cars had coachwork by Allemano, 12 by 7 other companies[37] |
| V8 | 32 | ||||
| 1985 | Lamborghini Countach 5000QV | 298km/h[38] | V12 | 676 | Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport. The car which was tested 190.1abbr=onNaNabbr=on by Fast Lane in 1986 and listed in the Guinness Book of World Records 1988 had a factory modified airbox.[39] |
| 1990 | Vector W8 | 242mph for prototype | twin-turbocharged V8 | 17 production models | No verified top speed for production model, 218mph claimed |
| 1992 | Jaguar XJ220 | 210.5abbr=onNaNabbr=on[40] | twin-turbocharged V6 | 281 | Tested by Road & Track. The Guinness World Records speed was measured by Jaguar one-way without independent control with a car modified for about 50 extra horsepower, the claims were also factory measured without independent control.[41] |
| 2004 | Koenigsegg CCR | 387.866km/h | twin-supercharged V8 | 14 | Recorded at the Nardò Ring testing facility on 28 February 2005. Excluded from the list due to being a single directional run.[42] |
| 2014 | Hennessey Venom GT | 270.49abbr=onNaNabbr=on | twin-turbocharged V8 | 16 | Single direction top speed test run in 2014 and no Hennessey VIN. |
| 2019 | quad-turbocharged W16 | 100-110 | On 2 August 2019, Andy Wallace achieved a maximum of in a pre-production prototype at Ehra-Lessien, which was verified by TÜV. The production version has the same bodywork, engine and gearbox but no roll cage, different seats, ride height and an electronically limited top speed of . Excluded from the list because it was a uni-directional top speed run.[43] [44] [45] [46] [47] | ||
| 2022 | SSC Tuatara | 295abbr=onNaNabbr=on | twin-turbocharged V8 | 100 (production to commence) | On May 14, 2022, Larry Caplin’s Tuatara reached a one-way speed of 295mph over the course of 2.3miles at Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility. This was verified by two Racelogic VBOX GNSS and a Life Racing GPS speed measurement systems, as well as a Racelogic technician on hand.[48] [49] Excluded from the list because it was a uni-directional top speed run. The car has not been homologated for road use and is therefore at present not street legal. |