With these desires and aspirations in mind, here are the ten fastest street legal automobiles on the road today...
1. Hennessey Venom GT – 270 mph ($1,000,000)
2. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – 268 mph ($2,700,000)
The Guinness Book of World Records’ fastest street legal car is the Bugatti Veyron SS. There is an ongoing feud between our numbers one and two, over the exact record holder, but for the purposes of this article, Bugatti comes in second place. Its 8.0 L W16 behemoth of an engine puts out 1,200 horsepower. The vehicle can reach an impressive 268 mph, but the road versions (which are in the hands of their customers) are limited to just over 258 mph, for the sake of tire longevity.
3. Koenigsegg Agera One:1 – 267 mph ($2,000,000)
The price tag is a rough estimate at this point, as Swedish auto makers Koenigsegg did not release clear figures for the costs of the Agera One:1. Rather, they said it would be about 30% more than the Agera R. The 267 mph is also somewhat of a low-ball, as it has not been tested and the makers claim it will go well above 273 mph. The fact of the matter is, this list can change very quickly, depending on when a company makes an official run with one of its cars.
The Koenigsegg Agera One:1 has been called the world’s first “megacar”, complicating the already pointless debate between hypercar, supercar and such. The name One:1 is a reference to the fact that the car has a 1:1 ratio in terms of power to weight; 1360 hp (metric) and 1360 kilograms. In essence, this car, when tested, may well beat our numbers one and two, but at this point, reliable testing has measured its top speed at 267.
4. SSC Ultimate Aero TT – 256 mph ($654,000)
Prior to 2010, the Shelby Ultimate Aero was the production car with the Guinness World Record for speed. It was beaten back in 2010, but remains a staple of speed. The TT, to those who aren’t familiar, is for twin-turbo, as it is the upgraded version of the Ultimate Aero, putting out a bit more power than earlier versions, with about 100 increase in hp and over a 200 lb increase in torque.
The future for SSC involves a beast known as the Tuatara, which many think will shake lists like this one up quite a bit.
5. 9ff GT9-R – 254 mph (Disputed) – $695,000
German company 9ff came out with the GT9 in 2007. It is based off of the Porsche 911, but given the numerous changes, especially the mid-engine which had been nearly completely rebuilt, it is a separate car, rather than just a tuned up 911. The GT9-R was widely rumored to be faster than 257 mph, but 254 was its test speed. Many actually consider 257 to be its top speed, but it is unproven in terms of having been measured by a reliable governing body. This is not to denigrate this stunning example of engineering, but those who claim it to be faster than our number four, are dealing in unproven stats.
6. Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse – 254 mph ($2,250,000)
The first of two Bugatti Veyrons on our list, is the newer Grand Sport Vitesse. Interesting to note about this beautiful machine is that it is an open-top design. Reaching 254 mph in an open top vehicle earned Bugatti the record for fastest open top car. Possibly most impressive is that this marvel can go from 0 to 60 in under 2.7 seconds, a very respectable feat for a vehicle weighing over 1800 kilograms.
Interestingly, the driver who set that record in the Grand Sport Vitesse claimed that even when it reached such a high speed, the car remained reliable and the drag was barely noticeable.
7. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo – 248 mph ($600,000)
The upgraded, juiced up, younger version of the S7, credited as one of the United States’ first super-cars, is our number seven. While the S7 itself was a thing of beauty when it first came out in the year 2000, the twin turbo variant, which came into production in 2005, is a significant improvement. The TT not only has two turbochargers made by Garrett AiResearch, allowing 200 more horsepower, but also a reworked body, achieving significantly more down-force.
8. Koenigsegg CCX – 245 mph ($545,000)
Making its first of two appearances on the list is Swedish supercar creator Koenigsegg. This beast was first produced back in 2005 and featured a couple of different variants before the company switched focus to the Arega in 2010. The CCX was and still is an incredible machine. The base model CCX boasted a top speed of 245 mph, which was verified, but other variants such as the CCXR, the CCX Special Edition and Trevita, were all said to have surpassed this, but such claims are unproven. For our purposes, the CCX comes in at number eight with a top speed of 245 mph.
9. McLaren F1 – 243 mph ($1,000,000)
The real geezer on the list, the F1 has been a staple for fast car lovers since its very beginning in 1992. During the early and mid 1990’s, the McLaren F1 was considered the be-all-end-all in terms of speed and allowing an owner to make a statement. Throughout much of the decade, the 240-243 mph speed was the highest of any production car in the world. It speaks to the engineering of this machine that it is still in the top ten, even over twenty years after it was first conceived.
10. Zenvo ST1 – 233 mph ($1,225,000)
Only fifteen of these were made and they have all already been sold. The ST1 is the first crack at a supercar (hypercar, whatever you wish to call it) by Danish company Zenvo. It comes equipped with 6.8 liter V8 that puts out over 1,100 horsepower, and can reach a top speed over 230 mph. If you are a fan of the popular show Top Gear, you may well remember the episode in which the ST1 put on a very disappointing performance and even caught fire during their testing.
1. Hennessey Venom GT – 270 mph ($1,000,000)
The Texas based Hennessey Performance made a thing of true beauty with the Venom GT. It is because of technicalities having to do with numbers built and that their record setting run was in a single direction, that they do not hold the record for fastest production car.
The future looks theoretically bright for Hennessey, who plan to have the Venom F5 on its way to buyers for 2016. The F5 is boasted to be able to hit 290 MPH (we’ll believe it when we see it), along with more downforce and a body designed for less drag, and some engine modifications.
The Venom GT is one of what some may call a “tuner” on this list. It is not a tuner. The body and certain parts were based off the Lotus Exige, but the vehicle itself is a production car, made by Hennessey Performance.
The future looks theoretically bright for Hennessey, who plan to have the Venom F5 on its way to buyers for 2016. The F5 is boasted to be able to hit 290 MPH (we’ll believe it when we see it), along with more downforce and a body designed for less drag, and some engine modifications.
The Venom GT is one of what some may call a “tuner” on this list. It is not a tuner. The body and certain parts were based off the Lotus Exige, but the vehicle itself is a production car, made by Hennessey Performance.
2. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – 268 mph ($2,700,000)
The Guinness Book of World Records’ fastest street legal car is the Bugatti Veyron SS. There is an ongoing feud between our numbers one and two, over the exact record holder, but for the purposes of this article, Bugatti comes in second place. Its 8.0 L W16 behemoth of an engine puts out 1,200 horsepower. The vehicle can reach an impressive 268 mph, but the road versions (which are in the hands of their customers) are limited to just over 258 mph, for the sake of tire longevity.
3. Koenigsegg Agera One:1 – 267 mph ($2,000,000)
The price tag is a rough estimate at this point, as Swedish auto makers Koenigsegg did not release clear figures for the costs of the Agera One:1. Rather, they said it would be about 30% more than the Agera R. The 267 mph is also somewhat of a low-ball, as it has not been tested and the makers claim it will go well above 273 mph. The fact of the matter is, this list can change very quickly, depending on when a company makes an official run with one of its cars.
The Koenigsegg Agera One:1 has been called the world’s first “megacar”, complicating the already pointless debate between hypercar, supercar and such. The name One:1 is a reference to the fact that the car has a 1:1 ratio in terms of power to weight; 1360 hp (metric) and 1360 kilograms. In essence, this car, when tested, may well beat our numbers one and two, but at this point, reliable testing has measured its top speed at 267.
4. SSC Ultimate Aero TT – 256 mph ($654,000)
Prior to 2010, the Shelby Ultimate Aero was the production car with the Guinness World Record for speed. It was beaten back in 2010, but remains a staple of speed. The TT, to those who aren’t familiar, is for twin-turbo, as it is the upgraded version of the Ultimate Aero, putting out a bit more power than earlier versions, with about 100 increase in hp and over a 200 lb increase in torque.
The future for SSC involves a beast known as the Tuatara, which many think will shake lists like this one up quite a bit.
5. 9ff GT9-R – 254 mph (Disputed) – $695,000
German company 9ff came out with the GT9 in 2007. It is based off of the Porsche 911, but given the numerous changes, especially the mid-engine which had been nearly completely rebuilt, it is a separate car, rather than just a tuned up 911. The GT9-R was widely rumored to be faster than 257 mph, but 254 was its test speed. Many actually consider 257 to be its top speed, but it is unproven in terms of having been measured by a reliable governing body. This is not to denigrate this stunning example of engineering, but those who claim it to be faster than our number four, are dealing in unproven stats.
6. Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse – 254 mph ($2,250,000)
The first of two Bugatti Veyrons on our list, is the newer Grand Sport Vitesse. Interesting to note about this beautiful machine is that it is an open-top design. Reaching 254 mph in an open top vehicle earned Bugatti the record for fastest open top car. Possibly most impressive is that this marvel can go from 0 to 60 in under 2.7 seconds, a very respectable feat for a vehicle weighing over 1800 kilograms.
Interestingly, the driver who set that record in the Grand Sport Vitesse claimed that even when it reached such a high speed, the car remained reliable and the drag was barely noticeable.
7. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo – 248 mph ($600,000)
The upgraded, juiced up, younger version of the S7, credited as one of the United States’ first super-cars, is our number seven. While the S7 itself was a thing of beauty when it first came out in the year 2000, the twin turbo variant, which came into production in 2005, is a significant improvement. The TT not only has two turbochargers made by Garrett AiResearch, allowing 200 more horsepower, but also a reworked body, achieving significantly more down-force.
8. Koenigsegg CCX – 245 mph ($545,000)
Making its first of two appearances on the list is Swedish supercar creator Koenigsegg. This beast was first produced back in 2005 and featured a couple of different variants before the company switched focus to the Arega in 2010. The CCX was and still is an incredible machine. The base model CCX boasted a top speed of 245 mph, which was verified, but other variants such as the CCXR, the CCX Special Edition and Trevita, were all said to have surpassed this, but such claims are unproven. For our purposes, the CCX comes in at number eight with a top speed of 245 mph.
9. McLaren F1 – 243 mph ($1,000,000)
The real geezer on the list, the F1 has been a staple for fast car lovers since its very beginning in 1992. During the early and mid 1990’s, the McLaren F1 was considered the be-all-end-all in terms of speed and allowing an owner to make a statement. Throughout much of the decade, the 240-243 mph speed was the highest of any production car in the world. It speaks to the engineering of this machine that it is still in the top ten, even over twenty years after it was first conceived.
10. Zenvo ST1 – 233 mph ($1,225,000)
Only fifteen of these were made and they have all already been sold. The ST1 is the first crack at a supercar (hypercar, whatever you wish to call it) by Danish company Zenvo. It comes equipped with 6.8 liter V8 that puts out over 1,100 horsepower, and can reach a top speed over 230 mph. If you are a fan of the popular show Top Gear, you may well remember the episode in which the ST1 put on a very disappointing performance and even caught fire during their testing.