There are few things for which people seem to share a universal passion. Most people are likely to have at least some firmly held opinions about athletic teams, films, music or fashion.
But there are few topics that elicit more zeal among enthusiasts than automobiles. People often become enchanted with automobiles after watching a movie featuring one of the most iconic cars in film history. And within that large community of car zealots is a sizeable subset of people who are obsessed with speed, which is why makers of some of the world’s most exclusive driving machines are constantly pushing that envelope. The first road-legal production cars to hit speeds over 200 mph emerged in the mid-1980s; today, all of the top 20 fastest road-legal sports cars in the market hit speeds well over that limit.
These highly exclusive, often finicky, outrageously expensive, completely impractical, and downright dangerous supercars are so advanced that they’re approaching – and sometimes exceeding – the limits of what tires can handle. Last year, Michelin said it’s close to releasing a tire rated to 300 mph, but for now supercar top speeds are bound not by the limits of engines, body design, and materials, but rather current tire technology. Some cars, such as the Bugatti Chiron, are so fast that they’re electronically speed-limited for safety purposes. Though these cars often gain worldwide acclaim as incredible feats of engineering, the danger and exorbitant prices associated with these vehicles make them inaccessible to the common man and keep them out of the pantheon of the most iconic cars in history.
The following is a list of the top 20 fastest road-legal supercars that have been produced, tested and sold to (extremely wealthy) customers. We excluded supercars that have yet to be released, such as the Hennessey Venom F5 and the SCC Tuatara. Also excluded from the list are variations of the same model. For example, this list doesn’t include the Koenigsegg CCX because the faster Koenigsegg CCXR is a tweaked successor of the CCX.
Top speed may not be the best measure of what makes these cars so super – there are other factors, like aerodynamics, design, weight, torque, engine size, electronic innovation and acceleration – but being among the fastest road-legal sports cars is undeniably an elite, cherished space.
Click here to read about the fastest cars on earth
24/7 Wall St. looked at tested top speeds cited by reputable sources, including Car & Driver magazine, Motor1, EVO and The Drive. Test results typically involve averaging the top speeds of two back-to-back straight-line runs in opposite directions, measured to the second decimal point. For example the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has a top speed test average of 267.81 mph, or rounded to 268 mph. But speed tests are impacted by numerous factors, including driver skill, wind shear, and track conditions. As a result, supercars with very similar top speeds might have slightly different top speed measurements if different speed tests have been conducted over time. We chose the most commonly cited top speeds, rounded to the nearest whole number. In the event of matching mph numbers, the vehicle with the faster acceleration is listed first.
20. Lamborghini Aventador
> Top speed: 217 mph
The slow-poke of the world’s fastest road-legal cars is also Lamborghini’s current flagship supercar and second-fastest after the Veneno. While the Veneno took a bold style pivot, the Aventador is closer to the company’s distinct design language. While it’s slower than other speed racers, it’s been praised for its corner-hugging performance and rear-steering system.
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19. Ferrari Enzo
> Top speed: 218 mph
The Ferrari Enzo has the same top speed as the newer LaFerrari, but it takes longer to reach 60 mph. First released in 2002, the Enzo was the last Ferrari to forgo a thick layer of electronic controls that characterizes what’s under the hood of the typical modern supercar. The car is named after the company’s founder.
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18. Ferrari LaFerrari
> Top speed: 218 mph
Ferrari’s fastest, most oddly named (literally translated as Ferrari TheFerrari) road-legal racer may not be the fastest on the list, but it has been described by Car and Driver as a “carefully orchestrated system of technologies” working together to produce a pristine road-hugging beast. It’s also the Italian automaker’s first hybrid, with its massive V12 engine working in harmony with a horsepower-boosting electric motor.
17. Aston Martin One-77
> Top speed: 220 mph
Aston Martin’s fastest road-legal car ties in top speed with the Apollo Arrow, but with significantly slower 0-60 acceleration — 3.5 seconds compared to the Arrow’s 2.9 seconds. But what the One-77 lacks, relatively speaking, in acceleration is more than made up in styling and interior comfort.
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16. Apollo Arrow
> Top speed: 220 mph
The Apollo Arrow was made possible by a group of Hong Kong investors who in late 2015 purchased Gumpert, the supercar maker founded by Audi engineer Roland Gumpert. The company went bankrupt in 2013 and was rebranded to Apollo. Some estimates put the Arrow’s top speed at 224 mph, but 220 mph is more commonly cited.
15. Lamborghini Veneno
> Top speed: 221 mph
Released in 2013 to much fanfare during Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary, the Veneno is not just the fastest Lambo but also one marking a significant design departure from its predecessors. Veneno, which means “venom” in Spanish, is named after one of the fastest bulls in Spanish bullfighting history, one that killed a famous bullfighter in 1914.
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14. Gumpert Apollo
> Top speed: 224 mph
The brainchild of former Audi engineer Roland Gumpert, the Apollo has been described as a no-frills supercar designed by inured engineers uninterested in supercar hype and vanity. The Apollo set a lap time record for road-legal racers in 2009 at the famous Nurburgring motorsport complex in Germany. Gumpert’s company went bankrupt in 2013 and emerged under new ownership as Apollo.
13. Noble M600
> Top speed: 225 mph
Dubbed the “Brit Bugatti Veyron beater” by BBC’s “Top Gear,” the Noble M600 is likened to the Ferrari F40 (top speed 201 mph) and the McLaren F1 (top speed 240 mph) in terms of performance and handling. Notably, the M600 has been praised for having race-car performance with simpler, more forgiving handling, at least by supercar standards.
12. Zenvo ST1
> Top speed: 233 mph
This Danish supercar may be one of the most exclusive on a list containing highly exclusive supercars. Since work began on Zenvo’s first hypercar in 2007, only 15 of the cars had reportedly been produced by 2016. A newer version of the car, the TS1, has since been unveiled with the same top speed.
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11. Pagani Huayra
> Top speed: 238 mph
AMG, the Mercedes’ division of hand-built high-performance engines, provides the punch to this Italian-Argentinian (but mostly Italian) supercar decked out in weight- saving carbon fiber and titanium. The Huayra is the faster successor to the Pagani Zonda.
10. McLaren F1
> Top speed: 240 mph
In 1998, the McLaren F1 became the world’s fastest road-legal sports car. The British supercar has since dropped in the ranks but it still maintains a reputation for immense power and style. Famous McLaren F1 owners or former owners include Tesla Inc. co-founder Elon Musk, fashion icon Ralph Lauren and the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah.
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9. Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo
> Top speed: 248 mph
Racer-turned-businessman Steve Saleen followed up his Saleen S7, which debuted in 2000, with a more powerful twin turbo version in 2007. The top speed of the S7 TT rockets past the top speeds of Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s fastest road-legal sports cars. The slower S7 (top speed 220 mph) was featured in the 2003 film “Bruce Almighty” starring Jim Carrey.
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8. Koenigsegg CCXR
> Top speed: 249 mph
The CCXR is the slower of the two Koenigsegg supercars on this list, and faster than the CCX version with its superior engine and aerodynamic tweaks. The CCX is no pushover, with a recorded top speed of 241 mph, but it seems a little unfair to include both versions on this list.
7. Aston Martin Valkyrie
> Top speed: 250 mph
Aston Martin’s road-legal supercar is its fastest and most aerodynamic, designed to maximize stick-to-the-road downforce. The car was developed with the help of Adrian Newey, the renowned Formula One engineer.
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6. SSC Ultimate Aero TT
> Top speed: 256 mph
From 2007 to 2010, Shelby Supercars wore the top-speed crown with its SSC Ultimate Aero Twin Turbo after beating out the Bugatti Veyron’s top speed of 253 mph. The SSC Ultimate Aero TT based its customized engine on a on a Corvette 5.7 liter V8, producing over 1,000 lb-ft of torque and over 1,100 horsepower.
5. 9ff GT9-R
> Top speed: 257 mph
The German tuning house 9ff built just 20 GT9-Rs in 2008 before facing financial problems in 2013. The GT9-R is a modified Porsche 911 with a 1,120 hp mid-engine for better weight distribution and a lower roof to help keep the car stuck to the road.
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4. Bugatti Chiron
> Top speed: 261 mph
Bugatti made a decision that proves top speed isn’t the only factor in building a high-performance car. The German automaker electronically limits the Chiron’s top speed to 236 mph, or 261 mph in “Top Speed Mode.” The car is believed to be able to run at speeds near or over 300 mph — though there does not seem to be a street-legal tire that can accommodate such speeds.
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3. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
> Top speed: 268 mph
In 2010, German supercar maker Bugatti reclaimed its title as the builder of the fastest street-legal sports car when its 1200 hp Veyron Super Sport hit an average of 267.8 mph in back-to-back runs in opposite directions. Unlike startup supercar manufacturers, Bugatti benefits from ownership by auto giant Volkswagen Group, providing the company access to immense resources.
2. Hennessey Venom GT
> Top speed: 270 mph
In a 2014 run, the 1244 hp Hennessey Venom GT proved it was slightly faster than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which was the fastest road-legal car at the time. Even though the car did eclipse 270 mph, the Guinness Book of World Records never considered the Venom the world’s fastest road-legal car because of the way the speed test was conducted.
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1. Koenigsegg Agera RS
> Top speed: 278 mph
In 2017, the 1360 hp Swedish-made Koenigsegg Agera RS raced to the top of the list of fastest road-legal cars when a driver hit an average 277.9 mph based on two consecutive runs in opposite directions: one run peaked at 284 mph and the other touched 272 mph. Both speeds were faster than any other car on this list.
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