Companies involved in the production of sports cars are constantly leading a kind of “arms race” among themselves. Each strive to win the status of the fastest. New names join mastodons like McLaren and Bugatti in the struggle for leadership. The industry does not stand still – now electric cars and hybrids compete with loud gasoline monsters, which will definitely please eco-activists.
Pagani Huayra R – 383 km/h
The most extreme model in the history of the brand. The six-cylinder engine produces 850 horsepower. The drive, of course, is rear, the gearbox is a seven-speed automatic with a three-plate clutch. The company sought to minimize the weight of the car, so a special carbon-titanium alloy was used for the body – It is lighter and stronger than conventional carbon fiber. An important detail of the Pagani Huayra R is aerodynamics. To achieve better performance, the air ducts in the front of the car and on the hood were changed, and slits were added to the wings. In addition, the car is equipped with a “fin” on the roof and a rear wing. All this allows the Pagani Huayra R to reach a maximum speed of 383 km / h, and the model accelerates from zero to hundreds in 3.3 seconds.
McLaren F1 – 387 km / h
A real legend among high-speed cars for public roads, holding the lead for 7 years. For its development, a subsidiary company McLaren Cars Limited was created. The power plant was borrowed from BMW. The top model M8 remained at the prototype stage and did not go into production. “Why waste good” – apparently, thought Gordon Murray, who worked on F1. McLaren upsized the BMW 12-cylinder engine to 6.1 liters, squeezing out 627 horsepower without a turbo. Technicians enchantingly solved the problem of thermal insulation of the engine compartment – they packed it in gold foil.
💡 Interesting fact: that the McLaren F1 brought its famous owner over $1,000,000. Comedian Rowan Atkinson, known for his role as Mr. Bean, got into an accident on it several times and was able to obtain from the insurance company an amount that was 15 times the cost of the car itself.
Aston Martin Valkyrie – 402 km/h
Aggressive and bright hypercar, which stands out sharply against the background of the rest of Aston Martin products. Chip car in exceptional aerodynamics with minimal weight. The manufacturer refused to adjust the seats and lowering windows – all for the sake of facilitating the design. The streamlined body is made entirely of carbon fiber and complemented by aerodynamic elements – tunnels that create the Venturi effect, providing maximum downforce and optimal distribution of air flows when driving at high speeds. The car is driven by a hybrid power plant: a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine, electric motors, a seven-speed gearbox and a kinetic energy recovery system. The maximum speed of the car is 402 km/h.
SSC Tuatara – 411 km/h
A worthy rival to the Bugatti Chiron and Hennessey Venom F5. The company has previously created a speed record holder – SSC Ultimate Aero TT. Tuatara can be called his successor. Of the features of the car, it is worth noting the exceptional aerodynamics of the body – the air resistance coefficient is only 0.279. Outstanding performance is achieved through an active rear wing and an adaptive suspension that changes the ride height depending on the driving mode. There are three of them: Sport, Track or Lift. Under the hood of this monster is a 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged eight-cylinder engine.
💡 Interesting fact: it concerns the name of the car – it was named after the lizard. In the Russian-speaking community, it is better known as a tuatara. Its feature is the fastest evolving DNA on Earth. A subtle hint from Shelby Super Cars.
Rimac Nevera – 415 km/h
A high-speed electric car that is suitable for both straight roads and winding roads. The main feature of the car in its power plant – 4 electric motors (one for each wheel) in total give out an unimaginable 1914 horsepower. Thanks to this system, it demonstrates impressive maneuverability at maximum speed. Nevera overcomes the threshold of 100 km / h in 1.85 seconds. The design of the car is as light as possible – most of the body parts are made of aluminum, some elements are made of carbon fiber. The 120 kWh battery deserves a special mention – it lasts for 650 km, and it takes less than an hour to fully charge. In addition to speed, the electric car boasts a security system – it is unlocked using the Face ID analogue.
Bugatti Veyron SS – 431 km/h
Bugatti took five years to create a fast sports car, which for many years held the title of the fastest car. At first glance, it does not differ much from the previous model. However, this is not the case. Technicians significantly improved the body: they increased the brake cooling ducts, updated the bumper to create additional downforce, improved the adaptive spoiler – now it rises when reaching a speed of 180 km/h, and falls when returning to 120 km/h. Under the hood, he has a real “monster” – a 16-cylinder W-shaped eight-liter engine, designed from two V-shaped “eights”. From zero to hundreds, the car accelerates in 2.5 seconds.
💡 Interesting fact: before the official race with representatives of the Book of Records, a trial test drive was carried out by the Top Gear show team. One of its leaders, James May, tried to accelerate to maximum speed, but stopped at 417 km / h.
Hennessey Venom GT – 434 km / h
An American high-performance supercar based on the Lotus Elise. Its body was lightened by the use of carbon fiber. This helped the engineers to reduce the curb weight of the vehicle to 1244 kilograms. Under the hood it has a seven-liter twin-turbocharged GM LS7 V8 engine that produces 1817 horsepower. The rear-wheel drive car is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, adjustable suspension and an adaptive rear wing. In 2013, the Venom GT entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest car legal for driving on public roads, which accelerated to a maximum speed of 13 seconds.
Koenigsegg Agera RS – 445 km / h
The Swedish company Koenigsegg is engaged in the production of exclusive cars, but their serial models are also worthy of attention. The Agera RS is the latest evolution of the original Agera introduced in 2010. It has gone through extensive testing and refinement to become one of the fastest production cars in the world. The Agera RS is significantly lighter and more powerful than the original. She has under the hood an eight-cylinder V-engine with 5 liters and a capacity of 1179 horsepower. This allows the car to accelerate from zero to hundreds in just 2.9 seconds. In addition to a top speed of 445 km/h, the Agera RS also boasts many other performance records, making it one of the most powerful road cars.
💡 Interesting fact: it is believed that the creation of such an outstanding Koenigsegg car was driven by rivalry with Bugatti, who set a speed record with their Chiron.
Koenigsegg Jesko Absolute – 482 km/h
Apparently, one car-record holder seemed to the Swedes not enough. The scheme is about the same as with the Agera RS: the engineers took a fairly successful Jesko model and upgraded it. Jesko Absolute is equipped with a powerful 5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 1281 horsepower. The unit is paired with a nine-speed “robot” with seven clutches. Stabilizers are installed at the back, somewhat reminiscent of a similar design on the F-15 fighter. According to the results of a computer simulation, the car could accelerate to an insane 532 km / h, but the reality is harsh, and, alas, it failed to gain more than 482 km / h.
💡 Interesting fact: according to the founder of the company, Jesko Absolute may be their last “record holder”. There is a possibility that Koenigsegg will stop the race for new titles of the “fastest”.
Bugatti Chiron SuperSport 300+ – 489 km/h
Again, a modification of an earlier model, optimized for extremely high speeds. It can be distinguished from the previous Chiron by the extended body and “air curtains” located at the corners of the front bumper. “Curtains” together with air ducts on the front wheel arches are designed to minimize air resistance. Under the hood of the Bugatti is an 8-liter W16 engine that develops an incredible power of almost 1600 horsepower. The exclusive Chiron SuperSport 300+ run of just 30 cars is completely sold out. Bugatti has completed production of the Chiron models and is already developing a new concept with Rimac.
Source: Trash Box
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
