Ever since the car was invented, people have been vying to design and make the fastest one possible. 100 years ago the fastest car just about managed 130mph. Nowadays half the cars on the road could reach that speed. 

So what are the fastest cars ever made, and which one currently holds the record?

What is the Fastest Car in the World?

Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut - 330mph (claimed)

Whilst the famous Swedish hypercar maker has not yet conducted an official top speed run, they have plenty of form at breaking world records, previously holding the top speed title with their first car, the CCR, then again with the Agera RS. 

Not only have simulations shown the Jesko can hit 330mph, but real tests have also shown it beating the 0-400-0kmh record (0-249-0mph), achieving the feat in a staggering 27.83 seconds, and hitting the near 250mph peak in only 19 seconds!

Bugatti Bolide - 310mph (simulated)

Unlike the Chiron it borrows its engine from, the Bolide is a track-only car; not meeting the regulations for use on the public roads. That doesn’t make its speed any less impressive though, with an 8 litre W16 engine producing 1,847 horsepower and some serious aero, it's got all the ingredients to hit the manufacturer's claimed 310mph.

Only 40 cars were made by the German arm of the French automotive legend Bugatti, which helps to make the £3.5m price tag make a little more sense.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - 305mph

The first car on this list to actually set a world record, the Chiron Super Sport is the speed-focussed variant of the Chiron, announced in 2016. Only 30 cars were made, with the cars being delivered between September 2019 and July 2022.

As standard, the car was fitted with a speed limiter that prevented drivers from reaching the top speed on the road. But as part of the package, Bugatti would track-prep the car at the Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany.

Hennessey Venom F5 - 300mph

John Hennessey started his business tuning and modifying standard vehicles, they still offer tuning packages for many models including the Ford Raptor pickup truck and the Dodge RAM. In 2017 they unveiled the Venom F5, featuring the company's first in-house made engine.

Hennessey squeezed over 1,800 horsepower from the relatively small 6.6 litre LS-based V8 engine, and simulations state the car should actually be capable of 328mph! A notable variant of the Venom F5 is the F5-M, a six-speed manual version, which unsurprisingly holds the record of the most powerful manual car ever built.

SSC Tuatara - 295mph

Despite the name, SSC or Shelby Super Cars, founded by Jerod Shelby is of no relation to the formidable Carroll Shelby of the 1967 Le Mans winning fame. The passion and performance are there, though. In 2022, the Tuatara hit 295mph on a closed runway in Florida.

This comes after the SSC made headlines in 2020 for releasing a promo video of the new car hitting 331mph, but eagle-eyed viewers noticed the on-board telemetry systems didn’t quite tally. After some discussion and admissions of misinterpreting, the Tuatara may always be known mainly by the controversy, rather than the genuinely impressive performance.

Most Notable High-Speed Cars

Out-and-out speed is one thing, and the car that holds the top spot will always be talked about, but in a world of simulated top speeds, social media and controversy, it’s often more satisfying to learn and reminisce about the older greats, and special breakthroughs.

First Car to hit 200mph - The Sunbeam 1000hp

Although very much a race car, the Sunbeam 1,000hp is worthy of an essay all on its own, not least because it highlights how far engine and aero design have come in the last 100 years.

In 1927, the Sunbeam 1,000hp set a new world record on Daytona Beach, Florida. Reaching a top speed of 203.79mph. The car, known as ‘The Slug’, was built in Wolverhampton by Sunbeam, a motorcycle, motorcar and aero engine manufacturer. 

It was their access to aeroplane engines that enabled the Sunbeam 1,000 to exist, it used two 22-litre engines that jointly developed over 900 horsepower.

First Road Car to Hit 200mph - Ferrari F40

The F40 is famously the first road car to achieve 200mph, with a top speed of 201mph on its release in 1987. This is, however, strongly contested; the Firebird-based Pontiac Tojan is claimed to have reached at least 203mph three years before.

The Tojan used a marine-based small block V8 with two huge turbochargers, and was built by a small tuning shop in Nebraska, but as that was a very limited run coach built car, the title is usually given to the Italian car.

And what a car, the F40 has to be one of the most recognisable and iconic supercars of all time, with its low, angular body and huge wing. Mechanically it was remarkable too, with a 2.9L turbocharged V8 - Compare that to the 44 litres in the Sunbeam above, just 60 years earlier.

First Car to Achieve 200Kmh (124mph) - The Jaguar XK120

At the time of its debut in 1948, the Jaguar XK120 was the fastest production car in the world, achieving 124 miles an hour in standard trim, and 135 with some slight modifications. The early cars featured a sleek all-aluminium body and convertible roof, it was powered by a 3.4 litre inline 6-cylinder engine.

A number of records were broken with the Jaguar XK120, including averaging 130mph for an hour, over 100mph for 24 hours and one particular test conducted on a racetrack in France, where an XK120 was driven for 7 days and 7 nights averaging just over 100mph for the entire run, a great testament to the durability of the car.

First Car to Hit 150mph - Mercedes Benz 300SL

A few years after the Jaguar XK120 was released, the Stuttgart manufacturer of prestige vehicles decided to make its first road-going sports car, the 300SL. Attention was drawn predominantly to the beautiful body and gullwing doors, but its 160mph top speed was another string to its bow. 

At the time the 300SL was the world's fastest production car, based on the race car of the same name that won Le Mans a few years prior. Thanks to its beauty, prestige and rarity, used prices of the 300SL are some of the highest on this list!

First Car to Hit 250mph - The Bugatti Veyron 16.4

A surprising venture that spawned out of Volkswagen’s re-launch of the Bugatti name, the design brief for the Veyron was that it should be as competent in reaching its proposed 248mph top speed, as it was being driven to the opera.

This led to an ultra-powerful, ultra-luxurious hypercar that produced over 1,000 horsepower from its 16.4-litre engine. Over the course of developing the Veyron, Volkswagen Audi Group spent $1.6 billion, meaning each Veyron cost at least $3.5 million to make. Upon launch, the car was priced at $1.9 million.

Author - Joseph Law

Joseph has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.