Engineering

The 10 Fastest Street-Legal Cars

The decisions made on a daily basis by the elite .4%’ers can’t be easy. So whether deciding which private jet to charter, what house to buy, or whom to take to dinner this weekend, there are monumental dilemmas always in need of resolution. Let’s say you just sold your company to the tune of $7 billion, and your Rolls Royce just isn’t getting you to the ATM quickly enough. Helicopter flight simply isn’t practical enough yet and your jetpack only works on water (sigh). So what next, you may ask? There exists a rare breed of car, when “supercar” simply doesn’t cover it. Let me introduce you to “hypercars,” and the top ten fastest, street-legal examples of them.

Vehicle development teams are constantly pushing the capabilities of what’s currently possible. These blisteringly fast vehicles are derived from far more than a large engine crammed under the hood. Such cars are commonly clad in lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and titanium, but it doesn’t stop there. Many feature specific developments of composite materials to better suit the vehicles, improving chassis strength, rigidity, and responsiveness. And just in case that isn’t bonkers enough, the coachbuilders take aim at the seats, windows, carpet and even paint—all while shedding weight. But, let’s get on to the cars. When you’ve got a home in Maldives waiting, who really has time for the owner manual anyways?

1. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse

Bugatti Veyron 16.4Engine: 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W-16
HP/Torque: 1,200/1,106 lb.-ft.
0-60: 2.4
Top Speed: 265+ MPH (limited)

Image by M 93.

2. Hennessey Venom GT

Engine: 6.2-liter, twin-turbo V-8
HP/Torque: 1,244/1,155 lb.-ft.
0-60: 2.7
Top Speed: 278 MPH

3. Koenigsegg Agera R

Koenigsegg Agera REngine: 5.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8
HP/Torque: 1,099/889 lb.-ft.
0-60: 2.9
Top Speed: 260 MPH

Image by Andrew Basterfield.

4. SSC Ultimate Aero

SSC Ultimate Aero TT-1Engine: 6.94-liter twin-turbo V-8
HP/Torque: 1,300/1,004 lb.-ft.
0-60: 2.65
Top Speed: 275 MPH

5. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

Engine: 7.0-liter twin-turbo V-8
HP/Torque: 750/700 lb.-ft.
0-60: 2.8
Top Speed: 248 MPH

6. Koenigsegg CCX

Koenigsegg CCXEngine: 4.8-liter twin-turbo V-8
HP/Torque: 876/639 lb.-ft.
0-60: 2.9
Top Speed: 249+ MPH

7. Mclaren F1

Engine: 6.1-liter V-12
HP/Torque: 618/580 lb.-ft.
0-60: 2.9
Top Speed: 240 MPH

8. Zenvo ST1

2009 Zenvo ST1Engine: 7-liter turbo/supercharged V-8
HP/Torque: 1,104/1,055 lb.-ft.
0-60: 3.0
Top Speed: 233 MPH

Image by G patkar.

9. Gumpert Apollo

Engine: 4.2-liter V-8Gumpert Apollo
HP/Torque: 650/627 lb.-ft.
0-60: 3.0
Top Speed: 190+ MPH

Image by Maximilian Dörrbecker.

10. Noble M600

Engine: 4.4-liter V-8
HP/Torque: 650/604 lb.-ft.
0-60: 3.2
Top Speed: 225 MPH

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Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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