This is a list of the world's record-breaking top speeds achieved by street-legal production cars (as opposed to concept cars or modified cars). For the purposes of this list eligible cars are defined in the below list of rules. This list uses a different definition to the List of automotive superlatives. The variation is because the term production car is otherwise undefined.
List rules
Because of the inconsistencies with the various definitions of production cars, dubious claims by manufacturers and self-interest groups, and inconsistent or changing application of the definitions this list has a defined set of requirements. For further explanation of how these were arrived at see the talk pages of both this article and the above link. After the Koenigsegg Agera RS was found not eligible for this list since only 11 cars had engines rated higher than 865 kW, the former 25 car minimum was dropped and replaced with new rules based on suggestions by Koenigsegg PR manager Steven Wade.
Post 1945 and over only This list is also limited to post World War II production road cars which reached more than , older cars are excluded even if they were faster. The Benz Velo as the first petrol driven car is the only exception.
Production car definition For the purposes of this list, a production car is defined as a vehicle that is:
Constructed principally for retail sale to consumers, for their personal use, to transport people on public roads (no commercial or industrial vehicles are eligible) Available for commercial sale to the public in the same specification as the vehicle used to achieve the record Manufactured in the record-claiming specification by a manufacturer whose WMI number is shown on the VIN, including vehicles that are modified by either professional tuners or others that result in a VIN with a WMI number in their name (for example, cars manufactured by RUF with Porsche parts and RUF's WMI W09 are eligible; cars modified by them with Porsche's WMI, WP0, aren't) Pre-1981 vehicles must be made by the original vehicle manufacturer and not modified by either professional tuners or individuals Street-legal in its intended markets, having fulfilled the homologation tests or inspections required under either a) United States of America, b) European Union, or c) Japanese law to be granted this status Sold in more than one national market.
Measurement of top speed To establish the top speed for cars the requirement is, in addition to the above, an independent road test with a two-way run. The mean of the top speed for both runs is taken as the car's top speed. In instances where the top speed has been determined by removing the limiter, the test met these requirements, and the car is sold with the limiter on then the limited speed is accepted as meeting this requirement. For the McLaren F1 the estimation by Car and Driver about the speed at the rev-limiter is used.
Record-breaking production vehicles
Year Make and model Top speed Engine Number built Comment 1894 Benz Velo single-cylinder 1,200 First production car. It does not meet the list criteria. 1949 Jaguar XK120 inline-6 12,061 Some publications cite the XK120's timed top speed as almost in 1949. The XK120 that achieved this speed had a tonneau over the passenger seat and an aero screen fitted. When in completely standard form, the car reached when tested by Motor. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL inline-6 1,400 Two-way average speed tested by Automobil Revue in 1958. reached in one direction. 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT inline-6 75 Tested by Autosport in December 1961.1960Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato inline-6 19Tested by Autocar in April 1962. 1963 Iso Grifo GL 365 V8 over 400 Tested by Autocar in 1966. A total of 412 Iso Grifos were built 1963–1974. 1965 AC Cobra Mk III 427 V8 >25 Tested by Car & Driver. Top speed described as observed. 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 V12 275 Tested by Motor in June 1967. Over 750 units built in 1966–1973 period, which includes P400, P400 S and P400 SV models. 1968 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona V12 1,406 Tested by Autocar in 1971. 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400S Sport Auto, numéro 100, mai 1970 V12 338 Tested by Sport Auto in 1970. 1982 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Auto, Motor und Sport 15/1983 V12 321 Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport. 1983 Ruf BTR Auto, Motor und Sport 3/1987 turbocharged flat-6 about 20–30 Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport, about 20-30 built with Ruf VIN. 1986 Porsche 959 Road & Track July 1987 twin-turbocharged flat-6 292 Tested by Road & Track in 1987. The 959 Deluxe version attained , the Sport version . 29 were built in a performance-enhanced sports version which reached tested by Auto, Motor und Sport at Nardo in 1988.Auto, Motor und Sport 25/1988 1987 Ruf CTR twin-turbocharged flat-6 29 Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport at Nardò Ring in 1988. 1992 McLaren F1 BMW S70/2 60° V12 64 Some publications cite the F1's timed top speed as . This speed was achieved by a modified F1 with the rev limiter raised from 7500 rpm to 8300 rpm, not a production car. The F1 in an unmodified state is gear limited at . 1993 Dauer 962 Le Mans Evo September 2003: p.106-109 twin-turbocharged flat-6 ≥10 Independently measured at Ehra-Lessien in November 1998. 2005 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 quad-turbocharged W16 252 Recorded and verified by German inspection officials on 19 April 2005.2007SSC Ultimate Aero412.22 km/h (256.14 mph) twin-turbocharged V8 24Inspected and verified by Guinness World Records on 9 October 2007. 2010 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport quad-turbocharged W16 48 Out of the initial production run of 30 cars, 5 were named the Super Sport World Record Edition, which had the same electronic limiter as the other 25but turned off. Pierre-Henri Raphanel drove the unlimited Super Sport World Record Edition to a two-way average, verified by Guinness World Records. When sold, the electronic limiters were re-activated, limiting them to the same as the entire production run. 2017 Koenigsegg Agera RS twin-turbocharged V8 25 The base engine is rated at , 11 cars were factory specced with the option. Niklas Lilja drove the 1 MW Agera RS to a top speed of , independently verified by Racelogic. 2021 SSC Tuatara twin-turbocharged V8 when on E85 fuel 100 When on regular fuel, has . It achieved the top speed on 17 January 2021.
Difficulties with claims Comparing claimed speeds of the fastest production cars in the world, especially in historical cases, is difficult as there is no standardized method for determining the top speed and no central authority to verify any such claims. Examples of the difficulties faced were highlighted in a two-week long dispute regarding Bugatti's record set in 2010, and Hennessey's 2013 claim that their own top speed runslower than Bugatti's, lacking the required two-way average, and lacking the minimum 25 car production runwas the real record, due to an issue regarding electronic limiters.
Bugatti Veyron limiter removal On 4 July 2010, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport reached for a two-way average. Bugatti built 30 identical Super Sports, with 5 of them named World Record Edition. All 30 were equipped with electronic limiters, but the World Record Edition had their limiters turned off for the record attempt. After the record run, all five had their electronic limiters reactivated, so that the entire production run was delivered to customers with a limit of . Guinness Book of Records, which had listed speeds by British cars with modified rev. limiter as production car records in the 1990s, listed the unlimited as the production car speed record.
In April 2013, following a press release claiming the record for the Hennessey Venom GT due to the electronic limiter issue, The Sunday Times quoted Guinness public relations director Jaime Strang as saying: "As the car's speed limiter was deactivated, this modification was against the official guidelines. Consequently, the vehicle's record set at is no longer valid." Five days later, Guinness World Records officially posted on its website that it: "...would like to confirm that Bugatti's record has not been disqualified; the record category is currently under review." Five days later Bugatti's speed record was confirmed: "Following a thorough review conducted with a number of external experts, Guinness World Records is pleased to announce the confirmation of Bugatti's record of Fastest production car achieved by the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The focus of the review was with respect to what may constitute a modification to a car's standard specification. Having evaluated all the necessary information, Guinness World Records is now satisfied that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."
Cars excluded from the list Some cars were not considered to be the fastest production vehicles, for various reasons. Here is a list of some well-known cars that have not been able to meet standards needed to be the fastest production car.
Year Make and model Top speed Engine Number built Comment 1953 Pegaso Z-102 V8 84 250 hp supercharged variant. Tested by Belgian Automobile club, at Belgium's Jabbeke highway, but the results are not officially recognized worldwide. Classic Car commented that the Z-102 tested was a proto-type. 1959 Maserati 5000 GT V8 2 No accurate measurement and only the first two cars had the engine, 22 cars had coachwork by Allemano, 12 by 7 other companies V8 32 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000QV Auto, Motor und Sport 12/1987 p.11 V12 610 Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport. The car which was tested by Fast Lane in 1986 and listed in the Guinness Book of World Records 1988 had a factory modified airbox. 1990 Vector W8 for prototype twin-turbocharged V8 17 production models No verified top speed for production model, claimed. 1992 Jaguar XJ220 Road & Track January 1995 p.63-71 twin-turbocharged V6 281 Tested by Road & Track. The Guinness World Records speed was measured by Jaguar one-way without independent control with a car modified for about 50 extra horsepower, the claims were also factory measured without independent control. 2004 Koenigsegg CCR twin-supercharged V8 14 Recorded at the Nardò Ring testing facility on 28 February 2005. Excluded from the list due to being a single directional run. 2014 Hennessey Venom GT twin-turbocharged V8 13 Single direction top speed test run in 2014 and no Hennessey VIN.2019Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ quad-turbocharged W16 100-110On 2 August 2019, Andy Wallace achieved a maximum of in a pre-production prototype at Ehra-Lessien, which was verified by TÜV. The production version has the same bodywork, engine and gearbox but no roll cage, different seats, ride height and an electronically limited top speed of . Excluded from the list because it was a unidirectional top speed run.2025Yangwang U9 XtremeFour TZ240XYA electric motors Production limited up to 30 units for global marketsA prototype achieved this top speed on 20 September 2025. However, the run was not bidirectional and is therefore excluded from this list.
See also History of the automobile List of land speed records List of fastest production cars by acceleration List of production cars by power output
References