World’s eight fastest supercars and the science behind them: From the 330mph Koenigsegg Jesko to the Bugatti Chiron that does 0-100 in four seconds

Science
By William

When you think about what makes a car really useful, and how fast it is 0-60MPH is not the most important factor.

But nothing sparks the imagination quite like top speed. It takes ingenuity, technology and determination to get to this point much faster than humans were supposed to.

Going fast isn't just a matter of building a bigger engine. World record breakers need to hide a small but powerful engine under a high, aerodynamic body to harness all that power.

The list below – which details the eight production cars with the highest top speeds in the world – features vehicles that look more like spaceships or fighter jets than passenger cars.

And that's not all for show. IThe incredible speeds require a lot of aerodynamic force to keep them from literally flying, which means engineers need to get creative with their designs.

They must be able to maintain traction at legendary speeds, cut through the air like knives, and keep the driver safe in the event of an accident.

Its engines are marvels of technology as well. In all of them, turbochargers force air into the intake ports—sometimes at more than twice the atmospheric pressure—and massive injectors deliver large amounts of fuel to match.

However, more gasoline may not be all it takes to keep your engine running its best for a long time. In a change from the past decade, one of the cars on this list is a gasoline-electric hybrid, signaling a potential shift in the market.

This field has really changed since 2005, when the Bugatti Veyron came out and exceeded 250 mph, making it the fastest car in the world. Now most of the fastest cars in the world are designed to exceed 300 miles per hour.

Let's start near the top, where we rank the eight production cars with the highest top speeds in the world:

8. Koenigsegg Agera RS: 277.9 mph

The Agera RS held the record for the world's fastest car for a while, having recorded an average speed of 277.87 in November 2017. It still holds the record for top speed on a public road by a street-legal car, but has since been surpassed by others On the track. The Agera RS is no slouch, as the 5-liter V8 pumps out 960 horsepower with the help of twin variable-geometry ceramic-spherical turbochargers.

7. Czinger 21C: 281 mph

Los Angeles-based Czinger's 3D-printed 21C offers a unique take: Its powertrain is a gasoline-electric hybrid. A 2.88-liter twin-turbo V8 drives the rear wheels, while two electric motors drive the front wheels, for a combined power of 1,250 horsepower at 10,500 rpm. It holds the record for fastest lap by a production car at both Laguna Seca and Circuit of the Americas.

Los Angeles-based Czinger's 3D-printed 21C offers a unique take: Its powertrain is a gasoline-electric hybrid. A 2.88-liter twin-turbo V8 drives the rear wheels, while two electric motors drive the front wheels, for a combined power of 1,250 horsepower at 10,500 rpm. It holds the record for fastest lap by a production car at both Laguna Seca and Circuit of the Americas.

6. SSC Tuatara: 295 mph

This American-made supercar features a 5.9-liter V8 engine with a flat-plane crank to provide high-revving capabilities. Like most cars on this list, it's twin-turbocharged and has different power ratings depending on the type of fuel in the tank: 91-octane gasoline will produce 1,350 horsepower, while E85 will push out 1,750 horsepower. Its drag coefficient is just 0.279, which means it glides through the air like a fish in water. It was propelled to 295 mph over a distance of 2.3 miles at Space Florida's launch and landing facility in 2022.

This American-made supercar features a 5.9-liter V8 engine with a flat-plane crank to provide high-revving capabilities. Like most cars on this list, it's twin-turbocharged and has different power ratings depending on the type of fuel in the tank: 91-octane gasoline will produce 1,350 horsepower, while E85 will push out 1,750 horsepower. Its drag coefficient is just 0.279, which means it glides through the air like a fish in water. It was propelled to 295 mph over a distance of 2.3 miles at Space Florida's launch and landing facility in 2022.

5. Hennessey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster: 300+ mph

With an estimated top speed of more than 300 mph, we're now entering a new era of supercars — or supercars, or megacars, depending on which promotional materials you read. Whichever way you slice it, the roofless, Texas-built Hennesey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster might make you lose your hat as you're down the road at over 300 mph. With a carbon fiber body and a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the Venom F5 pumps out 1,817 horsepower at 8,000 rpm.

With an estimated top speed of more than 300 mph, we're now entering a new era of supercars — or supercars, or megacars, depending on which promotional materials you read. Whichever way you slice it, the roofless, Texas-built Hennesey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster might make you lose your hat as you're down the road at over 300 mph. With a carbon fiber body and a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the Venom F5 pumps out 1,817 horsepower at 8,000 rpm.

4. Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+: 304 mph

France may not be the first place you think of when you think of the fastest cars in the world, but the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ has been clocked at over 304 mph. Its 8-liter W16 engine has four turbochargers and an air-water intercooling system that feeds 1,600 horsepower through a seven-speed gearbox.

France may not be the first place you think of when you think of the fastest cars in the world, but the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ has been clocked at over 304 mph. Its 8-liter W16 engine has four turbochargers and an air-water intercooling system that feeds 1,600 horsepower through a seven-speed gearbox.

3. SP Auto Chaos: 310 mph

Greece may be a more unlikely home for a supercar than France, but the twisty floor of the 3,065-horsepower 4-liter V10 says otherwise. The company makes a slew of its own space-age parts, like the milled aluminum block, carbon fiber turbocharger compressor covers, and the 3D-printed crankshaft that helps the engine spin at over 10,000 rpm.

Greece may be a more unlikely home for a supercar than France, but the twisty floor of the 3,065-horsepower 4-liter V10 says otherwise. The company makes a slew of its own space-age parts, like the milled aluminum block, carbon fiber turbocharger compressor covers, and the 3D-printed crankshaft that helps the engine spin at over 10,000 rpm.

2. Hennessey Venom F5 Coupe: 311 mph

Recorded a few ticks quicker than the Hennesey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster, the company's coupe version has an inherently stiffer body, thanks to the presence of a roof. It comes from the factory with the same powertrain, making it one of the fastest cars in the world.

Recorded a few ticks quicker than the Hennesey Venom F5 Revolution Roadster, the company's coupe version has an inherently stiffer body, thanks to the presence of a roof. It comes from the factory with the same powertrain, making it one of the fastest cars in the world.

1. Koenigsegg Jesko Absolute: 330 mph

This Swedish beast is designed to be faster than anything else out there. Its drag coefficient is one thousandth lower than the Tatuara's at 0.278. This car's radical bodywork not only glides through the air, but keeps it pressed to the road, and lower flaps help reduce drag. Its 5-liter engine is fed by a twin ceramic ball-bearing turbocharger, producing 1,600 horsepower in the E85 model, and 1,280 horsepower in the gasoline. The Jesko Absolut seems to stand still and turn the world beneath it, pumping power through a 9-speed transmission.

This Swedish beast is designed to be faster than anything else out there. Its drag coefficient is one thousandth lower than the Tatuara's at 0.278. This car's radical bodywork not only glides through the air, but keeps it pressed to the road, and lower flaps help reduce drag. Its 5-liter engine is fed by a twin ceramic ball-bearing turbocharger, producing 1,600 horsepower in the E85 model, and 1,280 horsepower in the gasoline. The Jesko Absolut seems to stand still and turn the world beneath it, pumping power through a 9-speed transmission.

(tags for translation) Daily Mail

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