Fastest cars in the world 2024

The 'fastest ever' car on sale comes with a very large caveat: its top speed is theoretical for now and based on calculations. Still, legendary Swedish hypercar maker Koenigsegg is so confident its Jesko Absolut will deliver that it vows never to make a faster series production road car than this.

The Jesko Absolut is powered by a twin-turbo V8 which can generate "a minimum" of 1600PS on special E85 fuel. The company boss describes it as a "land-based rocket-ship determined to reach unheard of speed in record-setting pace." 

How fast exactly? Well, Koenigsegg's own target was 310mph, but the company's simulations suggest that it will go even faster than that thanks to the Jesko Absolut's super slippery, low-drag body. The issues will be finding a tyre that is capable of doing those speeds, and finding a long enough straight bit of tarmac to get it up there. Still, this is Koenigsegg, not some vapourware start-up hypercar company, so we reckon they'll do it. 

Hennessey has spent the last 30 years modifying everything from Ferraris to pickup trucks to Dodge Vipers. But it's dipped its toe in full vehicle production twice now: first with the Lotus-derived 2011 Venom GT (capable of 270mph) and now with the Venom F5. 

The Venom F5 is not a Lotus Elise modified out of all recognition; instead it's a bespoke, carbon-bodied hypercar with an in-house platform and a 6.6-litre twin-turbo V8 claimed to put out more than 1800PS. Yet it weighs about the same as a Ford Focus, so performance should be pretty unhinged. 

Like the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, Hennessey is yet to attempt a full top speed run, so its position in the list is theoretical for now. But it is very hopeful of reaching or exceeding 311mph. And we believe them, given it's capable of 0-186mph in just 8.4 seconds. Just 24 are being made at a pre-tax price of £1.58m.

No 'fastest cars' list on the internet is complete without a Bugatti of some sort. The 'standard' Chiron, like the Veyron before it, is a mind-blowing piece of engineering, but that doesn't mean it can't be bettered. 

The Chiron Super Sport 300+ is a special version of the already pretty special Chiron Super Sport, built to commemorate a modified Chiron becoming the first hypercar to crack 300mph. The production car's top speed is electronically capped at 273mph, but Bugatti will reportedly let owners add in a roll-cage and attempt their own high-speed at the company's Ehra-Lessien test track. 

As well a 1600PS version of the Chiron's quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16 engine, the Super Sport 300+ gets a longer, aerodynamically-optimised body and extensive weight-saving measures. 30 are being built, priced at £3.1m each.

SSC is a name you may not have heard of, but the North American outfit held the Guinness World Record for the fastest production car for three years with the mid-2000s SSC Ultimate Aero.

Now, it's back, with the SSC Tuatara – a 1750PS hypercar using a highly tuned 5.9-litre twin-turbo V8. SSC got into some controversy in 2020 by claiming a production car record at an incredible 316mph, but reported inconsistencies in the measurement of that speed meant it wasn't recognised widely. 

Not to be deterred, SSC had another crack with the Tuatara in early 2021, using specialist measuring gear monitored by engineers. The data they provided showed the Tuatara hit 286mph and averaged nearly 283mph on both runs – enough to smash the record held by Koenigsegg since 2017. In 2022 it managed 295mph, but further attempts will be made as SSC wants to try and crack the 300mph barrier. 

The Washington-built Tuatara is said to cost around £1m before taxes, with 100 examples planned to be made. 

We wouldn't blame you if you'd never heard of Aspark and its uniquely-named Owl hypercar. But the Japanese engineering firm has been in conception since 2014 with the first customer cars appearing some ten years later 2024. It's out to disprove the theory that electric cars are only fast below a certain speed. 

The Aspark Owl is claimed to put out an astonishing 2012PS through four electric motors – much like the Rimac Nevera, only even more powerful. Built on a carbon chassis, it's light, too, while its 64kWh battery pack means a quoted range of 280 miles. 

Aspark claims the top speed is limited at 248.5mph, and the Owl has the ability to go from 0-60mph in just 1.69 seconds. But in 2024 Aspark upgraded the Owl, creating a version called the SP600, which reached a scorching 438.7kph (272.6mph) at a test track in Papenburg, Germany, making it officially the world's fastest EV. That's in addition to its Guiness World Records that it holds in the UK, cobvering the quarter mile at 198.12mph and an eighth of a mile at 192.03mph. It's quick, is what we're saying.

The second EV on our list, the Nevera is built by Croatian company, which owns a controlling stake in Bugatti alongside Porsche and promises its EV hypercar is capable of 258mph flat-out, putting it right up there with the very fastest petrol-powered cars. 

The Nevera, which puts out a combined 1900PS from four electric motors powering each individual wheel, can accelerate from 0-62mph in under two seconds and cover the quarter mile in 8.6 seconds. Of course, we know EVs can be lightning fast away from the line, but to stop the Nevera's acceleration tailing off Rimac uses a pair of single speed transmissions. 

There's more technical innovation in the Nevera than just raw speed, with extremely clever torque vectoring and a chunky 120kWh battery, which is claimed to give a range of 340 miles. It also has the most powerful regenerative braking of any EV, capable of up to 300kW of power. Priced from £1.72m, 150 examples of the Nevera will be produced. 

No McLaren is exactly dull to look at, but limited-run Speedtail is a jaw-dropping piece of design. The fastest and most aerodynamically efficient McLaren to date, it's been shown to be able to hit 250mph. 

The Speedtail uses a hybrid powertrain, mating McLaren's long-used 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 with a 312PS electric motor for a total output of 1050PS. Although that's less than many cars on this list, the Speedtail is designed to be a 'hyper GT' that's usable and comfortable in everyday driving. It's also half a ton lighter than a Bugatti Chiron, while McLaren says it has 'no interest' in compromising the car's driveability to chase records. 

That incredible long body and active aerodynamics are designed specifically to improve airflow. The Speedtail's futuristic interior also features a central driving position, just like the record-breaking McLaren F1 of the 1990s. 

The Aston Martin Valkyrie has been a long time coming, as it was shown in concept form back in 2016. The first customer car was delivered in early 2022, showing the immense technical challenges the company has had to overcome. 

Aston's vision of the ultimate road car, the Valkyrie uses a 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated Cosworth V12 that can rev to an incredible 11,000rpm, and produces 1160PS. With a kerbweight of around 1130kg (barely more than a Ford Fiesta) the Valkyrie produces more than 1PS for every kilogram it weighs. 

Although its shapely body is designed primarily for downforce, Aston claims the track-focused AMR Pro version will manage over 250mph. The stripped-out cabin is inspired by Le Mans Prototype race cars, although it's apparently capable of taking two adults. Priced at approximately £2.5m each, 150 examples of the Aston Martin Valkyrie will be produced.

Yes, another Koenigsegg – but this one is a bit different because it's the only proper four-seater in this list. Designed to be a comfortable, daily use GT car (it even has rear-seat infotainment to keep the kids happy) that can achieve incredible speeds, the Gemera also has some mind-bending engineering under the skin.

It's powered in part by a 2.0-litre, three-cylinder engine, which sounds a bit puny for a Koenigsegg. But because it uses something called 'Freevalve' technology, it produces 600PS on its own. It can also run on more environmentally friendly ethanol and methanol.

That powerful little engine is mated to not one but three electric motors that increase the total power output to 1700PS. With all-wheel drive, the Gemera is claimed to hit 250mph, or 186mph on rear-wheel drive, electric power alone. It's not your normal hybrid, this. A total of 300 Gemeras will be built, priced from around £1.4m. 

Koenigsegg's appearance in this list three times shows its dedication to speed is serious. The Regera is, according to the company, designed to be a "luxury Megacar alternative" to its "traditional extreme, light-weight, race-like road cars". 

The Regera uses a similar (but detuned) 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 as Koenigsegg's most extreme models, but this time its mated to three electric motors and a special 'Direct Drive' gearbox that's lighter and more efficient than a traditional gearbox. Putting out 1500PS, and being constructed from carbon fibre and Kevlar, the Regera tips the scales at under 1600kg – impressive for a hybrid hypercar. 

It's also a record holder, according to Koenigsegg, managing to go from zero to 249mph and back to zero again in an incredible 31.49 seconds. Priced from around £1.3m, just 80 examples of the Regera will ever be produced.