The world's 10 fastest vehicles

We all love the idea of slamming our foot on a car’s accelerator and zooming forward at blisteringly fast speeds, don’t we? Something about extreme velocity appeals to the human brain on a primal, visceral level: it floods us with adrenaline and gets our blood pumping like nothing else can. But what are the best cars for actually achieving these preposterous speeds? Luckily, your intrepid author is on hand to answer that question. Fasten your seatbelts, because we’ve hunted down the word’s ten fastest vehicles and are ready to unleash them... albeit only in the form of a list.

Bringing up the rear is the Koenigsegg CCXS. It might only hold tenth place on our list, but the CCXS is still a fine vehicle: not only does it have 1001hp of horsepower and a top speed of 252mph, it also looks amazing. It’s unique design features dramatic curves and sharp angles that make it look immensely dynamic and appealing.

Ninth place is held by another vehicle from Koenigsegg. The Koenigsegg Regera won’t be publicly available until 2016. However, with a top speed of 255mph and horsepower of 1790hp, we simply had to include it! What’s more, it can go from 0 to 62mph in just 2.7 seconds.

However, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse (which occupies the eighth place on our list) is my personal favourite. It’s hard not to fall in love with the Vitesse, simply because its smooth, uncomplicated design makes it look as though it drove out of a cartoon. Despite its cartoonish profile, however, the Vitesse is no laughing matter. With 1200hp of horsepower and a 255mph top speed, this car is a serious speedster. While the two cars have the same top speed, the Vitesse manages 0 to 62mph 0.1 seconds faster than the Regera, as it only requires 2.6 seconds. 

Like the Regera and the Vitesse, our next entrant (in seventh place) has a top speed of 255mph. The car in question is the the Hennessey Venom 1000 Twin Turbo. Despite its modest horsepower of 1000hp, however, it accelerates far faster than its nearest rivals. In fact, it can go from 0 to 62mph in just 2.35 seconds.

The SCC Ultimate Aero TT, however, pulls ahead of its rivals to claim sixth place on our list with a top speed of 256mph. This speed is accomplished with just 1183hp of horsepower. 

The 9ff GT9-R Porsche is our fifth-position vehicle. This mighty machine is profoundly impressive. With a top-speed of 257mph and horsepower measuring 1120hp, the 9ff GT9-R is an astonishing feat of engineering. It’s just a pity Porsche couldn’t come up with a more memorable name.

However impressive the 9ff GT9-R might be, it can’t compare to the vehicle that occupies fourth place on our list: the Koenigsegg One:1. Despite its slightly silly name, the One:1 is an amazing vehicle with a top speed of 267mph and 1360hp of horsepower.

Sneaking in ahead of the One:1 and making into the top three, however, is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. In many respects, the Super Sport is identical to the Vitesse. The only difference is that the Vitesse can’t make it beyond 255mph, whereas the Super Sport effortlessly achieves 268mph.

Sadly, 268mph just isn’t fast enough to claim second place. The Hennessey Venom GT can manage a an insanely fast 270mph with a horsepower of 1244hp.

But what car is truly the fastest vehicle on Earth? Which machine offers the speediest ride and the most extreme acceleration? The answer is our first-place vehicle, the Vector Avtech WX8 Hypercar. Like the Venom GT, the Hypercar has a top speed of 270mph. However, the Venom GT needs 2.7 seconds to go from 0 to 62mph, whereas the Avtech can achieve the same feat in just 2.6 seconds. It might be a narrow victory, but there can be no doubt of its veracity. Today’s prize goes to the WX8 Hypercar.

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