World’s fastest cars: 225mph and more

Just weeks after it officially became the world’s fastest EV, the Chinese-made Yangwang U9 Xtreme is now the fastest production car of all.

A top speed of 308.4mph rocketed the 3,000hp hypercar straight into the record books. Let’s take a closer look at the incredible U9 Xtreme, followed by all the 225mph+ cars it has left in its wake.

Flying the flag for Yangwang

Not heard of Yangwang? The U9 Xtreme is designed to change that. Part of the sprawling BYD Auto group, Yangwang is an upmarket car brand focused on performance and luxury. Its hypercar packs four 30,000rpm motors, a 1,200-volt electrical system and a lithium iron phosphate ‘Blade Battery’. Up to 30 examples of the Xtreme will be sold to customers, although no price was confirmed at the time of writing.

Making his Marc

The Yangwang U9 Xtreme’s record run took place at the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) facility in Germany. Its driver was Marc Basseng, a very capable pair of hands whose CV includes winning the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship. After climbing from the car, Basseng said: “Technically, something like this is not possible with a combustion engine. Thanks to the electric motor, the car is quiet, there are no load changes, and that allows me to focus even more on the track.”

Now let’s round up some of the other fastest cars on the planet, ranked in V-max order. We shall open the bidding at 225mph…

Noble M600 – 225mph

There’s no shortage of seven-figure exotica in this list, but the British-built Noble M600 isn’t among them. Indeed, we spotted an early example for less than £150,000 – a bargain, given its 650hp 4.4-litre Yamaha-tuned V8 makes it good for 225mph.

Gumpert Apollo – 225mph

A romantic-sounding name, Gumpert is not. Nor was the Apollo much of a looker. Today, ‘Apollo’ lives on as a marque in its own right, and we’re glad for that. The latest Apollo supercar won’t match the Gumpert at the top end, though, given the old-timer will nudge 225mph.

Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 – 230mph

Gordon Murray probably won’t read this countdown. “Top speed is not important,” he told Hagerty when discussing his T.50 supercar, “but we estimate about 230mph.” One thing is for certain: with a 663hp naturally aspirated V12 and dry weight of 957kg, the T.50 isn’t slow.

Pagani Huayra – 231mph

If you want speed and glamour, the Huayra is the hypercar for you. You feel like you’re aboard a low-flying jet, with the whooshing of the mighty 6.0-litre twin-turbo AMG V12. The 231mph Pagani was launched in 2012, and was recently replaced by the Utopia.

Zenvo TS1 GT – 233mph

Built in Denmark, the £1.1 million Zenvo TS1 GT is good for 233mph thanks to a 1,194hp 5.8-litre V8 developed in-house. Clever tech includes a sequential gearbox with helical-cut dog gears, plus a centripetal rear wing that tilts to direct downforce when cornering.

1993 McLaren F1 – 241mph

One of only three naturally aspirated engines on this list (the others are in the T.50 and Aston Martin Valkyrie), the legendary McLaren F1 of 1992 might be the most sought-after car on Earth. Remove the rev limiter and you can hit 241mph. Whatever happens from here, Gordon Murray’s masterpiece is immortal.

2004 Koenigsegg CCR – 242 mph

Officially, the CCR is the only Koenigsegg other than the Agera RS to break a top-speed record. Its 4.7-litre supercharged V8 produces 806hp – a colossal figure for 2004. According to Koenigsegg, the CCR will actually top 245mph.

2017 W Motors Fenyr Supersport – 246mph

We’re more sceptical about the W Motors Fenyr SuperSport, though. This relative unknown is, in theory, capable of 246mph. It packs a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine with 900hp, similar to those you’ll find in the fastest Porsche 911s.

2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo – 248mph

Who remembers the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo? Not many people, we’d wager. Gamers will know it as one of the fastest cars in the Test Drive Unlimited open-world racer. To everyone else, it’s a supercar made by a Mustang tuner. Regardless of what you think, it’s a 248mph car. Quite something for the early 2000s.

2020 McLaren Speedtail – 250mph

McLaren are past masters of fast, but the marque hasn’t ever gone for its own record. The otherworldly Speedtail is a love letter to the F1, with three seats and a 250mph top speed. Chris Harris raced an F35 fighter jet on Top Gear in a Speedtail (and lost), but said it felt incredibly quick – even at speeds beyond 220mph.

2021 Aston Martin Valkyrie – 250mph

The car they say is capable of lap times comparable to top-level racing cars should also reach 250mph. This V12-powered 10,000rpm missile was developed by Adrian Newey and is arguably the most exciting road car since the McLaren F1. This or a Rimac Nevera?

1993 Dauer Porsche 962 Le Mans – 251mph

The Dauer Porsche 962 Le Mans rarely gets official recognition because it’s not a ‘real’ Porsche. But there are road-going variants of this Le Mans racer capable of 251mph. At least, that’s what one was independently measured at on Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track in 1998.

2005 Bugatti Veyron – 253mph

From the vaguely unofficial to one of the most famous fast cars ever. Like the McLaren F1, the Bugatti Veyron will always remain a speed king. Topping 253mph was an expensive endeavour for Bugatti and the Volkswagen Group. This 1,000hp hypercar with a 16-cylinder quad-turbo engine cost far more to build than it was sold for.

2016 Koenigsegg Regera – 255mph

The Regera is Koenigsegg’s gearless hybrid. Frankly, there isn’t room to explain how that tech works here. All you need to know is that it’ll reach 255mph. And this is supposed to be the marque’s luxury GT.

2007 SSC Ultimate Aero – 256mph

The car that took on Bugatti and won (sort of). The SSC Ultimate Aero topped 256mph back in 2007. Bugatti fans contested that the SSC is capable of this and little more, as opposed to the ultimate all-rounder that is the Veyron. Its twin-turbocharged 6.3-litre V8 produces 1,200hp.

2021 Rimac Nevera – 258mph

The definitive electric hypercar? Arguably so, although a top speed of 258mph means the Croatian-made Rimac falls short of being the ultimate speed champion. Fun fact: the Nevera shares its four-motor, 1,914hp powertrain with the Pininfarina Battista.

2016 Bugatti Chiron – 261mph

The long-awaited Veyron replacement saw Bugatti position top speed as a side-effect. Its predecessor, the Veyron Super Sport (to follow) would keep its record, given the Chiron was limited to 261mph. Bugatti claimed there weren’t tyres capable of propelling this 1,500hp hypercar to its true top speed. Not to start with, at least.

2010 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – 268mph

The Super Sport was Bugatti’s revenge against the boutique pretenders from America and Sweden. With 1,200hp, reduced weight and less drag, the SS beat the original car of five years earlier by 15mph, with a certified 268mph world record. This would stand for seven years.

2023 Rimac Nevera R – 268mph

Rimac raised its game with the 2,107hp Nevera R, which featured a fixed rear wing for more downforce and special Michelin Cup 2 tyres. Incredibly, the car set 23 performance records on a single day in 2023. These included a 0-62mph time of 1.66 seconds, a quarter-mile in 7.90 seconds and going from 0-400-0kph (0-249-0mph) in 25.79 seconds. However, despite reaching 268.2mph, the limited edition Nevera R did not claim a top speed record.

2014 Hennessey Venom GT – 270mph

Unofficially, American tuner Hennessey hit 270mph in its Venom GT. But the run was in a single direction, rather than the average of a back-and-forth blast, and the Venom wasn’t the company’s own car. There are also complications with its relationship to the Lotus Exige. Still, it’s a road car that’ll do 270mph, so it makes this list.

2021 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport – 273mph

“My Chiron feels a bit slow,” said nobody ever. But Bugatti upped the ante anyway, raising power output to 1,600hp for 0-125mph in 5.8 seconds and 0-186mph in 12.1 seconds. Keep the throttle pinned and the Chiron Super Sport will reach 273mph. Yours for £2.7 million.

2017 Koenigsegg Agera RS – 277mph

All Koenigseggs would be record-holders given the chance, but the last of the Ageras really proved the potential of the marque’s updated hypercar. The RS destroyed the Veyron SS’s record with a 277mph two-way average speed. In one direction, it actually exceeded 284mph.

2019 SSC Tuatara – 283mph

The Tuatara has actually been around for nearly a decade, albeit in an unfinished state. On E85 fuel, its 5.9-litre twin-turbo V8 can produce 1,750hp and rev to 8,800rpm. A top speed run of 316mph was widely discredited, but the car hit a verified 283mph at the Kennedy Space Center.

2019 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300 prototype – 304mph

After restricting the Chiron’s speed in 2016, Bugatti then went and removed the limiter. At VMax of 304mph, the Super Sport 300 covers a mile every 12 seconds – or five miles every minute. Although the record-breaker was a prototype, a (still 300mph-capable) Super Sport 300+ production version followed soon afterwards.

2025 Yangwang U9 Xtreme – 308mph

Here is the current top speed title holder. Whereas a ‘standard’ Yangwang U9 makes do with 1,305hp, the record-breaking Xtreme ups output to 3,000hp – good for a scorching 308.4mph. BYD boss Stella Li said: “This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone in the research and development division. Yangwang is a brand that does not recognise the impossible”. Quite.

2022 Tesla Roadster – 250mph claimed

But wait, there’s more! The second-generation Tesla Roadster begins our short bonus list of cars that will make the running when (and if) they are ready. The jury’s still out on whether the forthcoming Roadster will actually top 250mph, as Elon Musk has claimed. Does anybody actually listen to Elon any more?

2020 Koenigsegg Jesko – 310mph claimed

The Jesko is Koenigsegg’s Agera replacement and is the car most likely to take on Bugatti and win. The Absolut version removes most of the drag-producing aero for a projected top speed of 311mph. Don’t try this on the M25.

2020 Hennessey Venom F5 – 311mph claimed

Hennessey is also back with a new Venom. The F5 is supposedly good for 311mph, thanks to a twin-turbo V8 engine with upwards of 1,600hp. There’s now an official UK distributor, so we’re hoping to drive one soon (albeit probably not at 311mph).

2020 Devel Sixteen – 320mph claimed

The Devel Sixteen project has been ongoing since 2013. In its most powerful state, the car produces more than 5,000hp via a quad-turbo 12.3-litre V16 engine (effectively two General Motors LS V8 engines welded together). And that’s not even the car that’s supposed to do 320mph. For that, all you need is the middling 3,000hp variant. Gulp. Sceptical though we are, this project seems to have ample Middle Eastern money behind it, so watch this space.