It wasn’t that long ago that the notion of reaching 200 miles per hour in a car on a road seemed basically impossible. As you are likely aware by now, that time has gone. And once that threshold was crossed, the automotive world internally began eyeing the next 3-digit benchmark: 300 miles per hour. It may have taken a few while, but the 300-mph line has been crossed, and some cars have moved well past that seemingly insane speed number.
The fastest car: Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut (330 MPH).
That title moved towards the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, which just broke 4 world records for speed and performance in 1 single day. The headline figure gained by the Jesko Absolut stuck with Racelogic timing gear was a 0-400-km h-0 time of 27.83 sec. For those of us who measure in miles instead of kilometres, that’s zero to 250 miles per hour and then back to zero in less than 28 seconds. Get rid of the braking performance, and the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut went from 0-250 in 19.20 seconds.
But this article is all about top speed. According to Koenigsegg, the Jesko Absolut is capable of hitting a staggering 330 mph top speed. The car’s twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V8 lays down 1,600 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque, which plays a significant role in delivering that speed, but Koenigsegg’s engineers have given the car a lot more than mind-blowing power.
The Jesko Absolut has a super-slippery 0.278 drag coefficient and a nine-speed transmission that shifts so quickly it’s almost imperceptible. Koenigsegg calls it a Light Speed Transmission (LST), saying its shifts happen at almost light speed. While that might be a little exaggeration, the gearbox is attractive, bringing many wet multi-disc clutches and a super lightweight construction.
As Koenigsegg says, “the Jesko Absolut is destined to gain higher, more extraordinary speeds than any Koenigsegg or any other entirely homologated car before it.”
How expensive is the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut?
If you were studying that and wondering how costly the fastest car in the world is, the price tag is just the second dizzying number on the Jesko Absolut’s spec sheet. All 125 Absolut cars sold out at a price of almost $3 million. There are very few places on the map that can support a 300-plus-mph speed run, and the locations that do are not conveniently situated. That said, it’s likely that many people who shelled out the cash for a Jesko Absolut will be happy with the bragging rights instead of using the speed.
So, the Jesko Absolut limits the speed crown and does so with more than a few miles per hour to spare, but the other cars in the 300-mph club are nearly as attractive.
Alternative cars that drive at a faster speed than 300 mph
The Bugatti Bolide sees 1,847 horsepower and 1,365 pound-feet of torque from a quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16. Its great speed lands at 311 mph, and its styling is just as blast and exaggerated.
However, unlike the Koenigsegg, the Bugatti is a track-just affair. Though it suggests an engine and some of its underlying design with the road-legal Chiron, Bugatti preferred to keep the Bolide stick to trace duty. While that’s a bummer, particularly at the roughly 4.4 million dollar price range, not having to build a car to meet road car regulations gave Bugatti the freedom. The Bolide is also far more exclusive than the Koenigsegg, as Bugatti produced just 40 of the extreme cars.
The car’s suspension is far thicker than the Chiron’s, and the car rides on Michelin slicks. It uses an improved carbon monocoque and is built using an array of 3D-printed parts. Without the requirement to tension about curbs, speed bumps, and pedestrians, Bugatti could go wild with aerodynamics and bodywork, concluding in a car that seems like it could cut you.
What makes a car that can go faster than 300 mph?
The Jesko Absolut and Bolide make touching 300-plus mph sound simplified, which you’d expect for their multiple-7-digit price sticker, but there’s a lot that goes into striking their mind-blowing top speeds. Beyond the fact that it uses miles of glassy smooth tarmac, the cars have to be amazingly aerodynamic and be capable of grabbing gobs of air, and fuel consumption at those speeds is immense. Engineers have to mould a car that easily slices through the air while also creating a large downforce to keep it on the ground.
Adding 1000s of pounds of downforce stresses almost all parts of the car, particularly the suspension and tires. The dampers have to be able to help the temporarily heavier car while also putting the tires in contact with the tarmac. At 300 mph, even subtle imperfections in the road surface come faster and much harder, so the car has to be able to adjust.
Tires take a special beating during the top-speed runs, as their sidewalls get compressed with all the force downwards. They’re also subjected to hot temperatures due to the friction that comes from rubber clawing opposite the pavement at 300 mph. At that speed, the tires rotate thousands of times per minute, so they must also be sturdy enough to hold their shape through the harsh rotational forces.
What goes into creating a car that can go faster than 300 mph?
The Jesko Absolut and Bolide make reaching 300-plus mph sound easy, which you’d expect for their multiple-seven-digit price tags, but there’s a lot that goes into hitting their mind-blowing top speeds. Beyond the fact that it takes miles of glassy smooth tarmac, the cars have to be exceptionally aerodynamic and be able to consume gobs of air, and fuel consumption at those speeds is immense. Engineers have to shape a car that easily slices through the air while also creating tremendous downforce to keep it on the ground.
Tires take a specially brutal beating during the top-speed runs, as their sidewalls get compressed by downforce. They’re also subjected to extreme temperatures because of friction that comes from rubber clawing against the pavement at 300 mph. At that speed, the tires turn a thousand times per minute, so they must also be read sufficiently to hold their shape through the harsh rotational forces.
What about the last fastest cars from Ferrari and Porsche?
While we’re now discussing cars reaching speeds in excess of 300 mph, the 1st car to cross 200 mph did so more than fifty years ago. The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona hit 200 mph in March 1970 at Talladega in Alabama. That’s right, the 1st car to 200 wasn’t taking an Italian name on its nose, though many of the most popular cars in the 200 club do. That said, the Charger Daytona, like the Bugatti Bolide today, was not street legal, and the first road-going car to hit the level was a Ferrari.
Many years after Dodge’s record-setting run, the Ferrari F40 reached 200 mph as the 1st production car with the record. Its 2x-turbocharged 2.9-l V8 cranked out 471 hp when new, providing it a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 sec and a top speed of 201 mph. The most appealing Porsche at the time, the 959, fell just short of the F40’s speed, reaching “just” 197 mph.
Electric power could change everything.
As the automotive world moves towards full electrification, there are questions about EVs’ top speed and battery power, but there are at least five models on sale today with a 200-plus mph top speed. The slick Lucid Air Sapphire gives a 200-mph top speed and a 0-60 time of under 2 sec. It held the Tesla Model S Plaid’s top speed but did 0-60 quicker, as the Tesla takes 2.1 seconds to do the work. The Lotus Evija also commits a 200-mph top speed, but the top 2 cars are supporting moving the EV performance factor near to the extra numbers seen from today’s speedy gas cars. The Pininfarina Battista gives a 217-mph top speed and a crazy 1.8-second 0-60 time, and at the tippy-top of the performance hill is the Rimac Nevera, which gives a 258-mph top speed and a 1.9-sec 0-60 mph time.
Top 5 fastest cars in the world in 2024
- Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut: 330 MPH (Claimed)
- Bugatti Bolide: 311 MPH (Claimed)
- Bugatti Chiron Super Sport: 305 MPH
- Hennessey Venom F5: 300 MPH (Claimed)
- SSC Tuatara: 283 MPH