Eetop's Sports Cars Blog

High-performance cars are no doubt an interesting topic, and the subject of a struggle between several companies to hold the record as the fastest production cars ever. Bentley, Mercedes, Lamborghini and Ferrari are just some of the companies who consistently earn this title in the past. Today, however, there are new names in the hypercars industry vying for the title. This article will present to you the top 5 production cars proven to be the fastest automobiles in the world.

• 5th Place—Jaguar XJ220 1993 (runs at 217 Mph, 349.4 Kph)

In 1992, the famous British F1 driver Martin Brundle made an attempt to beat the record being held that year by the Bugatti EB110 SS 1992. He was able to break the record of the fastest production cars ever by driving the Jaguar XJ220 at 341 Kph on the Nardo Circuit. An interesting twist to the story caught the world’s attention. The Jaguar XJ220 was installed with catalytic converters that limited the potential output of the car, which became a disadvantage for other people who were aiming to beat the record. But by removing the converters, the rev limiter was increased to 7900 rpm from 7200 rpm, hence, improving the maximum speed. Brundle attempted to drive the Jaguar the second time with a higher speed with the mentioned specification, pushing the car to 349.4 Kph, which became a new record held by the Jaguar XJ220 for the next two years.

• 4th Place—McLaren F1 1994 (240.1 Mph, 386.7 Kph)

McLaren’s F1 made a mark in the history of supercars as one of the most famous car models in the world and also one of the fastest production cars ever. Not talking about the production models of the car, the F1’s attempt at beating the record was divided into two parts. First was the 1995 attempt, wherein a street legal car managed to beat the record holder Jaguar XJ220. The top speed held by the McLaren F1 was 372 Kph, and if the rev limited restriction of 7500 rpm was removed, some people claimed that it could have done a lot more.

The record on the world’s fastest production car, however, was set by the McLaren f1 in 1998, when race car driver Andy Wallace drove the standard road car from McLaren F1. The drive resulted to a max speed of 386.7 Kph, and that record was held for the next 7 years.

• 3rd Place—Koenigsegg CCR (240.1 Mph, 387.37 Kph)

The glory held by McLaren F1 ended after 7 years on February 28th, 2005. The record as the fastest production cars ever was broken by Koenigsegg CCR at 387.37 Kph. The standard Koenigsegg CCR was driven on the Nardo Circuit by Loris Bicocchi. The standard model aluminum V8 engine on 4.7 liters and was mated to a six speed manual transmission. The maximum output of the Koenigsegg CCR was at 806 horse power, with a 680 lb/ft torque. To be able to achieve such high performances, the Koenigsegg engineers installed a twin-screw supercharger from Lysholm, plus an exhaust system made of titanium which is known to be capable of highly improving the car’s overall performance.

• 2nd Place—Bugatti Veyron 2005 (253 Mph, 408.47 Kph)

The Bugatti Veyron is not only a fastest production cars ever record holder, but also as one of the most filmed supercar. The record breaking Bugatti Veyron has an 8.0 liter W16 engine which is quad-turbocharged producing an optimum power of 987 horsepower, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 50 seconds. The top speed achieved by Veyron was a whopping 408.47 Kph on the Ehra-Lessien grounds for testing.

• 1st Place—SSC Ultimate Aero 2007 (256.18 Mph, 412.28 Kph)

As of this moment, the SSC Ultimate Aero is the record holder of the fastest production cars ever, running at a maximum speed of 256.18 miles per hour or 412.28 Kph. This supercar is powered by a 6.35 L engine producing a whopping power of 1183 horsepower at 6,075 rpm with a torque of 1094 at 6,150 rpm. The rear drive mid-engine car boasts of forged 3 piece alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport tires and huge ventilated discs on its front and rear wheels. The car broke speed records with its impressive acceleration of 0-100 kph in just 2.78 seconds, able to reach a quarter of a mile within 9.9 seconds at a speed of 144 mph. The top recorded speed reached 257.41 mph or 414.31 kph. Aside from these extraordinary figures, the SSC Ultimate Aero is a hypercar that comes with state of the art technologies plus ultra high end equipment such as navigation systems, LCD screens and a rear view camera.

Sports cars are more than just vehicles, they are status symbols that only a handful of people can afford to have. For the most part, buying sports cars is an indication of just how well an individual is doing in life, particularly with regard to his/her financial status. If you are in the market for a sports car, it is best that you know what to look for and what to expect in order to make the most out of your purchase.

Here are 5 tips you should know when buying a sports car:

Know What You Want

Before you even start looking at cars, you should know exactly what you are looking for. Some people buy sporty cars for show while others are genuine automobile enthusiasts who are looking for cars that handle well and can provide excellent driving experience. Knowing your preference would immediately narrow down the choices from hundreds to a couple of dozen. If you have a limited knowledge on cars, you might want to keep your options open and entertain the possibilities.

Convertible Versus Hard Top

This is perhaps one of the hardest choices that sports car buyers have to face. For one thing, convertibles are highly popular because of their aesthetic appeal and general impact on those who look at them. However, convertibles are heavier than their hard top counterparts and they do not handle all too well. Hard top sports cars on the other hand usually have excellent handling capabilities and are much lighter than the top downs so they provide a much better driving experience whether you are on the track or on the road.

Read Car Reviews Before You Buy

If you are looking to buy the best sports car, you might want to check out different car reviews to find out exactly which ones perform well and give you excellent value. There are a few reputable car shows and magazines that provide excellent and comprehensive information on the newest cars in the market. It would also be good to see actual road or track testing for the cars you are eyeing before you make your final decision so you can see which ones are easy to drive and which ones are obstinate.

Compare Various Features

Some of the things that people look for when buying sports cars include features such as ABS or Anti-lock Braking System, carbon ceramic brakes, cruise control, launch control, traction control, sport mode, and state of the art navigational system. All these functions are intended to enhance the driving experience and add a certain level of safety for the driver as well as the passenger. ABS, for instance, will come in very handy when you are driving under atrocious conditions like during stormy or snowy days. Carbon ceramic brakes on the other hand do not fade or fail even at extreme temperatures, thereby ensuring excellent braking capabilities.

Compare Prices

Buying sports cars cost a lot of money, regardless of whether you are getting a new or used vehicle. It is therefore good consumer practice to compare prevailing market prices and take the best deal you can get.