A big deal is made over a car’s top speed. For a long time, that was the basis for measuring the true capability and performance of a vehicle. But as cars continue to get faster, that’s becoming a less and less practical method of measuring a vehicle’s mettle — simply because with performance cars nowadays, there’s simply nowhere to actually achieve such a speed outside of a small handful of very select locations.
Put it this way: the Bugatti Veyron, the modern icon for all things fast, was tested at Volkswagen’s private test track which has a five-mile straight of pristinely paved tarmac. In it’s cruise to over 260 miles per hour, it used most of it — getting up to that speed takes an enormous amount of space.
A better measure, perhaps, is how quick a car is versus how fast. Quickness is measured in the time it takes to get to a certain speed, often 60 miles or 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour. Generally, it doesn’t take nearly as much space to accomplish this, and the places to rip the vehicle through its paces are bountiful. It’s also a more practical measure in terms of racing, there the ability to get up to speed coming out of a corner can make or break the race.
It should be noted that international cars generally go by the 0-100 kilometer scale, which equals 62 miles per hour, whereas American vehicles will use 60 as the standard. This makes comparisons more difficult, and for the purposes of the list, we’ve considered them to be roughly the same. Also, this list is limited to unmodified production cars, with more than 100 units produced, explaining the exclusion of some vehicles you might expect to see, like the Hennessey Venom GT, or every Koenigsegg ever.
Here are the 10 quickest production cars that can nail 0-60 sooner than any other.
10. Dodge Charger Hellcat
Ever felt like your daily commute needed some pizzazz? Like you’re terminally late, and your commute happens to be a straight road devoid of cops and other traffic? Dodge has just the answer for you. By shoveling a 707 horsepower V8 under the hood, the Hellcat powertrain allows the Charger to nail 60 miles per hour in the low-three second range off the factory floor, and it’s been pegged at 2.9 seconds when wearing drag radials.
9. Ferrari LaFerrari
Part of the holy trinity that includes the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918, the Ferrari LaFerrari is the Italian marque’s first stab at a hybrid. It has roughly 950 system horsepower, with the advantage of instantaneous electric torque. As a result, the car will haul to 62 in “under three seconds” and 120 miles per hour in under seven. Ferrari is rather coy about exact figures, but we’d estimate that it’s well under three seconds.
8. Corvette Z06
Next to the Hellcat,the Chevrolet Corvette represents one of the best performance bargains money can buy. It offers 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet for under $80,000, which when paired with the eight-speed transmission can yield a zero-60 time of 2.95 seconds. Back your foot off a bit on your way home from the track and you’ll be managing 30 miles per gallon highway thanks to cylinder deactivation; what other argument do you need to make for this car?
7. Porsche 911 Turbo S
Porsche’s website simply describes the Turbo S as “The Benchmark.” It’s not that far off — the Porsche 911 Turbo S is the gold standard that’s usually first in line to be put up against any 500-plus horsepower performance coupe, and why shouldn’t it be? It can clear 60 in 2.9 seconds on its way to 197, and it boasts some of the best driving dynamics in the industry.
6. Nissan GTR Nismo
Matching the Porsche’s 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds is the go-fast version of Nissan’s already-blisteringly quick GT-R. Tuned by Nismo, power is bumped from 545 to an even 600, and top speed comes in at 196. Everything on this car has been tweaked and tuned to make it more track-friendly, and for $150,000, it’s a bargain find when compared to the others in it’s class — like the $182,000 Porsche.
5. Lamborghini Aventador SV
Is your Aventador too subtle? Are you not finding the exacting track experience that you so rightly deserve? Your first — and biggest — mistake was not buying an Aventador SV. Like the Nismo, this is Lamborghini’s go-faster version of the already spectacular Aventador. It’s been lightened, tightened, and strengthened. It’s 6.5 liter V12 is now tuned for 740 horsepower, and 60 will come up in a scant 2.8 seconds, per Evo’s testing. Just try not to light yours on fire when you’re pushing its boundaries.
4. Tesla Model S P90D
If the Charger Hellcat floats your boat but is too brash for your tastes, than the Tesla P90D might be more fitting for your American super-sedan. Sporting 762 horsepower applied to all four wheels with two electric motors, the P90D — when in Ludicrous mode — will clear 60 in 2.8 seconds flat. Keep in mind, this is a 5,400 or so pound luxury family sedan. At about $130,000, it’s not a steep proposition by the standards we’re looking at here for such performance.
3. McLaren P1
First, the bad news: The McLaren P1 sports a price tag in the neighborhood of $1.15 million. With that out of the way, you can sit back and marvel at what an achievement the P1 truly is. Boasting 903 horsepower, the P1 hits a top speed of 221 miles per hour. The engine is McLaren’s own twin-turbo V8, and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Powered by hybrid technology, the car has an electric-only range of 6.2 miles, allowing for opportunities to save on gas (though you’re probably not too concerned with that if you’re driving a P1.) That will hustle the P1 to 62 in 2.8 seconds, though tests have revealed that in ideal conditions, it can even surpass that.
2. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
If you’re looking for fast, this is the car that sets the benchmark. Achieving up to 268 miles per hour, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport can hit 62 miles per hour at 2.5 seconds. It’s surprising this car wasn’t developed by NASA itself, with specifications featuring an 8.0 liter W16 quad-turbo engine, rear-wheel drive, 1,200 horsepower, and 1,106 pound-feet of torque. This is the car that made Tom Ford from Top Gear say it was “automotive annihilation for all other supercars.” Though its production run is over, Bugatti is hard at work on the Chiron — a car likely so fast that it’ll wreck the bell-curve and we’ll have to scrap this list and start over.
1. Porsche 918 Spyder
Another win for Porsche fans, the 918 Spyder has managed to find its way onto our list — at the front of the line. The 918 Spyder is a testament to Porsche’s cutting edge engineering, but comes with a price tag of $845,000. Drivers will love the dual-clutch 7-speed transmission and the 887 horsepower the 918 Spyder can belt out, helping it reach 60 in a scorching 2.5 seconds; as a hybrid, you also get the luxury of increased fuel economy, including an all-electric range of 18 miles. With all-systems go, the car can hit a top speed of 211 miles per hour, leaving even the most ardent critics of hybrids impressed.