A while back, it appeared nearly impossible to drive a car 200 miles per hour. However, that was short-lived, as the car industry quickly started aiming for the next triple-digit benchmark after that point was reached. Though it took some time, certain automobiles have broken the 300 mph mark and even exceeded that seemingly unattainable speed. Even though some of these top speeds—including the fastest car on the list below—have only been attained through simulations, it’s highly likely that a driver with steely nerves and a heavy right foot could really propel multiple cars over 300 mph and higher.
The fastest car in the world is: Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut (330 MPH)
That honour belongs to the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, which earlier in 2023 set a record-breaking top speed of 330 mph. Although the car’s twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 produces 1,600 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque, which is a big part of what makes it fast, the developers at Koenigsegg have given the vehicle much more than just incredible power.
The Jesko Absolut boasts a nine-speed gearbox that shifts so fast it’s nearly undetectable and an extremely slippery 0.278 drag coefficient. Its shifts occur at nearly the speed of light, according to Koenigsegg, who refers to it as a Light Speed Transmission (LST). Even if that may be a little overkill, the gearbox is remarkable because it has many wet multi-disc clutches and is incredibly lightweight.
In the words of Koenigsegg, “the Jesko Absolut is destined to achieve higher, more extraordinary speeds than any Koenigsegg or any other fully homologated car before it.”
How expensive is the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut?
If you were wondering how much the fastest automobile in the world costs after reading that, the price is just another mind-boggling figure on the Jesko Absolut’s spec sheet. At a cost of over $3 million, all 125 Absolut automobiles were sold out. Of all, obtaining the Koenigsegg is only the first step towards achieving its complete potential. A 300+ mph speed run can only be supported in a very small number of sites on the map, and those that are do not have the best positions. However, it’s probable that a lot of those who paid good money for a Jesko Absolut will be content to use the bragging rights rather than the speed.
Other cars that drive faster than 300 mph
The 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine in the Bugatti Bolide produces 1,847 horsepower and 1,365 pound-feet of torque. Its style is equally outrageous and overdone, and its top speed is 311 mph.
But the Bugatti is limited to the track, unlike the Koenigsegg. Bugatti decided to retain the Bolide restricted to track use, despite the fact that it has an engine and some structural similarities with the road-legal Chiron. Although that’s unfortunate, especially considering the car’s estimated $4.4 million price tag, Bugatti was able to design a vicious, irrationally fast car without having to adhere to road car standards. Additionally, only 40 Bolide extreme automobiles were constructed by Bugatti, making it even more unique than the Koenigsegg.
The car rides on Michelin slicks and has a suspension system that is much firmer than the Chiron’s. It is constructed from a variety of 3D-printed pieces and uses an updated carbon monocoque. Bugatti might play around with aerodynamics and bodywork and create a car that appears like it could cut you without having to worry about speed bumps, curbs, or pedestrians.
What goes into creating a car that can go faster than 300 mph?
Although the Jesko Absolut and Bolide’s multiple-seven-figure price tags would suggest that reaching 300 mph or more is simple, achieving these astounding top speeds requires a lot of effort. Apart from the fact that the cars must go on miles of glassy-smooth pavement, they also need to be incredibly aerodynamic and able to suck in large amounts of air, which results in massive fuel consumption at those speeds. In order to keep the car on the ground, engineers must design it so that it can slice through the air with ease and produce a lot of downforce.
Almost every component of the automobile is put under stress when hundreds of pounds of downforce are added, particularly the tyres and suspension. The car’s temporary weight must be supported by the dampers in order to maintain tyre contact with the pavement. Even little flaws in the road surface become more noticeable and forceful at 300 mph, therefore the car needs to be able to handle this.
Because of the sidewall compression caused by all the downforce during the top-speed laps, tyres suffer an especially severe hammering. Because of the friction caused by the tyres scraping against the pavement at 300 mph, they are also ex
posed to extremely high temperatures. The tyres must be strong enough to withstand the intense rotational forces at such pace, as they will be spinning thousands of times per minute. The tyre pressure monitoring sensors, for example, can weigh several times as much while rotating at 300 mph, which can lead to wheel imbalances and other problems. Lastly, high speeds have an odd effect on the weights of vehicle components.
What about the previously fastest cars from Ferrari and Porsche?
The first car to surpass 200 mph did so more than 50 years ago, despite the fact that we are today discussing cars that can achieve speeds of over 300 mph. In Talladega, Alabama, in March 1970, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona achieved a top speed of 200 mph. Yes, although many of the most well-known automobiles in the 200 club do, the first car to reach 200 was not sporting an Italian name on its nose. However, just like the current Bugatti Bolide, the Charger Daytona was not authorised for street use, and the first vehicle to reach the threshold was a Ferrari.
The Ferrari F40 (below left) broke the record for the fastest production automobile to hit 200 mph a few years after the Dodge. With a peak speed of 201 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds, the twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 engine produced 471 horsepower when it was brand-new. It’s interesting to note that the fastest Porsche at the time, the 959 (image below right), only managed “just” 197 mph, falling short of the F40’s top speed.