It wasn’t long ago that only the most exotic supercars north of 500 horsepower had, but today you can get more than double that in family crossovers and sedans.
Yes, the performance scene has changed a lot, with the democratization of horsepower figures through the recent leaps in electric vehicle technology, but also tire technology and traction and stability control systems that allow us to make better use of the available power.
To help you orientate yourself, we’ve compiled a list of the ten most powerful cars currently in production.
Bugatti Chiron Supersport
1) Bugatti Chiron Supersport: No wonder that a Bugatti is at the top of this list. The French hypercar maker has set performance records since selling the Veyron in 2005, and the trend is likely to continue in the future, as Bugatti has partnered with EV tech company Rimac. The most powerful Bugatti currently in production is the Chiron Super Sport. The car’s 8.0-liter quad-turbo W-16 churns out 1,578 horsepower, or enough to get the unrestricted 300+ version of the car to a top speed of over 300 mph.
Hennessey Venom F5 aerodynamics test
2) Hennessey Gift F5: For anyone keeping up with the hypercar scene, it’s no real shock that a vehicle with a Hennessey badge is high on this list. The Texas-based tuner started a separate business called Hennessey Special Vehicles, and the first product to hit the market is the Venom F5 hypercar. On pump gas (91 octane), the Venom F5 develops 1,542 hp, while the E85 has 1,817 hp, making it the most powerful car in production today. If or when it attempts a top speed drive, it could set a new speed record for production cars.
Koenigsegg Regera, Geneva Motor Show 2017
3) Königsegg Regera: The Regera has been with us since 2015, but even today it will be difficult to find a car that can outperform. This is mainly due to its ingenious drive train, which combines an internal combustion engine, in this case a 5.0-liter V8 with twin turbocharging, with a three-engine electric drive system that Koenigsegg calls Direct Drive. The combined power is an incredible 1,500 hp. Koenigsegg should be on the verge of building all 80 copies of the car, after which the company will begin production of the 1,280 hp Jesko and 1,700 hp Gemera models.
SSC Tuatara record run
4) SSC Tuatara: SSC has finally started shipping its tuatara after more than a decade of development last year. The resulting car is capable of producing 1,350 horsepower at 91 octane from a 5.9-liter V-8 with twin turbocharging. The E85’s output increases to 1,750 hp, which would make it the second most powerful production vehicle after the Hennessey Venom F5. There has been controversy over the tuatara since its inception, as SSC claimed in 2020 it reached 331 mph but later said it was wrong. Earlier this year, the company rehabilitated itself somewhat when it brought a tuatara to a speed of 282.9 mph, officially the land speed record for production cars, as it required two trips, one in opposite directions. This was not the case with Bugatti’s run at 304 mph in the Chiron Super Sport 300+ in 2019.
Zenvo TSR-S
5) Zenvo TSR-S: The TSR-S is likely a car you’ve never heard of, and even if you’ve heard of it, you’ve probably never seen one. That’s because Danish hypercar maker Zenvo only produces about five cars a year and its most powerful street-legal car is the TSR-S. It generates a peak power of 1,177 horsepower from a bespoke 5.8-liter V-8 with a flat, double-charged design. In addition to its insane performance, the TSR-S is also characterized by its rear wing that can be swiveled like a rocker. According to Zenvo, the wing, together with conventional downforce, can generate an inward force that increases the grip of the inner tire when cornering hard.
Aston Martin Valkyrie production in Gaydon, UK
6) Aston Martin Valkyrie: If you’re looking for the closest experience to a Formula 1 car on the road, the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar might be the one. Designed by Adrian Newey, the talented Red Bull Racing aerodynamicist who is responsible for several masterful F1 racing cars (including the victorious 2021 RB16B), it features a Cosworth-designed V-12 that can go up to 11,000 rpm. min screams. The naturally aspirated engine is paired with a hybrid system in the KERS style and delivers a peak power of 1,139 hp.
2021 Lucid Air Dream Edition
7) Lucid Air Dream Edition performance: The Lucid is a surprise on this list because it is not a hypercar, but a luxury sedan. It shows the impressive power of electric motors, because the power of the car is 1,111 hp. The electricity is generated by a twin-engine drive train that draws energy from a 113-kilowatt-hour battery. And while this is the Air family’s performance flagship, the car still manages 471 miles of EPA-rated range. Of course, the value is achieved at road-legal speed.
McLaren Speedtail
8th) McLaren Speedtail: McLaren’s current flagship is the Speedtail, a car that McLaren likes to call the spiritual successor to the F1 because, like the original Gordon Murray design, the new Speedtail is more of a grand tourer than a racing car. It even has a three-seat layout with the driver’s seat in the middle, just like the F1 did, and the Speedtail’s 106-car production equates to the number of F1s built if you include both street and racing versions of the older car . Unfortunately there is no V-12 here. Instead, McLaren relies on the same 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 found in multiple models, though the engine here is paired with an electric motor for a combined output of 1,055 horsepower.
2021 Tesla Model S plaid
9) Tesla Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid: Tesla shocked the world when it unveiled the plaid versions of its Model S and Model X earlier this year. With 1,020 hp from a three-engine drive train, the cars are among the fastest in the world. In fact, with its official times of 1.99 seconds and 9.23 seconds, the Model S Plaid set records for production vehicles for acceleration from 0-60 mph and the quarter mile. The Model S Plaid also holds the record for electric vehicles at the Nürburgring with 7: 35,579 minutes.
2022 GMC Hummer EV VIN 001 rolls off the assembly line
10) GMC Hummer EV Edition 1: If you’re looking for the cheapest vehicle on the list, you’ve come to the right place with GMC’s Hummer EV, Edition 1 with 1,000 horsepower for $ 112,595. That price goes even lower if you’re willing to wait a year as GMC plans to add a Hummer EV 3X with the same three-engine powertrain as the Edition 1 in fall 2022. It will start at $ 99,995. In addition to the powertrain, there are 35-inch off-road tires, air suspension, rear-wheel steering, and an estimated range of 329 miles. An SUV body is also in the works, but it is not clear whether this model will also be offered with the full 1,000 hp.
Ferrari SF90 Stradale
It’s a strange world and timeline where a Ferrari didn’t make the list of the strongest cars in production. the Ferrari SF90 Stradale is less powerful than the Hummer and the Tesla. The current range topper in the Prancing Horse stable is a plug-in hybrid with electrified all-wheel drive and a total output of 986 hp.We should also mention that a new era of electric hypercars with almost 2,000 horsepower is just around the corner. Three have already been presented in the form of the 1,973 hp Lotus Evija, the 1,914 hp Rimac Nevera and the 1,877 hp Pininfarina Battista. Production of these models is scheduled to begin in 2022.
