Ten Cars which have been the Fastest in the World since 1980

When it comes to the fastest cars in the world, we all know that the Bugatti Veyron is the current topper. But the question is if we know who the title holders were prior to the Bugatti Veyron? If you do not know the answer then you are at the right place. Let’s look at the Fastest Cars in the World over the years, until our current leader Bugatti Veyron Super Sport took over.

We will go from the current to the past. Fasten your seat belts ladies and gentlemen.

Let us start with the all conquering Bugatti Veyron. This is the car to beat and now it has been at the top for three years, albeit a small hick-up with the Hennessey taking the top spot for a month. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport was developed to take on the SSC Ultimate Aero’s speed of 256 mph which was the fastest in 2007 and was recorded by Guinness Book of World Records. The Bugatti team was successful in toppling the SSC in 2010 and have remained at the top ever since.

Take a look at the car’s stats:

These figures ensure that the Bugatti remains the fastest car in the world officially.

Hennessey happens to be the most serious competitor for the Bugatti and in fact had toppled the Bugatti for a month. However, the toppling was not the result of going past the Bugatti’s top speed rather an allegation that the Bugatti could not achieve the top speed without some additional fitment. This allegation stripped the Bugatti of the crown but was reinstated once a clarification was presented.

This meant that our super car was numero uno only for a month. This happens to be the shortest stay at the top for any car ever in automobile history.

All was not lost since the Hennessey bagged the fastest accelerating car from 0-300 kmph in just 13.63 seconds and it has Guinness Record validation on that one. This is one area that the Bugatti, at least for the time being cannot beat the Hennessey.

But here comes the cropper. The Hennessey actually did a 270.49 mph, which was faster than the Bugatti, but still did not make it to the record books. Why?

All these hiccups notwithstanding, the Bugatti stays at the top.

This is the same car which is at the current top position but is addressed once again since the Hennessey broke its continuous reign by a month. This car was powered up to beat the SSC Ultimate Aero, originally but it ended up doing better than that. It beat all top speed records and now other cars are finding it tough to catch up.

The Shelby Super Car (SSC) Ultimate Aero is the only American car which reigned at the top and therefore, makes itself to a list which is dominated by European cars. The SSC Aero was built to be the fastest car and it did so by toppling the first generation Bugatti Veyron; mind you Bugatti Veyron and not Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

The speed test was witnessed by Guinness Records team and they certified the car for the top speed, which at that time was at 256 mph beating the Bugatti Veyron’s top speed of 253 mph. Here are the car’s stats:

At the time the SSC Ultimate Aero toppled the Bugatti, there were only two cars in the world which could go beyond the 250 miles per hour mark. Incredible achievement!!

This is the first version of the Bugatti and the first car in the world to go beyond the 250 miles per hour barrier. Bugatti’s from the times bygone have been known to build technically sound and fast cars. The Bugatti Veyron was the epitome of that. The car that was to be beaten at that time was the McLaren F1 and the Bugatti did it in style. Here are the stats of the first generation Veyron.

Unknown to the Bugatti team in 2005, they would have made a clincher of a car which would remain at the top for a long time, but for minor falls.

At the time the SSC Ultimate Aero was toppled the Bugatti there were only two cars in the world which could go beyond the 250 miles per hour mark. Incredible achievement!!

McLaren F1 was the car which dominated the top spot for most part of the late 20^th century and the early 21^st century. It is the only car to have been at the top spot for most number of years, if we consider all cars from the 80s. The McLaren made a car which had a heart of gold, quite literally. The engine was coated with a layer of gold since gold was a good conductor of heat. The car makes it to the all time list of the Titans. They could have fallen but they still are the Titans.

McLaren’s impressive stats are as follows:

Jaguar XJ220 held the record for the fastest car for a period of two years from 1992 to 1993, until the McLaren F1 came by. The car has a humble beginning in the sense that it was made by a group of Jaguar employees who spent time in creating it in their spare time. The intention, like all other fast production cars, was to make a speed demon and they ended up being successful at that. The stats are as follows:

This particular Jaguar was being built with an intention of reaching the 220 mph target and hence was named as XJ220. Although the car never reached the intended top speed, the top speed which it did achieve was good enough for the fastest car tag in 1992.

We have one more Bugatti making it to the top. This was the Bugatti EB110 which was partly made famous by its purchase by the Formula 1 Legend Michael Schumacher in 1994. The car was an attempt by the Bugatti to reach the pinnacle which at that time was occupied by its other famous European peers; read the Ferraris, McLarens, Jaguars and one American company – Porsche. They were successful and made a car which had hot stats. Here they are:

This was also the beginning of the reign of the Bugattis, which would eventually, only get better until they conquer the world.

Ferrari F40 was designed and made to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Ferrari and is allegedly the last Ferrari to be approved by Enzo Ferrari himself. The car was the fastest, most ferocious looking and the costliest car sold at that time. Only about a 1000 were ever sold. The car held on to the crown of the fastest car for good four years. Here are the stats:

The Ferrari F40 was the first car ever to break the 200 mph barrier. The car was designed to take over its main competitor of its time the Porsche 959 and it did so in style. The car still remains one of the best manufactured cars ever. This therefore, takes the car to the list of the Titans.

The Porsche 959 came into the global view after smoking another Ferrari – the 288 GTO, ending a reign of two Ferrari cars at the top since 1968. So, it came as no surprise that Ferrari chose to hit back with the Ferrari F40. The Porsche 959 was hailed as the technologically most advanced car of its time, capable of reaching a top speed of 195 mph. Here are the stats:

The Porsche therefore completes the list of top 10 fastest cars spanning three decades.

The fastest cars keep getting faster and some day we may even see some Asian or Middle East super cars. Till such time, it is good to delve in the era of the Ferraris to the Bugattis.