Production car speed record


This is a list of the world's record-breaking top speeds achieved by street-legal production cars. For the purposes of this list eligible cars are defined in the list's rules. This list uses a different definition to the List of automotive superlatives. The variation is because the term production car is otherwise undefined.

List rules

Because of the inconsistencies with the various definitions of production cars, dubious claims by manufacturers and self-interest groups, and inconsistent or changing application of the definitions this list has a defined set of requirements. For further explanation of how these were arrived at see the above link.

Post 1945 and over only

This list is also limited to post World War II production road cars which reached more than, older cars are excluded even if they were faster. The Benz Velo as the first petrol driven car is the only exception.

Production car definition

For the purposes of this list, a production car is defined as a vehicle that is:
  1. constructed principally for retail sale to consumers, for their personal use, to transport people on public roads
  2. available for commercial sale to the public in the same specification as the vehicle used to achieve the record
  3. manufactured in the record-claiming specification by a manufacturer whose WMI number is shown on the VIN, including vehicles that are modified by either professional tuners or others that result in a VIN with a WMI number in their name
  4. pre-1981 vehicles must be made by the original vehicle manufacturer and not modified by either professional tuners or individuals
  5. street-legal in its intended markets, having fulfilled the homologation tests or inspections required under either a) United States of America, b) European Union law, or to be granted this status
  6. sold in more than one national market.

    Measurement of top speed

To establish the top speed for cars the requirement is, in addition to the above, an independent road test with a two-way run. The mean of the top speed for both runs is taken as the car's top speed. In instances where the top speed has been determined by removing the limiter, the test met these requirements, and the car is sold with the limiter on then the limited speed is accepted as meeting this requirement. For the McLaren F1 the estimation by Car and Driver about the speed at the rev-limiter is used.

Record-breaking production vehicles

YearMake and modelTop speed of production carEngineNumber builtComment
1894Benz Velo single-cylinder 1,200First production car
1949Jaguar XK120 inline-6 12,000Some publications cite the XK120's timed top speed as almost in 1949. The XK120 that achieved this speed was a tuned prototype, not a production car. The production car reached.
1955Mercedes-Benz 300SL inline-6 1,400Two-way average speed tested by Automobil Revue in 1958. reached in one direction.
1959Aston Martin DB4 GT inline-6 75Tested by Autosport in December 1961.
1963Iso Grifo GL 365 V8 over 400Tested by Autocar in 1966. A total of 412 Iso Grifos were built 1963–1974.
1965AC Cobra Mk III 427 V8 >25Tested by Car & Driver. Top speed described as observed
1967Lamborghini Miura P400 V12 275Tested by Motor in June 1967. Over 750 units built in 1966–1973 period, which includes P400, P400 S and P400 SV models.
1968Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona V12 about 1,400Tested by Autocar in 1971.
1969Lamborghini Miura P400S V12 338Tested by Sport Auto in 1970.
1982Lamborghini Countach LP500 S V12 323Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport
1983Ruf BTR turbocharged flat-6 about
20–30		Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport, about 20-30 built with Ruf VIN
1986Porsche 959 twin-turbocharged flat-6 337Tested by Road & Track in 1987. The 959 Deluxe version attained, the Sport version. 29 were built in a performance-enhanced sports version which reached tested by Auto, Motor und Sport at Nardo in 1988.
1987Ruf CTR twin-turbocharged flat-6 29Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport at Nardò Ring in 1988
1993McLaren F1 V12 64Speed at the rev limiter estimated by Car and Driver. Without the rev-limiter, it was able to reach an average top-speed of. No tested top speed faster than found for an unmodified car.
2005Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 quad-turbocharged W16 300Recorded and verified by German inspection officials on 19 April 2005.
2007SSC Ultimate Aero TT Twin-turbocharged V8 <20Two-way average top speed measured independently on a temporarily-closed 2 lane stretch of public highway in Washington State using Dewetron's GPS tracking system and verified by Guinness.
2010Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport quad-turbocharged W16 30Out of the initial production run of 30, 5 cars were named the Super Sport World Record Edition. With the electronic limiter turned off the Super Sport World Record Edition was capable of two-way average. When sold they were electronically limited to. Pierre-Henri Raphanel drove the unlimited car and its top speed was verified by Guinness World Records.
2017Koenigsegg Agera RS twin-turbocharged V8 25The base engine is rated at, 11 cars were factory specced with the option. Niklas Lilja drove one of them in November 2017. Its top speed was independently verified by Racelogic – although the record is yet to be verified by an independent body related to world records.

Difficulties with claims

Comparing claimed speeds of the fastest production cars in the world, especially in historical cases, is difficult as there is no standardized method for determining the top speed and no central authority to verify any such claims. Examples of the difficulties faced were shown up in the dispute between Bugatti and Hennessey over which car was the world's fastest.

Bugatti Veyron limiter removal

On 4 July 2010 the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport reached two-way average. Bugatti built 30 Super Sports. At the time the record was set it was known that the customer cars were electronically limited to. Guinness Book of Records listed the unlimited as production car speed record.
Yet, 3 years later, after a query by the Sunday Times Guinness' PR director Jaime Strang was quoted: "As the car's speed limiter was deactivated, this modification was against the official guidelines. Consequently, the vehicle's record set at is no longer valid." 5 days later it was written on its website: "Guinness World Records would like to confirm that Bugatti's record has not been disqualified; the record category is currently under review." Five days later Bugatti's speed record was confirmed: "Following a thorough review conducted with a number of external experts, Guinness World Records is pleased to announce the confirmation of Bugatti's record of Fastest production car achieved by the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The focus of the review was with respect to what may constitute a modification to a car's standard specification. Having evaluated all the necessary information, Guinness World Records is now satisfied that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."

Cars excluded from the list

Some cars were not considered to be the fastest production vehicles, for various reasons. Here is a list of some well known cars that have not been able to meet standards needed to be the fastest production car.
YearMake and modelTop speed of production carEngineNumber builtComment
1959Maserati 5000 GT 2+32No accurate measurement and only the first two cars had the engine, 22 cars had coachwork by Allemano, 12 by 7 other companies
1985Lamborghini Countach 5000QV 676Tested by Auto, Motor und Sport. The car which was tested by Fast Lane in 1986 and listed in the Guinness Book of World Records 1988 had a factory modified airbox.
1990Vector W8 for prototype 17 production modelsNo verified top speed for production model, claimed
1992Jaguar XJ220 281Tested by Road & Track. The Guinness World Records speed was measured by Jaguar one-way without independent control with a car modified for about 50 extra horsepower, the claims were also factory measured without independent control.
1993Dauer 962 Le Mans 13 independently measured at Ehra-Lessien in November 1998. No WMI number – does not meet this list's rules
2004Koenigsegg CCR twin-supercharged V8 14Recorded at the Nardò Ring testing facility on 28 February 2005. Excluded from the list due to being a single directional run.
2014Hennessey Venom GT 16Single direction top speed test run in 2014 and no Hennessey VIN.
2019Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ quad-turbocharged W16 30 On 2 August 2019, Andy Wallace achieved a maximum of in a pre-production Chiron prototype at Ehra-Lessien, which was verified by TÜV. The recording setting version of the Chiron is described by Bugatti a "near production ready prototype". It was later revealed that the record setting car was a prototype of the Chiron Super Sport 300+. Excluded from the list due to performing a uni-directional top speed run.