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Cars are becoming faster and faster as each year goes by. Think back to roughly two decades ago when the pool for the fastest cars on earth consisted of a mere handful of models, but now the number of cars aiming for the title of “fastest car in the world” has nearly doubled.

Several manufacturers are vying for the top spot on the top speed leaderboard. Outside that niche segment, we’ve also seen an increase in top speeds among standard production vehicles. These are ten of the fastest cars revealed in 2024.

10 BMW M5

Top speed: 190 mph

Design is a major determining factor of a vehicle’s first impression, and suffice to say, the design of the BMW G90 M5 soured the first impression for many BMW enthusiasts when it was revealed. However, divisive styling aside, the BMW G90 M5’s performance is impressive. The source of its predecessor-trumping performance is a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine paired with a powerful electric motor sourcing strength from an 18.6 kWh lithium-ion battery.

This M Hybrid system is one key aspect of the hulking sedan’s impressive performance capabilities. Despite weighing 5,400 lbs, the potent Bavarian M sedan sprints down a quarter-mile strip in roughly 11 seconds and has one of the highest outputs of any BMW offered by the Bavarian automaker, second only to the ludicrous BMW XM Label Red.

9 Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed

Top speed: 196 mph

The PureSpeed AMG is the first model in the Mercedes-Benz Mythos series, an extremely limited luxury line. Mercedes’ new PureSpeed is a more performance-focused and capable version of the Mercedes SL. It is based on the SL-Class model and utilizes the same V8 engine offered in the SL-Class’s range-topping, the Mercedes-AMG SL63. Although based on the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed is inspired by the automaker’s Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar, most notably wearing a front fascia akin to the all-electric hypercar.

Only 250 examples of the stylish open-top speedster, each AMG model capable of reaching an impressive top speed of 196 mph and without the protection of a windshield, similar to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling-Moss. The PureSpeed lacks a conventional windshield and has no roof, only a single vane spanning from the hood to the start of the headrests. It’s designed to fully immerse occupants in the thrill of driving without intervening between the driver and the landscape.

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8 Aston Martin Vantage

Top speed: 202 mph

In Aston Martin’s 74-year history, the latest offering, wearing the Aston Martin Vantage nameplate, is the most engaging and fastest model to wear the Vantage nameplate. The new Aston Martin Vantage reflects the British automaker’s most dynamic period in Aston Martin’s history. Now revised and reborn, the latest Vantage model has a significantly higher power output than its predecessor.

It is the result of a heavily modified version of the twin-turbocharged V8 engine that allows it to command the title as the fastest iteration of the Vantage nameplate. Some revisions to the new power plant include larger turbochargers, modified cam profiles, increased cooling, and optimized compression ratios, some of the most noteworthy changes made to the power eight-cylinder engine. The power output in the latest Vantage model is the most dramatic power increase compared to the previous Vantage model.

7 Ferrari 12Cilindri

Top speed: 211 mph

The Ferrari 12Cilindri is inspired by the automaker’s grand touring vehicles of the 1950s and 1960s. This new model represents the forefront of Ferrari’s design philosophy and is an evolution of the long lineage of mid-front-mounted V12-powered grand tourers. It is the successor to the Ferrari 812, featuring the same long hood, sloping roofline, and sonorous naturally aspirated V12 engine.

While it does rely on the energy drawn from a similarly composed V12, the Ferrari 12Cilindri’s power plant is a new version of Ferrari’s V12 engine, characterized by its F140HD designation and featuring some components that were used in the Ferrari 812 Competizione. A handful of new engine internals have been introduced to the V12 engine, which includes titanium connection rods, a new aluminum alloy for the pistons, and a rebalanced crankshaft.

6 Lamborghini Temerario

Top speed: 213 mph

The Lamborghini Temerario is the second High-Performance Electrified Vehicle, the first being the V12-powered Lamborghini Revuelto. It is the successor to the Lamborghini Huracán, securing the position as the new baby Lambo. One of the biggest differences between the two isn’t the styling, which has taken a significant turn; it is the electrified powertrain. This new configuration consists of three electric motors and a V8 engine instead of the Huracán’s all-motor configuration.

Although down by two cylinders in comparison to the V10 engine that was used in the preceding model, the new electrified powertrain amounts to more power and better performance and can allow the Temerario to be operated in an EV-only mode, increasing the versatility and flexibility of the model’s powertrain. It is also the most power-dense engine the Italian automaker has ever created, besting even the mighty V12 engine used in the Lamborghini Revuelto.

5 Aston Martin Valhalla

Top speed: 217 mph

The world met the Aston Martin Valhalla in concept form in 2021, but now the full-fat plug-in-hybrid supercar has finally been introduced. It is a model that marks many firsts for the British manufacturer. The Aston Martin Valhalla is the manufacturer’s first plug-in-hybrid supercar and the first production series mid-engine offering.

Additionally, it is the first production vehicle to use the new 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-plane V8 engine, which is the highest-performing V8 engine ever used in an Aston Martin and paired with a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that features an integrated e-Motor and an electronic rear differential. There is nothing quite like it in Aston Martin’s lineup.

4 McLaren W1

Top speed: 217 mph

The McLaren W1 is the third offering from McLaren’s hypercar lineage, following the McLaren P1 and the McLaren F1. The latest model is the most powerful and highest-performing road-going model ever created. The McLaren W1 has large shoes to fill and does so, compared to the McLaren P1, with aplomb. Power, performance, and technology used in the new McLaren hypercar are a step above those qualities in the McLaren P1.

Like its predecessor, the potent powertrain in the McLaren W1 is a powerful V8 engine paired with an equally powerful electric drive system. The new MHP-8 V8 engine is a flat-plane V8 engine that commands an output of 916 hp by itself, but 1,184 hp is achieved because of the collaboration with the E-module that is derived from motorsport.

3 Ferrari F80

Top speed: 217.5 mph

Ferrari has a new flagship model, the Ferrari F80. The modern iteration of the Ferrari LaFerrari made up one-third of the famous Holy Trinity. The Ferrari F80 relies on an electric drive system with an athletic V6 engine that culminates in an output significantly greater than the model it supersedes.

While power figures have increased, displacement and cylinder count have done the opposite. Instead of a roaring V12 engine, a configuration used in the Ferrari LaFerrari, the Italian automaker has employed its second modern V6 engine, the other being applied in the Ferrari 296 GTB. Previously, the Ferrari 296 GTB’s V6 was the most power-dense engine; that honor now goes to the Ferrari F80’s V6 engine.

2 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Top speed: 233 mph

The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has taken the fight to some of the automotive world’s most established and highest-performing supercars and even some hypercars. It is the most powerful, fastest, and quickest road-going Corvette model ever made and one that has been able to beat several high-performance cars.

Its performance capabilities, from its power output, engine power density, top speed, and 0-60 mph sprint time, have caused a shift in the automotive world. However, the track-focused variation of the ZR1 has already been seen clad in camouflage, which will be a step up from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

1 Bugatti Tourbillion

Top speed: 276 mph

Top speed has been one of the most characterizing elements of Bugatti’s models. Bugatti’s sky-high top speeds have become the benchmark for many models and automakers, from the Bugatti Veyron to the Bugatti Chiron. The latest offering from the French hypercar manufacturer, the Bugatti Tourbillon, is now different, with the most noticeable difference between it and the Bugatti Chiron being the naturally aspirated V16 engine that it employed in the Tourbillon model.

Developed by legendary powertrain developer Cosworth, the naturally aspirated V16 engine is a bespoke creation, uncommon even in a segment that is populated by several oddities and configurations that exist exclusively in this multi-million dollar arena. Although smaller than the iconic quad-turbocharged W16 engine, the new naturally aspirated engine still delivers impressive power output and neck-spraining performance capabilities.

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Aston Martin
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McLaren
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BMW
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Mercedes-AMG
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Bugatti
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Lamborghini
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Ferrari
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Chevrolet