Production car speed record

A Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, the world's fastest road legal production car with a top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph).

Top speed (mph) by year

This is a list of the world's record-breaking top speeds achieved by a street-legal production car (as opposed to concept cars or modified cars). For the purposes of this list eligible cars are defined in the lists rules. This list uses the same definition as the List of automotive superlatives for the sake of consistency and because the term production car is otherwise undefined. The Benz Velo, as the first production car, is an exception.

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.^[1]

The Hennessey Venom GT, a car which doesn't qualify for several reasons.

Bugatti Veyron limiter removal

The current Guinness World Records title holder, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, was certified for the average top speed achieved on a two-way run, registering 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph). Bugatti made 5 Veyrons named the World Record Edition out of the initial production run of 30 Super Sports, all of which would be able to achieve this speed if the limiter was removed. With the limiter the Veyron SS goes 415 km/h (257.9 mph). Bugatti did not sell any with the limiter removed. Initially, when challenged by Hennessey, Guinness decided the Bugatti was ineligible because the test car was deemed as being modified. Bugatti sought a review of the decision and Guinness, after a review by a panel of experts, considered removing the limiter was not a modification and thereby making the car eligible for their publication.^[2] To this day, even though the Bugatti Chiron is believed to have a top speed of around 463 km/h (288 mph), it is not verified, and with the limiter it has a non-verified top speed of 420 km/h (261 mph). The Veyron SS is still classified as the fastest production car in the world.

Hennessey Venom GT one direction run

In 2014, a Hennessey Venom GT was recorded at 435.31 km/h (270.49 mph), but as the run was in one direction only and only 12 cars (+ 1 prototype) were ever made it does not qualify under the Guinness Book of Records or this list's criteria as the world's fastest production car.^[3] Guinness accepted it as production car, however.^[4][5]

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 124 mph (200 km/h) only

This list is also limited to post World War II production road cars which reached more than 124 mph (200 km/h), 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:

1. being constructed principally for retail sale to consumers, for their personal use, and to transport people on public roads (no commercial or industrial vehicles are eligible);
2. having had 25 or more instances made by the original vehicle manufacturer, and offered for commercial sale to the public in new condition (cars modified by either professional tuners or individuals are not eligible); and
3. being street-legal in their intended markets, and capable of passing any official tests or inspections required to be granted this status.

Measurement of top speed

To establish the top speed for cars at least since the 1990s 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.^[6][7]

Record-breaking production vehicles

See also

• History of the automobile
• Land speed record
• List of fastest production cars by acceleration – note that this list uses a different definition of a production car to both the list of fastest production cars and the list of automotive superlatives

References

Further reading

• Wood, Jonathan (2005). The Ultimate History of Fast Cars. Parragon Publishing. ISBN 1-4054-5467-9. 
• Brown, Langworth; Auto Editors of Consumer Guide (1998). Great Cars of The 20th Century. Publications International. ISBN 0-7853-2523-9.