Top 10 Fastest Accelerating Cars In the World

By Santosh

While some four-wheeled species are capable of attaining ridiculously high top speeds, others prefer to do battle on the acceleration front. We're not talking about your everyday cars obviously, but extremely focused performance machines from top-class automakers keen to express their engineering prowess over their rivals.

Also Read: Top 10 Fastest Roads On Earth

We bring to you an elite list of the fastest accelerating production cars from across the world. Did your dream car make the cut? How does the Bugatti Veyron fare after almost a decade of existence? Read on to find out.

10. SSC Ultimate Aero TT

10. SSC Ultimate Aero TT

The tenth spot on the list is taken by the North American SSC Ultimate Aero TT which was capable of doing 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds. The Ultimate Aero also held the distinction of usurping the Bugatti Veyron's title of World's Fastest Production Car, albeit for a short time. Jerod Shelby, owner of Shelby Super Cars (SSC), described the driver-oriented philosophy behind the Ultimate Aero: "I wanted a car that you not only throttled with your right foot but at times you could steer with your right foot."

9. Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

9. Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

The "ultimate" Murcielago was introduced in 2009, and boy, were each of those 186 units produced special. The LP 670-4 featured a huge 6.5-litre V12 motor that produced 661 horsepower that gave the car its manic acceleration figure of 2.8 seconds for the nought-to-hundred sprint. The limited-edition supercar was 100 kilos lighter than the original Murcielago through extensive carbon fibre use, and featured standard 15-inch carbon ceramic disc brakes with six-piston callipers!

8. Lamborghini Aventador

8. Lamborghini Aventador

It's only apt that the Aventador finds its place ahead of the big, bad Murcielago SV, since the initially-planned run of 350 SuperVeloces was reduced to 186 units to make way for the Aventador on the company's production line. At the heart of this beauty lies the Italian marque's fourth in-house engine and first all-new V12 engine since the 350 GT from the 1960s. This 690 bhp powerhouse enables the Aventador to launch into a 0-100 km/h time of just 2.7 seconds.

7. Porsche 911 Turbo S

7. Porsche 911 Turbo S

The latest 911 Turbo is very, very fast, there's no doubting that. That's because 553 horsepower and 553 Nm of torque goes to all four wheels, and the car is able to put down its power very effectively with a host of trick gadgetry like Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and a PDK transmission. The 911 Turbo S is capable of hitting the century mark from standstill in 2.6 seconds. The iconic sports car is only getting better and better, even after more than 50 years on the production line.

6. McLaren P1

6. McLaren P1

Successor to the famous McLaren F1 road car, the oh-so-desirable plug-in hybrid P1 is already sold out, despite an accompanying price tag of over USD 1 million. However, its very lucky (and wealthy) 375 owners possess an F1-technology-derived road rocket capable of scintillating performance - the 0-100 km/h dash sees the better side of 2.6 seconds. A real sight to behold with its logo-inspired styling, the British-engineered McLaren P1 is surely one of the most exciting cars ever produced.

5. Caparo T1

5. Caparo T1

From Britain again, the next car on this elite list hardly looks like one at all. Production of the Caparo T1 was initially planned from mid-2007, with an annual production plan of around 25 cars. However, Caparo Vehicle Technologies have only delivered 12 units in the UK so far. Nonetheless, this F1-technology-derived, carbon-fibre-bodied race car for the road was capable of hitting 100 kays from nought in just 2.5 seconds. Understandable, because the car weighed only 475 kilograms, but possessed a V8 Menard engine that produced 575 horsepower at a mental 10,500 rpm!

4. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

4. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Bugatti fans, you can rest easy now. The granddaddy of quick did indeed make the list, and the fact that the Veyron sits in fourth place is testament to how far ahead of its time it was when it entered the market almost a decade ago. The industry still compares everything to do with speed to the Veyron and why not? In Super Sport guise, the hypercar accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 2.46 seconds, with a power output of, wait for it, 1,200 bhp and a top speed limited to 415 km/h...

3. Nissan GT-R NISMO

3. Nissan GT-R NISMO

Nissan wanted a GT-R to claim the Nurburgring crown of "Fastest Volume Production Car", and it did so in 7 minutes and 8.769 seconds with certain track modifications. A GT-R NISMO with exactly the same specifications can be purchased by the public, provided the customer shells out close to USD 200,000. The NISMO produces 50 horsepower more than the standard GT-R, with an output of 595 horses which propels it from nought to a hundred clicks in an unbelievable 2.4 seconds.

2. Porsche 918 Spyder

2. Porsche 918 Spyder

The race to a hundred is really heating up now, and in second position sits the gorgeous plug-in hybrid flagship from Porsche with a truly manic acceleration figure of 2.4 seconds from 0-100 km/h. The 918 Spyder features a gasoline engine that produces 608 horsepower, which is supported by two electric motors producing 279 horsepower. Do the math and you land up in charge of over 880 bhp, if indeed you are to be one of the 918 owners of the limited edition supercar. The 918 Spyder currently holds the record for fastest lap around the Nurburgring for a production car, which stands at a remarkable 6 minutes and 57 seconds.

1. Ariel Atom 500 V8

1. Ariel Atom 500 V8

And here it is folks, the fastest accelerating car in the world - the manic Ariel Atom 500 V8. This unusual machine makes a Maruti Alto seem luxurious, with no amenities whatsoever for driver and co-driver, not even access doors. The car features a unique "exoskeleton" chassis visible on the outside, a major contributing factor to keeping the Atom's weight down to just 550 kilos. This, coupled with a power output of 500 horsepower gives the Atom 500 V8 a power-to-weight ratio of 909 bhp per ton. The 0-100 km/h sprint takes an unbelievably scant 2.3 seconds - beating this figure is going to take some serious doing, wethinks.

Most Read Articles

English
Article Published On: Thursday, July 24, 2014, 15:45 [IST]
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X