What Are the Top 10 Fastest Cars?
Cars come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, speeds and uses; they are an integral part of modern life whether you are trying to break the sound barrier, race in Formula 1 or Nascar, commute to work or school or simply having a play with the RC version of your favorite four-wheeled vehicle. On the whole, cars are built for mostly utilitarian reasons, so the general population can move more freely. Sometimes though, they are built for passion and unadulterated speed.
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The Bloodhound SSC
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The Bloodhound SSC hasn't been driven yet, as of March 2011, but it is a car whose potential simply cannot be ignored. The "SSC" in its name stands for "SuperSonic Car" and it has been designed to reach speeds up to 1,000 miles per hour. The technology used to keep the car stable at such incredible speeds is the same used in Eurofighter jets. Powered by an 800 bhp race engine, jets and a hybrid Falcon rocket, this car could be one of the fastest man has ever made.
Thrust SSC
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Built by the same company making the Bloodhound SSC, the Thrust SSC is the car that holds the world landspeed record at an incredible supersonic 766 mph. Driver Andy Green became the fastest travelling man ever in 1997 in the Black Rock desert, USA. This was the first time the speed of sound had been exceeded on land. This car is truly a work of engineering genius, weighing 10 tonnes and able to accelerate from standstill to 100 mph in 4 seconds, with a theoretical top speed of 850 mph. Some say that it is barely a car, but a jet fighter on wheels.
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Formula 1 Cars
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Formula 1 cars are incredibly fast, and the travelling circus that is the Formula 1 World Championship is incredibly rich and famous. These cars race around difficult, intricate and demanding tracks, reaching speeds in excess of 220 mph with engines producing 950 bhp. That may not be as much power as some of the fastest hyper-cars in production, but Formula 1 cars are extremely light and generate an extreme amount of downforce to keep the car glued to the ground. The result of this is that they are agile, acceleration is frighteningly quick. For track racing, they are the fastest cars by far.
Bugatti Veyron
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The Bugatti Veyron is a monster of a car, not least because of its hefty six-figure price tag -- $1.7 million. It weighs approximately two tonnes and in production has been limited to a speed of 257 mph. However, it is responsible for setting the landspeed record for a production car at a staggering 267 mph. It has a 0 to 60mph time of 2.5 seconds, a result of the 1,200 bhp that the engine produces.
SSC Ultimate Aero
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The "SSC" in this case does not stand for "SuperSonic Car" but instead for "Shelby Super Cars" whose Ultimate Aero is the only car to stand up to the dominance of Bugatti in the ultra expensive, ultra luxurious, ultra fast, supercar market. Until recently the Aero was the fastest car in the world, weighing a third less than the Bugatti Veyron yet still generating a whopping 1,200 bhp and speeds of up 256 mph. As of March 2011, it costs around $654,000 depending on your options, and a lot more depending on your desire to thrash the engine.
Maxximus G-Force
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The Maxximus G-Force is the name of the fastest accelerating road-legal car in the world. It looks like a Le Mans racer with an oversized spoiler on the back and can hit 60 mph from a standstill in a face-melting 2.1 seconds. It will accelerate to 100 mph from a standstill in 4.5 seconds. It also holds the record for accelerating from 0 to 100 then braking back to 0 again in just 8.8 seconds.
World's Fastest Radio Controlled Car
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Radio-controlled cars, when taken to extremes, can achieve results in speed every bit as impressive as real motor cars. But, as well as being impressive, the speeds are also comparable with real cars. In 2008, an official world record was set by Nic Case and a four-wheel drive, electric brushless motor, nitro monster managing to clock a staggering 134 mph. The engine spinned at 54,000 rpm while generating a massive 2 bhp. Although very small, this car is faster than most ordinary cars people drive everyday.
Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, Koenigsegg CCX, Mclaren F1
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These three cars are luxury production supercars. They are all extremely expensive, extremely fast, and look extremely good. They make up the list of fastest cars in the same category as the Bugatti and the Aero. The Saleen S7 is capable of 248 mph, while the Koenigsegg clocks a healthy 245 mph, and the Mclaren F1 240 mph. They all travel from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and are near enough the same in specifications that it really only comes down to taste and how you want to look while you are driving it.
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References
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