Koenigsegg CCX Sports Fast Cars

Koenigsegg CCX
245mph+, 0-62mph 3.2 secs

Poor Koenigsegg. Having spent the entire century so far trying to capture the McLaren F1’s top speed record, the Swedish supercar maker finally achieves it with the 242mph CCR when Bugatti comes along and rearranges the rulebook. That’s got to hurt. Still, what better way to bury the pain than to develop a new version – the CCX. A bespoke 4.7-litre V8 with twin superchargers sits just behind the passenger compartment, developing 806bhp and 678lb ft of torque – enough to propel the car from 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds despite only having rear wheel drive.

245mph is achievable if you can find, well, a runway long enough, though the low drag shape that allows this does mean the Koenigsegg can be a handful in the corners. Extra bonus points for having carbon-fibre wheels on the options list and doors that are cooler than a penguin’s feet.

Bristol Fighter T Sports Fast Cars

Bristol Fighter T
225mph+, 0-62mph 3.5 secs

Eccentric is an overused word, but as a description of Bristol, the reclusive British carmaker, it seems perfectly apt. Imagine a sideboard on wheels, add a whacking great American V8 and you’ve got a Blenheim. Bristol got by building variations of these for years (and years) until suddenly it decided a supercar was desperately needed to complete the line-up. Thus, the 200mph Fighter was born, and having gotten hip to the new millennium, Bristol can’t stop improving the specification of the thing. Apparently due to customer demand – no seriously, Bristol customers do attend trackdays – the new Fighter T has an utterly bonkers 1012bhp and immense 1036lb ft of torque.

That’s more power than the Veyron, thanks to a twin-turbocharged version of the 8.0-litre V10 more often found under the bonnet of a Dodge SRT-10. Electronically limited to 225mph, Bristol claims a frankly ludicrous potential maximum of 270mph. They neglect to mention the price, but if you have to ask…

Gumpert Apollo Sports Fast Cars

Gumpert Apollo
224mph, 0-62mph 3.0 secs

Yikes. Well, you’re not exactly going to miss this, uh, beauty appearing suddenly in the rear-view mirror. And seriously, move over, because although you’ve probably never heard of it, being fourth on this list means there aren’t many cars capable of outrunning a Gumpert Apollo. 224mph is impressive, but it’s the 0-62mph time that really grabs our attention. Three seconds flat is seriously quick – you’ll be needing a Veyron if you want to go faster. Such high levels of poke hint at an exotic under-bonnet experience, but don’t be too disappointed when we tell you the Apollo is powered by a 4.2-litre Audi V8.

Two appropriately substantial turbochargers later and you’ve got 650bhp under your right foot. That ought to be enough to keep the driving experience entertaining, especially when combined with a six-speed sequential gearshift and rear-wheel drive.

Pagani Zonda C12 F Sports Fast Cars

Pagani Zonda C12 F
214mph, 0-62mph 3.5 secs

The Pagani Zonda has never been about outright top speed. When you’ve got such extravagant design and exquisite detailing, not to mention epic acceleration, sublime handling and a pair of shoes made by the Pope’s cobbler included in the asking price, becoming part of the supercar elite was almost a given. And Pagani’s done it in record time – going from obscurity to revered supercar status in the blink of an eye. Still, it’s nice to know you can back up all that flash with a bit of firepower if you need to, and the introduction of the 214mph Zonda F nicely boosts a range that otherwise barely cracks the magic 200.

7.3-litres of bespoke Mercedes-Benz AMG V12 does the business very nicely, providing upwards of 602bhp (650bhp in Clubsport guise), and 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds. We’ll take ours in bare carbon-fibre, please. And if you want real exclusivity, there’s a Roadster version available, too.

Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 Sports Fast Cars

Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
211mph, 0-62 3.4 seconds

Lamborghini is synonymous with flamboyance. So when it unveiled this car at the 2006 Geneva motorshow, the world gasped. Who on earth had decided to paint a Murciélago in gloss primer grey? But the LP640 isn’t any ordinary Murciélago , and we rather suspect the utilitarian hue wasn’t just about making the car look harder than a Stealthbomber on a night out. Toning down the paint helps emphasize that this Lamborghini is all about performance, an impression enhanced by the optional transparent engine cover that keeps the LP640’s wailing V12 hard permanently on display.

211mph is six more than the standard version, which doesn’t sound much until you realise it’s taken 61 more horses to achieve, and the going gets pretty tough over 200mph. The total bhp count now stands at 631, helping drop the 0-62mph time by an impressive 0.4 seconds to only 3.4. Oh, and you still get the scissor doors – which should keep the traditional clientele happy.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren “722 Edition” Sports Fast Cars

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren “722 Edition”
209mph, 0-62mph 3.6 secs

What kind of supercar really needs a special edition? Well pretty much everyone is at it these days so that’s something of a moot point. But if anything does, it’s the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren – which has the unfortunate double problem of the McLaren F1 as a forefather and various AMG Mercedes as siblings. Ceramic brakes and an unrestricted top speed are all very well, but you don’t really expect them to be combined with an automatic gearbox and the interior from an executive saloon.

So, in order to up the interest a bit, only 150 “722 Edition” SLRs will ever be made, featuring a 650bhp version of the 5.5-litre V8, specially tuned suspension, a quicker 0-62mph dash and a top speed of 209mph – that’s a whole 1 mph faster than the ‘ordinary’ car. Hmmm. Tough to pick when an SL65 with the limiter removed will lose you your licence just as comprehensively for about £200,000 less.

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Sports Fast Cars

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
205mph+, 0-62mph 3.7 secs

The Ferrari Enzo was such a technical tour de force that it’s easy to imagine the engineers at Maranello scratching their heads over what to do next. No such luck for the competition as it turns out, since in developing a replacement for the 575M Maranello, Ferrari have completely re-written the script for front-engined GT supercars. Other cars on this list may be faster – in some cases very much so – but the 599 GTB Fiorano is just fantastically accomplished to drive.

Technical highlights include Magnetorheological Suspension Control, Formula 1 derived traction and stability control, and the not insignificant achievement of being 40kg lighter than the outgoing 575M despite being considerably larger. Don’t care about the techy stuff? Then simple glory in this 6.0-litre V12’s 8,400rpm redline, soulful interior, and the fact you’re driving a car with a prancing horse on the bonnet. Shame it doesn’t look a little bit prettier, but then the world never has been perfect.

Aston Martin Vanquish S Sports Fast Cars

Aston Martin Vanquish S
200mph+, 0-62mph 4.8 secs

The original Vanquish could never really be accused of being short of power, but such is the pace of development these days its cheaper DB9 relative was snapping at its heels in the performance department. Costing some £60,000 more than the DB9 that simply wouldn’t do. So the Vanquish S was born, raising power from its front-mounted V12 to 520bhp, a hike of 60bhp. That also pushes the top speed of this British bruiser up beyond the 200mph barrier.

As well as the engine modifications the S has a tweaked chassis to provide a more focussed, rawer driving experience, marking it out from the still available regular Vanquish and the DB9. Still largely hand built, in tiny numbers, the Vanquish S is a perfect British riposte to the thoroughbred Italians here; sophisticated, yet brutally fast, Aston Martin’s flagship is a very desirable and useable 200mph+ machine. KF

Barabus TKR Sports Fast Cars

Barabus TKR

America is another notable absentee, but the most likely candidate, Saleen’s S7 Twin Turbo makes no greater claim than 200mph+, even if previous talk had suggested 260mph might be possible. The UK’s very own Ultima also claims 200mph+ for certain versions of the GTR, but specifications are quite individual. What we can say for certain is that Ultima does hold the 0-100mph-0 world record, with its GTR720 performing the feat in 9.4 seconds – half a second faster than even the Veyron can manage. Another UK wild card is the Barabus TKR, which was a surprise showing at this year’s British motorshow, and is theoretically good for 270mph.

But then they also claim 0-62 in less than two seconds, and we’re really not sure if that’s possible. But for totally off-the-wall (and totally unverifiable) try Project 1221, an Italian concern apparently building a turbine powered supercar with the equivalent of 1500bhp and a 270mph+ top speed…

Ruf RT 12 Sports Fast Cars

Ruf RT 12

Rather than stick a single car into the number 10 slot, we thought it’d be more fun to round up the list with several… let’s say ‘unverified’ alternatives. No official showing from Porsche since the demise of the Carerra GT could easily be countered with a number of tuner 911 from specialists so deep into modification they actually count as independent manufacturers in some countries. Ruf and 9ff, for example, will happily sell you a professionally fettled 911 turbo capable of well over 200mph. Similarly, Brabus and others make a business out of making Mercedes go very quickly indeed, and the CLS based Rocket has 730bhp and is supposedly electronically limited to 217mph.

Porsche 959 Sports Fast Cars

Porsche 959

It’s perhaps clichéd to mention it, but this mechanical marvel became one of the poster icons for the Athena generation. I had one on my wall with a Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari 288 GTO with ‘decisions, decisions, decisions’ written underneath. Sadly, I’ve never had to make that decision but if I did I’d go for the Porsche. It was a technical masterpiece when it was introduced in ’88 and still commands real respect today. Based on the 911 but with highly sophisticated four-wheel-drive transmisson, twin turbochargers, electronic ride height adjustment and 450bhp it never quite managed the 200mph of its cruder rivals – topping out at ‘just’ 197mph. However there were some drawbacks.

That engine and complex transmission combined with its composite wind-tunnel honed ‘zero-lift’ bodywork made it fiendishly expensive to produce though, Porsche making a significant loss on every one of the 283 cars they sold. They are exceptionally rare and valuable and unfortunately Auto Trader doesn’t list any right now...

Porsche 911 (993) Turbo Sports Fast Cars

Porsche 911 (993) Turbo

There are a good number of 911 fans out there that regard the 993 series 911 that ran to 1997 as the last of the ‘real’ 911s. That’s because it was the last 911 to be cooled by air. Like most generations of 911 there were several stand-out models based on the 993, the RS, the basic Carrera 2 being notable examples, but for many the Turbo is the 993 to aspire to. Never before had the 911 Turbo offered such blistering pace with ease of use. Previous Turbos had a fearsome reputation, the 408bhp 993 Turbo utilising four-wheel-drive to enable you to use its prodigious thrust on any road in any conditions. Ludicrously quick with a 4.5 second 0-62mph time and a 180mph top speed, the 993 Turbo remains a supremely able and enjoyable high performance 911 that’s hugely sought after.

Porsche Boxster Sports Fast Cars

Porsche Boxster

Like the trio above the Boxster has allowed Porsche to indulge its customers with the 911 and projects like the Carrera GT by offering volume models at more affordable prices. The Boxster is a fantastic car and one that’s never been bettered in the roadster market with its combination of decent performance and fantastic ride and handling. It’s made it the benchmark in its price range. However, as it sits under the 911 it’s always been capped for power to prevent it taking sales from its iconic big brother. The earliest 205bhp 2.5-litre cars introduced in 1997 underline this by being a touch slow, but any other model is well worth considering; particularly the faster S derivatives with their larger engines. The current Boxster continues where the original left off. That is, heading the roadster class effortlessly and providing a hugely enticing and relatively affordable step onto the ladder of Porsche ownership.

Porsche Cayman S Sports Fast Cars

Porsche Cayman S

Some might consider it rather early to be proclaiming the new Cayman S as worthy of a place among our top ten Porsches, but we’re absolutely certain it deserves the accolade. A coupe version of the Boxster was always going to be special and the Cayman S certainly doesn’t disappoint. Significantly stiffer than its Boxster relative, the Cayman S offers a supremely sharp and focused driving experience. There’s such immediacy to its responses and fine control it’s an absolute joy to drive on a challenging road. Its Boxster/911 derived 3.4-litre engine offers 295bhp, allowing it to sprint to 62mph in just 5.4 seconds. Certain to be joined by a lesser powered version that should slot between the Boxster and Boxster S in price and performance there’s a lot more to come from the Cayman. We just hope the rumours of a lighter, even more focussed Club Sport version are true.

Porsche Cayenne Sports Fast Cars

Porsche Cayenne

Whoa. The Cayenne? Still a moot point among Porsche enthusiasts the Cayenne is nevertheless a hugely significant model for Porsche. Not least because it accounts for a considerable slice of sales, particularly in the USA, and hence profitability. That means it can afford to continue developing its sports cars while remaining independent. That, and no other model so clearly exhibits Porsche’s ability to engineer the impossible; Porsche making a sports car out of a heavy 4x4. It’s quite incredible to drive, the Turbo able sledgehammer to 62mph in just 5.6 seconds, with agility and performance that’s way beyond what you’d expect from a chunky off-roader. You might think that to achieve this Porsche would have quietly forgotten to develop it to work off-road, but it copes with talent that’s not far off that of a Land Rover. An engineering achievement to be proud of, if not a design one...

Porsche 911 (996) GT3 Sports Fast Cars

Porsche 911 (996) GT3

The 997 might be here now, but you can still buy new versions of the 996 series car like the Turbo and GT3. The GT3 is a car in the vein of the RS’s that preceded it, stripping out excess weight, adding precision and power and offering a drive that’s race car fast for the road. Delivering 381bhp from a very special version of the standard 911’s 3.6-litre powerplant the GT3 achieves this heady power output without a turbocharger, yet it’s Turbo brisk with a 0-62mph time of just 4.5 seconds. The even more extreme limited GT3 RS is rawer and even more focussed, and makes a referential link to the iconic ’73 Carrera RS with its white paintwork with blue or red wheels and graphics running along the sills. Porsche is readying a new 997 GT3, when it arrives we expect it to be sensational. It’ll need to be to beat its predecessor.

Porsche 911 S (997) Sports Fast Cars

Porsche 911 S (997)

It’s perhaps predictable putting the fastest current version of the 997 into this mix at the expense of other worthy Porsches like the 928 GTS, 993 RS or 964 3.8 RS, but it’s difficult to ignore the latest car’s huge all-round talent. In S guise the current Carrera offers 355bhp, which, amazingly, is around 100bhp more than the turbo 911s of the ‘70s. It’ll sprint to 62mph in 4.5 seconds and reaches a maximum of 182mph – which is 993 Turbo pace. However, it’s not its power or pace that impresses so much, but the way that it remains so easy to drive. That makes it an accomplished everyday driver or a circuit weapon, the brilliant feel, handling and body control all accompanied by the aural thrill of its wonderful 3.8-litre flat six. A fitting step in the 911’s evolution, rival manufacturers constantly try to better it, but none has, or is likely to.

Porsche Carrera GT Sports Fast Cars

Porsche Carrera GT

Fittingly, given we started this top ten with the last Porsche proper production hypercar we’ll finish it with its latest. The Carrera GT. Like so many of Porsche’s models its roots lie in racing, the Carrera GT conceived as a race car before a change in regulations ruled it out before it was ever raced. Pragmatically, Porsche decided not to waste all its efforts in developing the Carrera GT and hastily turned it into a road car project. The result is phenomenal, the Carrera GT able to breach 200mph and sprinting to 62mph in just 3.9 seconds. That’s possible because of the 612bhp 5.8-litre V10 engine powering it, and the light and immensely strong carbon fibre chassis. Expensive, exclusive and outrageously fast and capable, the Carrera GT is the fastest production Porsche to leave the factory, but amazingly for such an exotic machine it’s just like every production Porsche as it really can be used and enjoyed everyday.

Ferrari F40 Sports Fast Cars

Ferrari F40

Unveiled personally by Enzo Ferrari himself on 12 March 1987 the F40 was built to celebrate 40 years of Ferrari. With a quoted top speed of 199mph its twin turbocharged, twin intercooled, 2.8-litre V8 engine was a development of the 288 GTO’s. In the F40 it produced 478bhp, giving this road racer savage performance. 62mph was reached in just 4.6 seconds - it doubling that to 124mph in 11 seconds dead. Constructed using a mix of composite materials and steel alloy tubes the F40 weighed in at just 1254kg. Its raw, stripped interior helped keep the weight down - making no concessions to comfort.

Indeed, the F40 represented a polar opposite to the contemporary Porsche 959’s incredible technical sophistication and comfort, yet its fierce performance and aggressive styling saw it go on to become a tremendous sales success where the Porsche floundered. A total of 1311 were built between 1987 and 1992, making it one of Ferrari’s most successful specials in both sales and profitability.

Ferrari Dino Sports Fast Cars

Ferrari Dino

Say Dino to a Ferrari enthusiast and it’s highly likely that this is the car they’ll think of. That’s despite the fact that the Dino name has been used on several occasions throughout Ferrari’s history. Yet the Dino never, ever wore the prancing horse badge of Ferrari when it left the factory, enthusiasts putting them on afterwards. First shown in concept 206 GT Speciale form at the 1965 Paris Salon, the first production cars followed in 1967. Power for the early Dino 206 GT models was from a mid-mounted 2.0-litre V6 engine producing just 180bhp. Only 152 206 models were built before the engine was enlarged to 2.4-litres, raising power to 195bhp. The Dino’s model number changed to 246 to represent the larger engine, with other changes including a wider track and increased wheelbase. The open GTS model joined the range in 1972, it particularly popular in the USA. It may never have been badged Ferrari, but there’s no mistaking the bloodline of this achingly beautiful and highly sought after car.