Many auto enthusiasts are passionate about speed. There is an appeal to being the first and the fastest when it comes to vehicles. Automakers have thrilled enthusiasts who love fast cars by continually pushing the boundaries of automotive engineering. The past half-century has seen supercars become more powerful and faster. Multiple new speed records have been set. Here is a look at some of the top speed car records that have made an impression on the industry.
Speed Record Firsts
The first car to reach 150 miles per hour is the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. This supercar set a new record of 165 mph in 1957.
The very first 200 miles per hour car is the Ferrari F40. This ferociously fast vehicle broke records by zooming past the competition at 201 mph in 1987.
The first 250 miles per hour car is the Dauer 962LM. It broke the speed record in 1996 with a top speed of 251 mph.
Hennessey and Shelby SuperCar have both made claims that their vehicles can top 300 miles per hour. Hennessey’s Venom F5 claims a top speed of 301 miles per hour. The SSC Tuatara, set to start delivering in 2019, claims a top speed of 300 miles per hour. The first one to prove their claim will set new supercar records for speed.
Firsts for 0-60 mph
The first supercar to break the 5-second barrier for going from 0 to 60 miles per hour is the AC Cobra 427. This record was set in 1965 with a recorded time of 4.2 seconds.
The first sub-4-second record was achieved in 1986. The Porsche 959 accelerated from 0 to 60 in just 3.9 seconds.
One decade later a new record was set by the Dauer 962LM. You might recall the Dauer was mentioned previously for setting the record as the first supercar to top 250 mph. This supercar raced from 0 to 60 mph in an unbelievable 2.6 seconds. Supercars do not get much faster than that!
Firsts for 0-100 mph
This century has seen the first supercars reach record times for accelerating from 0 to 100 miles per hour. The first record breaker was the Ultima GTR 640. This vehicle smashed previous records in 2004 by taking just 9.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 mph.
Ultima broke records again just two years later. The Ultima GTR 720 was the first sub-10-second supercar in the 1/4 mile. The car unlocked this achievement in 2006, taking only 9.9 seconds to do so.
The first sub-7-minute ring lap, another speed first, was the Radical SR8. The supercar finished in 2005 with just 6:55 on the track.
bhp Supercar Records
The first 500 bhp supercar was the Panther 6. This vehicle hit the record books with 600 bhp in 1977.
The Koenig Competition Evolution topped the record-setting charts in 1990 with 1000 bhp. This set a new record and will forever be known as the first 1000 bhp car.
A new level of achievement for supercars was unlocked not too long ago. In 2014, the Mansory Carbonado became the first 1500 bhp vehicle in the world. The Carbonado has 1578 bhp.
Other Supercar Firsts
The record books also measure other important aspects of supercars. The first 1000 pound per foot car is the Weineck Cobra 760 CUI. Built in 2005, the Weineck Cobra comes into the charts at 1299 lb/ft. The Cobra 760 CUI is also the first 1000 bhp per ton supercar in the history of these vehicles. Weineck gained this notable distinction in 2005.
So, which of these supercars do you wish you could drive? Any other supercar records we missed? Can’t get enough of fast cars? You will love our story about the best for 2019 that luxury automakers have to offer.
