Speed is addictive, and over the years, some speedy cars have come along to satisfy our cravings. The McLaren F1 remains the fastest naturally-aspirated production car globally, while the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut is the quickest production car in the world right now.
America has also produced its fair share of speed demons. In this list, we will examine some of the fastest American cars ever built.
The list will be as varied as possible, including a wide array of supercars and hypercars and a few surprises.
Vector M12 – 190 Mph
The Vector motor company is one of the most obscure in history. It is most famous for the W3 and W8, but before the company disappeared, it did create the 190-mph M12. The M12 was the first and only car produced by Vector under its new Megatech ownership. A 5.7-liter V12 provided the power, making 492 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. Between 1995 and 1999, Vector produced just 17 M12s.
Ford GT – 216 Mph
The Ford GT is one of the most iconic cars in automobile history. The original GT40 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for four years, from 1966 to 1969. Ford revived the GT in 2005 before another iteration appeared in 2016 to celebrate its first Le Mans win in 1966. The new Ford GT had a very impressive 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 under the hood, producing 660 hp, which was good enough for a top speed of 216 mph. Sadly, Ford has now discontinued production of the GT.
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – 184 Mph
The ZL1 is the most extreme version of the Chevrolet Camaro. It shows thanks to the 650 hp, 6.2-liter V8 under the hood, which propels the muscle car to a top speed of 184 mph. For those who want even more performance, you could get the 1LE Extreme Track Performance package to boost the ZL1 firmly into supercar territory.
Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing – 200 Mph
Cadillac’s CT5-V Blackwing has become one of the best sedans in North American automotive history. All while retaining the luxury you would expect from any Cadillac. The considerable 6.2-liter supercharged V8 under the hood is good enough for 668 hp and 658 lb-ft of torque in the Blackwing. This gives the CT5-V Blackwing a mighty top speed of 200 mph, putting it firmly in supercar territory.
Dodge Charger Daytona – 200 Mph
The classic Dodge Charger Daytona making this list shows how impressive it was in the late 1960s. The Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird were NASCAR racers so fast that the series had to ban them to control how quickly the cars were going. The Charger Daytona had a top speed of 200 mph, thanks to the 7.0-liter Hemi V8 that produced 425 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque.
Chevrolet Corvette C8 Z06 – 195 Mph
Despite the dealer markup troubles, the C8 Z06 is one of America’s best-ever sports cars. The 5.5-liter LT6 V8 is a marvel of engineering, producing 670 hp and allowing it to take on the best European supercars. A top speed of 195 mph is awe-inspiring, and it has an incredible 0-60 mph time of just 2.6 seconds. The LT6 is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in a Corvette.
Mosler MT900S Photon – 201 Mph
A supercar that is all but forgotten, the Mosler MT900S Photon comes from the now-defunct Mosler company. The MT900S is an evolution of the earlier MT900, replacing the 5.7-liter LS1 V8 with the larger 7.0-liter LS7 V8 from the Corvette C6 Z06. The bigger engine boosted the power to 550 hp and 513 lb-ft of torque, producing a top speed of 201 mph. The MT900S had almost double the power of its predecessor in a car weighing just 2,539 lbs.
Dodge Viper ACR – 206 Mph
The Dodge Viper is a much-missed sports car, famous for its huge, screaming V10 engines. Of all Viper variants, the ACR is the zenith of the range. ACR stands for American Club Racing, and the package first appeared on the second-generation Viper in 1999. The final Viper ACR appeared in 2015, and under the hood of this monster was an 8.4-liter naturally-aspirated V10 with 645 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque.
Chevrolet Camaro Exorcist 217 Mph
The final generation of the Chevrolet Camaro was closer to a sports car than a muscle car. The ZL-1, as we have already looked at, was an awe-inspiring version, but Chevrolet wanted more from its muscle car. So they gave the ZL-1 to Hennessey Performance, and the legendary tuners created the Camaro Exorcist. This packed a leviathan 6.2-liter supercharged V8, producing 1,000 hp and 966 lb-ft of torque with a top speed of 217 mph.
Hennessey Venom F5 – 311 Mph
The Venom F5 is Hennessey’s first genuinely bespoke hypercar, following the Lotus Elise-based Venom GT. Built in collaboration with Delta Motorsports at Silverstone, England, it has become one of the finest products in American automobile history. A massive 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine produces 1,817 hp and 1,193 lb-ft of torque and propels the Venom F5 to a top speed of 311 mph.
Glickenhaus SCG 003S – 230 Mph
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus has provided only a handful of cars during its time. Its most impressive, however, is the SCG 003. This limited-run supercar first broke cover in 2015, and under the hood is a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged S63 V8 engine. This engine produced 800 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque in the 003S, good enough for a top speed of 230 mph.
Glickenhaus SCG 007 LMH – 200 Mph+
Sticking with Glickenhaus, we will explore something a little different. This is the SCG 007 LMH, the hypercar built by the privateer team to race in the World Endurance Championships Le Mans Hypercar category. Power came from a 3.5-liter Glickenhaus by Pipo Moteurs P21 V8, producing 671 hp. More than enough power to propel the SCG 007 to speeds well over 200 mph. Sadly, Glickenhaus has pulled out of the WEC, but the car took two poles and two podiums in its time and should have won at Monza in 2022 before an engine failure.
Vector W8 – 242 Mph
The Vector W8 is probably the most well-known of the small manufacturer’s supercars. It was the company’s final product under founder Gerald Weigert’s ownership, and powering it was a 6.0-liter Rodeck twin-turbocharged V8. This engine was good enough for 625 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque. Vector claimed the car could produce 1,200 hp by upping boost pressure, giving a claimed top speed of 242 mph.
Saleen S7 – 248 Mph
Another monster supercar is the Saleen S7. This was America’s answer to the all-conquering McLaren F1, and it came from the Saleen firm best known for tuning Ford Mustangs. In the early 2000s, it decided to try its hand at supercar production, which was when the S7 was born. Under the hood was a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V7 with 750 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque, good enough for a top speed of 248 mph.
SSC Ultimate Aero – 257 Mph
SSC has certainly caused headlines over the years, and the SSC Aero is one of their cars that has done just that. It set the benchmark for supercar top speeds for a while, cracking 257 mph thanks to its 6.4-liter twin-turbocharged SSC V8 engine. It’s good enough for 1,183 hp and 1,094 lb-ft of torque and a 0-60 mph time of just 2.7 seconds.
Hennessey Venom GT – 270.49 Mph
The Venom GT was the brainchild of John Hennessey and his Hennessey Performance company. Based on the Lotus Elise, the supercar brake cover in 2012 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, its purpose was to take on the Bugatti Veyron. Hennessey gave the Venom GT a 1,244 hp 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine to do this. Giving the car a top speed of 270.49 mph.
SSC Tuatara – 295 Mph
The SSC Tuatara is one of the very best all-American performance cars. It is the successor to the Ultimate Aero and has a 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 under the hood—an engine good enough for 1,750 hp and 1,341 lb-ft of torque. The supercar has a mind-bending top speed of 295 mph in a car that weighs just 2,749 lbs. This means that the Tuatara is fast in a straight line and no slouch in the corners.
Lucid Air Sapphire – 205 Mph
Lucid Motors has already made a name for itself with its Air, and the Air Sapphire is the extraordinary, high-performance edition of the luxury electric sedan. Its three-motor powertrain produces 1,234 hp and 1,430 lb-ft of torque, which can launch the EV to a top speed of 205 mph. More impressive is the ridiculous 0-60 mph time of just 1.89 seconds.
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 – 215 Mph
Dodge created the incredible Challenger SRT Demon 170 to bid farewell to its iconic muscle car. This swansong muscle car packs a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 under the hood, which produces 1,025 hp and 945 lb-ft of torque. Highlighting the power further is the incredible 0-60 mph time, achieved in just 1.66 seconds.
Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye Widebody – 203 Mph
Even without over 1,000 hp, Dodge’s muscle cars are high-speed. One of the finest has to be the Charger Hellcat Redeye Widebody. This four-door has enough seating for five people and a spacious trunk, creating a very different type of muscle car. Thanks to its 6.2-liter V8 with 797 hp and 707 lb-ft of torque, it is no slouch at 203 mph.
Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1 -212 Mph
While the latest C8 Corvette has stolen all the headlines, we must remember some of its predecessors. The ZR1 nameplate is always reserved for the ultimate version of the Corvette, and a supercharged 6.2-liter LT5 V8 is worthy of that name. This 755 hp engine propels the C7 ZR1 to a top speed of 212 mph, and its Pratt and Miller-developed aero package keeps the sports car hunched to the ground.
Blue Flame – 622 Mph
Some of America’s fastest cars have been built to break the land speed record. The most famous American land speed record car is Blue Flame, driven by Gary Gabelich in 1970. In October 1970, Gabelich drove Blue Flame to a record speed of 622.407 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah with rocket propulsion in the back of the car.
The Spirit of America – Sonic 1 – 600 Mph
Before Blue Flame, Craig Breedlove was the Land Speed record holder, utilizing his Spirt of America vehicles. The first Spirit of America broke the record in 1963, and the American became the first man in the world to set an average speed of over 400 mph. Sonic 1 was a development of the original Spirit of America, with a GE J79 engine from an F-4 Phantom II as the power source. Breedlove shattered his old record, setting a new one at 600.601 mph.
Spirit of America – Formula Shell LSRV – 676 Mph
Breedlove’s final attempt at going even faster and breaking the sound barrier was with his new Spirit of America. Shell sponsorship gave it the name Formula Shell LSRV, but while it achieved a top speed of 676 mph, it did this following a crash that saw the car roll. Somehow, Breedlove got the car back under control and stopped it. But following this, it never seriously bid for the land speed record again. Thrust SSC would put the record out of reach, as the British car smashed the sound barrier at 763 mph.
