Top 10 Most Powerful Cars in the World

Welcome to the 1,000 Horsepower Club

Text and Photos By Nigel Matthews

The Green revolution has gone completely unnoticed by some in the automotive world, judging by the horsepower under the hoods of today’s supercars.

Despite these tough economic times and our newfound environmental sensibilities, there is still an appetite to build and buy the next generation of supercar. There is now a new exclusive group called the 1,000-horsepower club.

Let’s put that into perspective. The World War Two Spitfire MK1A fighter plane tipped the scales at 2.9 tonnes and was powered with a 1,175-hp engine. Most of the cars in the 1000-hp club are lightweights weighing little more than a tonne.

If a lottery win is in your future, you might want to cast your eyes over these top-ten supercars, rated by horsepower, that qualify you for membership in the 1000-hp club. (All prices quoted in U.S. dollars.)

1. Locus Pléthore, 1,300 hp, $412,000.

Surprisingly, the supercar with the highest horsepower rating is built in Canada. Perhaps this spectacular creation will help repair the memories of our last Canadian built sports car, the Bricklin SV1.

Dubbed the “Quebec Bomb,” the Pléthore is built by HHT Locus Technologies in Quebec. The chassis and body are made entirely out of carbon fibre, weighing approximately 1,134 kg. Fitted with the optional high-horsepower engine, the 1,300-hp version has a power-to-weight ratio of a Formula One racing car and is capable of 328 km/h. The heavily modified 8.2-litre Chevrolet V8 engine is mated to a Tremec six-speed manual transmission.

2. SSC Ultimate Aero, 1,287 hp, $620,000.

The SSC Ultimate Aero is an American-built mid-engine supercar, built by Shelby SuperCars (SSC), of West Richland, in Washington State, no relation to the famous Carroll Shelby.

It is capable of speeds in excess of 400 km/h thanks to the SSC 387-cid V8 with billet aluminum engine block. The Aero knocked the Bugatti Veyron off its perch as the fastest car in the world when officials from the Guinness Book of World Records recorded an official speed of 411.85 km/h, making it the world’s fastest supercar.

3. Lotec Sirius, 1,200 hp, Price upon request!

Lotec is a small German company that works closely with Mercedes-Benz. Its uses the same 48-valve, 6.0-litre Mercedes-Benz V12, with twin turbochargers, that powers the Italian-built Pagani Zonda. The Sirius uses the CIMA gearbox (also used by Koenigsegg) which sits behind the engine. The bodywork is made from the optimum combination of carbon, Kevlar and fibreglass materials.

A Lotec C-1000 at the 2005 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, sold for $225,000, but it was built at a cost of $2.2 million! It weighs in at 1.2 tonnes, can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 400 km/h.

4. Mosler 900S, 1,150 hp, $329,000.

The Mosler 900S is a culmination of over 20 years of research and development of Warren Mosler’s technical team and designer Mark Trenne.

The California-based company uses the iconic 5.7-litre Corvette LS6 V8 engine, mated to a German Getrag 6-speed transmission. The body is comprised of three large sections of carbon-aluminum honeycomb over a chrome-moly tube chassis.

Nelson Racing in the USA has tweaked a Mosler, accomplishing an output of 1,800 hp. The 900S can hit 100 km/h in 3 seconds and is capable of well over 320 km/h.

5. Zenvo ST1, 1,104 hp, Price never published.

The 1,104-hp Zenvo ST1 is a 100-percent Danish product. The cutting-edge, sharp lines and simplicity that are often associated with Danish design makes it a stunning car to look at. Everything about the Zenvo is over the top, from its turbocharged and supercharged (yes both) 7.0-litre V8 engine to the yards of carbon fibre covering its chassis. The transmission is a 6-speed manual that drives the rear wheels. This supercar has a 0-100 km/h time of 3.2 seconds and boasts a top speed of 373 km/h (233 mph), electronically limited. Does it remind you of Darth Vader?

6. Koenigsegg CCXR, 1,018 hp, $2,205,600.

The Koenigsegg CCXR is a specially-modified version of the CCX, easily recognized by its unpainted carbon fibre body. Only six of these special order examples were built. The CCXR has to be the first environmentally-friendly million-dollar supercar. It runs on E-85 biofuel; the ethanol cools the combustion chambers and the higher octane value increases horsepower. The twin-supercharged 4.7-litre biofuel V8 CCXR weighs 1.2 tonnes, is capable of 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds and has a top speed exceeding 400 km/h.

7. Bristol Fighter “T”, 1,102 hp, $670,000.

Bristol is one of England’s most exclusive luxury car builders, in business for 62 years.

The marque’s most recent model, the Bristol Fighter, was named after one of its successful World War Two aircraft. The Fighter is fitted with a purpose-built 8.0-litre, Chrysler V10 Viper engine.

After the launch of the Fighter, its clientele requested more horsepower, to accommodate a desire for sheer power. Bristol responded by offering the Fighter “T” fitted with twin-turbochargers and intercoolers. The V10 produces 1,012 hp and 1,036 lb-ft of torque. Unlike most supercars, the Fighter “T” has room for six-footers and luggage, and is a very comfortable touring car for intercontinental journeys.

8. Barabus TKR, 1,005 hp, $660,000.

The TKR, produced by Barabus Sportscars of Italy, is capable of achieving Formula One times. It is powered by a 6.0-litre aluminum block V8, with twin intercooled turbochargers, capable of accelerating the TKR from 0-100 km/h in 1.67 seconds and a top speed of 437 km/h.

The front-end styling is similar to the Saleen S-7 and the rear resembles the Pagani Zonda. Ceramic brakes are standard equipment but at the published speeds, parachutes might be preferable!

9. Bugatti Veyron, 1,001 hp, $1,440,800.

The Bugatti Veyron has its place in supercar history as one of the most powerful and fastest street legal production cars in the world. The 8.0-litre, quad-turbo, W16 engine produces 1,001 hp. If you drive the Veyron at its recorded top speed of 407 km/h, you will drain its 100-litre fuel tank in 12 minutes. Perhaps running out of fuel is a built-in safety measure, as the $25,000-worth of tires driven at this speed would explode after 15 minutes.

10. Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo, 1,000 hp, $580,000.

Saleen is now offering customers of its 750-hp S7 Twin-Turbo supercar the option of a performance upgrade. For an additional $65,000 on top of the S7’s $580,000 base price, it will boost the 7.0-litre, twin-turbo V8’s output to 1,000 hp.

With the 1,000-hp upgrade, the car has topped more than 416 km/h in testing. At this year’s Barrett-Jackson auction, a used S7 sold for $412,500. Now that’s more my kind of price.

Related Posts

No related posts.