The Quickest Cars of the Decade (2024)

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (1)

Around these parts, the term "quickest" refers to acceleration, while "fastest" refers to top speed. Over the years, our sister publication Car and Driver has tested dozens of cars that can crack the 0-60 barrier in under three seconds. These are the quickest cars it's ever recorded. For some context, the slowest car to 60 mph starts at 2.6 seconds.

Here's how Car and Driver conducts its instrumented testing

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1

2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (2)

  • 0-60 time: 2.6 seconds
  • Price as tested: $199,480 (base price: $179,050)
  • Weight: 4702 pounds

The Panamera Turbo S is the heaviest car on this list that doesn't use any sort of electric power, but thanks to clever Porsche chassis tuning, a 620-hp V-8, and a fast-shifting PDK transmission, it can launch itself down the road as quickly as a new Huracán.

Check out our full review

2

2021 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (3)

  • 0-60 time: 2.6 seconds
  • Price as tested: $199,910 (Base price: $162,950)
  • Weight: 4620 pounds

The Mercedes-AMG GT63 S is one of the quickest four-doors to ever lap the Nürburgring, which should give you a good idea of how capable it can be in a straight line. The twin-turbo V-8 under the hood is good for 630 hp, more than enough for supercar-like acceleration.

Watch this one drag race an Audi RS7

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3

2022 BMW M5 CS

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (4)

  • 0-60 time: 2.6 seconds
  • Price as tested: $148,995 (Base price: $143,995)
  • Weight: 4096 pounds

As far as four-door track cars go, you can't do much better than the BMW M5 CS. It's a hardcore variant of the already-quick M5, with stiffer suspension, four bucket seats, and 627 hp. There's AWD as standard, meaning this two-ton monster has no trouble catapulting itself to 60 mph in under three seconds.

Check out our full track test video

4

2021 Lamborghini Huracán STO

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (5)

  • 0-60 time: 2.6 seconds
  • Price as tested: $453,396 (Base price: $333,633)
  • Weight: 3351 pounds

The Huracán STO is the Lamborghini formula perfected. It's brash, bold, loud, and wonderful to drive. A lightweight body and 631 hp means it doesn't need AWD to get a good launch, as evidenced by the ultra-low 0-60 time.

Here's why we like the STO so much

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5

2019 McLaren 720S

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (6)

  • 0-60 time: 2.6 seconds
  • Price as tested: $378,215 (base price: $288,845)
  • Weight: 3161 pounds

There's a reason the McLaren 720S won our Performance Car of the Year comparison test back in 2018. Impeccable power combined with expert chassis tuning and exotic looks make it the go-to supercar for anyone looking for the complete package.

Watch this one crash after losing a drag race to an X3 M

6

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 w/ Z07 Package

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (7)

  • 0-60 time: 2.6 seconds
  • Price as tested: $166,205 (base price: $127,185)
  • Weight: 3666 pounds

The new Chevy Corvette Z06 is nearly flawless. Not only is it incredible to drive, it also sounds great, rides well, and provides plenty of straight-line speed. Despite sending power only to the rear wheels, it can rip to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds.

Here's how it one our Performance Car of the Year test

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7

2022 Lucid Air Dream Performance

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (8)

  • 0-60 time: 2.6 seconds
  • Price as tested: $170,500 (base price: $170,500)
  • Weight: 5282 pounds

Think of the Lucid Air as a Tesla Model S competitor that looks better, has a nicer interior, and goes farther on a full charge. In Dream Performance guise it makes 1111 hp, making sub-three-second rips 60 mph easy.

The Air is so good it should make Tesla sweat

8

2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (9)

  • 0-60 time: 2.5 seconds
  • Price as tested: $348,730 (base price: $294,250)
  • Weight: 3376 pounds

The 991-generation Porsche 911 GT2 RS was the first 911 to break the 700-hp barrier from the factory. An excellent launch control system and a quick-shifting PDK transmission means this rear drive sports car can hit 60 mph quicker than most all-wheel-drive supercars.

Here's our first drive review

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9

2020 BMW M8 Competition

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (10)

  • 0-60 time: 2.5 seconds
  • Price as tested: $175,745 (base price: $147,995)
  • Weight: 4251 pounds

The big two-door BMW M8 Competition uses the same twin-turbo V-8, all-wheel-drive powertrain found in the four-door M5. That means 617 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque going to all four wheels, enough for a rocket ship-like sprint to 60 mph.

Check out our full review

10

2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (11)

  • 0-60 time: 2.4 seconds
  • Price as tested: $205,180 (base price: $186,350)
  • Weight: 5246 pounds

Not only is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S one of the best-driving EVs on sale today, it's also one of the quickest. Electric motors at the front and rear make up to 750 hp while using launch control, more than enough to blow away the majority of ICE-powered cars on the road.

Read our track test right here

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11

2020 Tesla Model S Performance

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (12)

  • 0-60 time: 2.4 seconds
  • Price as tested: $114,690 (base price: $101,190)
  • Weight: 5003 pounds

Before there was the Plaid, there was the Tesla Model S Performance. With 841 lb-ft of torque at the ready from a standstill, it's no wonder it's able to launch the 5000-pound luxury sedan to high speeds in just 2.4 seconds.

Here's a guide on how to track prep your Model S

12

2021 Bugatti Chiron Sport

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (13)

  • 0-60 time: 2.4 seconds
  • Price as tested: $3,710,850 (base price: $3,273,000)
  • Weight: 4544 pounds

The Bugatti Chiron Sport cuts 40 pounds from a normal Chiron, but packs the same gargantuan 1479-hp quad-turbo W-16 engine. Standard AWD and a quick-shifting dual-clutch guarantee the Chiron Sport a spot on this list.

Here's how Bugatti made the Chiron even faster

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13

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (14)

  • 0-60 time: 2.3 seconds
  • Price as tested: $234,570 (base price: $218,650)
  • Weight: 3826 pounds

Who says convertibles compromise performance? Sure, the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet might be heavier and less aerodynamically efficient than the coupe, but that doesn't stop it from sprinting from zero to 60 quicker than a Bugatti.

Check out our 911 buyer's guide

14

2018 Lamborghini Huracán Performante

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (15)

  • 0-60 time: 2.2 seconds
  • Price as tested: $317,285 (base price: $279,185)
  • Weight: 3429 pounds

The Lamborghini Huracán Performante was the Huracán's first truly track-ready variant, with active aero and 631 hp on tap from a 5.2-liter V-10. In addition to briefly holding the Nürburgring lap record, it's also able to sprint to 60 mph in just over two seconds.

Watch our full track test video

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15

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (16)

  • 0-60 time: 2.2 seconds
  • Base price: $204,850
  • Weight: 3646 pounds

The Porsche 911 Turbo S has long been a champion in the world of straight-line speed, in addition its inarguable track prowess and usefulness as a daily driver. Right out of the box, the latest 640-hp 992 model can keep up with legit mid-engine exotics with ease.

Read our first drive review here

16

2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (17)

  • 0-60 time: 2.1 seconds
  • Price as tested: $875,175 (base price: $847,975)
  • Weight: 3724 pounds

The Porsche 918 Spyder was first shown as a concept in 2010—over 13 years ago. Despite its age, a hyper-modern 887-hp hybrid drivetrain that pairs two electric motors to a high-revving V-8 means acceleration that's still competitive today, in 2023.

Here's our full retrospective test

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17

2021 Tesla Model S Plaid

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (18)

  • 0-60 time: 2.1 seconds
  • Price as tested: $137,440 (Base price: $131,440)
  • Weight: 4828 pounds

The Tesla Model S Plaid is the quickest-accelerating sedan to ever enter production, electric or otherwise. Three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear, combine to make a staggering 1020 hp, making the electric sedan quick enough to ghost virtually anything else on the road from a stoplight, all in complete silence.

Check out our in-depth road test

18

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (19)

  • 0-60 time: 2.1 seconds
  • Price as tested: $223,230 (base price: $215,190)
  • Weight: 3557 pounds

Somehow not satisfied with the performance of the normal Porsche 911 Turbo S? Porsche offers a Lightweight package that shaves over 60 pounds through a rear seat delete, thinner glass, and standard bucket seats. It also gets PASM sport suspension and a sport exhaust as standard. The result is a car that can go 0.1 seconds quicker to 60 mph.

Read our review of the Turbo S Lightweight here

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19

2021 Ferrari SF90 Stradale

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (20)

  • 0-60 time: 2.0 seconds
  • Price as tested: $704,92 (base price: $511,250)
  • Weight: 3840 pounds

The Ferrari SF90 Stradale is the company's first hybrid, and with a 0-60 time of two seconds flat, it's also the quickest car on this list. It makes a total of 986 hp thanks to two motors for the front axle and a third electric motor squished between the twin-turbo V-8 and the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Here's our SF90 Stradale track test

The Quickest Cars of the Decade (2024)

FAQs

What is the fastest car of each decade? ›

Top Fastest Cars by Year
  • Fastest car of the 60s: Ferrari 365 GTB “Daytona” ...
  • Top fastest car of the 70s: Lamborghini Countach LP400. ...
  • Fastest car of the 80s: Porsche 959. ...
  • Fastest car of the 90s: McLaren F1. ...
  • Fastest car of the 2000s: SSC Ultimate Aero TT. ...
  • Fastest cars of the 2010s: ...
  • Fastest cars of the 2020s:

What was the fastest car in the 20th century? ›

Whichever figure you accept, the McLaren F1 was easily the fastest car of the 20th century – and it remained the quickest road-legal production vehicle in the world until the arrival of the Koenigsegg CCR in 2004.

What car goes 0 to 60 in 2.2 seconds? ›

Lamborghini Huracán Performante - 2.2 Seconds

Lamborghini Huracán Performante 0 - 300 km/h! The Huracán Performante is the only naturally aspirated vehicle on this list, making Lamborghini's achievement with this car all the more impressive.

What car went 400 mph? ›

Can a car go 400 mph? As of 2023, no cars have managed to break the 400 mph barrier but that's not due to manufacturers' lack of trying. As it stands, there are a few cars that have managed to exceed 300 mph.

What is the number 1 faster car? ›

The fastest car in the world is: Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut (330 MPH) That title goes to the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, which recently broke four world records for speed and performance in one single day.

What is the fastest 0 to 60 car? ›

Fastest from the blocks: 0-60 mph

As of today, the 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 crushes all with a 0-60 mph time of just 1.66 seconds. That's simply absurd, but keep in mind the Demon was engineered with the single-minded purpose of going fast in a straight line.

What is the fastest accelerating car in history? ›

Rimac Nevera - 0-60mph in 1.95 seconds

Complete with a 1887bhp electric motor, the limited-run Nevera is also the world's fastest accelerating car over the quarter mile taking just 8.582 seconds to complete a run. Zrncevic said: “To travel at 412kph, or 258mph, means travelling at a third of the speed of sound.

What is the fastest street legal car? ›

On Dec. 9, 2022, the Gas Monkey Garage-sponsored 2006 Ford GT known as the “BADD GT,” achieved a top speed of 310.8 mph (500.1 km/h) at Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility, located in Kennedy Space Center, Florida, making this car the fastest street legal car in the world.

What is the fastest old fashioned car? ›

The 1963 Shelby Cobra 260 boasted the ability to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. That makes it the fastest old muscle car by a healthy margin. This performance made it one of the most feared and admired street racers on the road.

What is the fastest vehicle to ever exist? ›

Absolute World Records are for a given distance or elapsed time, independent of Category, Group, or Class. The current holder of the Outright World Land Speed Record is ThrustSSC driven by Andy Green, a twin turbofan jet-powered car which achieved 763.035 mph - 1227.985 km/h - over one mile in October 1997.

What was the first car to hit 700 mph? ›

Thrust SSC holds the world land speed record, set on 15 October 1997, and driven by Andy Green, when it achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and it became the first and only land vehicle to officially break the sound barrier.

Is a 7 second 0-60 fast? ›

Getting to 60 in six, seven, even eight seconds is plenty. And, remember, getting these 0-60 times isn't easy! To get these times, carmakers and test drivers do multiple runs in ideal conditions, and sometimes those numbers are not exactly what you think, because they're often measured with what's known as rollout.

What car has a 0 to 60 in 1.9 seconds? ›

Koenigsegg Gemera goes 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds.

Can any car go 0-60 in 1 second? ›

The Bugatti-Rimac CEO says Tesla's claim of 0-60 mph in under one second is possible, but it requires tons of power and very little weight. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a radical claim earlier this week about the upcoming Roadster supercar, saying the company is aiming for a 0-60 mph time of less than one second.

What car has gone the fastest ever? ›

ThrustSSC

What was the fastest car 100 years ago? ›

The car that made the enormous leap in performance motoring was the Lightning Benz, powered by a 21.5 Liter four cylinder engine that developed a maximum output of 200 HP and on November 8, 1909 reached a top speed of 200 km/h on the concrete paved Brooklands circuit in the United Kingdom.

Has any car gone 1000 mph? ›

The Bloodhound SSC is a rocket-powered car that went on for sale for a staggering $11 million. It broke the land speed record by hitting over 1000 mph. This car with a jet engine can break the sound barrier.

How fast did cars go in 1920? ›

Your average basic car had a straight six with less than a hundred horses. They were capable of speeds of around 70. They got you around town just fine but would win no races. Since there was no freeway high speeds were unnecessary.

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