Almost a century has passed since we first saw a 1,000 hp car, the Sunbeam 1000 HP Mystery – a vehicle designed to break the land speed record. Since then, we had to wait almost 80 years until we saw the first street-legal production car to hit this special landmark, the Bugatti Veyron.
Now, 15 years later, more and more cars are entering this exclusive club. Still, they are only a handful, and to live the thrill of driving with over 1,000 hp under your hood is probably one of the most expensive experiences out there. Here is the list of the best 1,000 hp street cars for sale right now.
Bugatti Chiron
Following the success of the Veyron, which also held the title for “fastest production car” for several years, the Bugatti introduced, in 2016, the Chiron. With a massive 8 L quad-turbocharged W16 engine that can produce up to an impressive 1,479 hp, Bugatti managed to create another beast that is, at the same time, luxurious inside and just as magnificent to look at from the outside. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds and has a top speed limited at 261 mph. The Super Sport 300+ is even more powerful than the original Chiron. This variant was introduced in august 2019 and has a quad-turbocharged W16 engine capable of producing an impressive 1,577 hp. Shortly after it was presented, a prototype of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ was tested at Volkswagen’s test facility in Ehra-Lessien. During the test, it hit a record-breaking speed of 304.77 mph, giving Bugatti back the title of fasters production car manufacturer. The Chiron is the best vehicle a car enthusiast can buy right now but it comes with a price tag that matches its capabilities. The standard Chiron costs $3 million while the Super Sport 300+ variant starts at 3,9 million.
Koenigsegg Regera
For almost 2 years, Bugatti lost the title of fasters production car manufacturer to Koenigsegg. Back before the Chiron was released, the Swedish car manufacturer launched the Agera RS, which beat the Veyron’s speed record. Since then, both the Veyron and the Agera were discontinued. In 2016, Koenigsegg introduced its new hypercar, the Regera. Although it is slower than the Agera, the new model is a plug-in hybrid with a 5 L twin-turbocharged V8 combined with three electric motors. The combined power output of the 4 is a massive 1,479 hp, identical to the standard Chiron. For this new Koenigsegg, the manufacturer dropped the traditional gearbox in favor of a direct drive system. The Regera can reach a top speed of 255 mph and can go from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds. The Swedish built hypercar is also the holder of a world record. In September of 2019, it set a new acceleration record for a production car when it went from 0–400–0 km/h (0–249–0 mph) in under 31.49 seconds. Although slightly slower than the Chiron, the Regera is much cheaper, with a base price of “just” $1.7 million.
NIO EP9
Only a few car manufacturers have produced street-legal cars that have more than 1,000 hp. Surprisingly, one of them is Chinese (1). The NIO EP9 is a supercar developed in Shanghai that was introduced in 2017. The car features technology developed for the manufacturer’s Formula E team and is powered by an electric motor claimed at 1 megawatt, the equivalent of 1,341 hp. It can go from 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds and has a top speed of 217 mph. The battery can last up to 265 miles and can be recharged in 45 minutes. The only downside is that it must be removed from the car before charging. The EP9 also holds a few records for the fastest electric car on the Shanghai International Circuit, Circuit of the Americas, and the Circuit Paul Ricard tracks. Unlike the Chiron or Regera, the EP9 isn’t at all luxurious. The inside looks more like one of a racecar. There are no fancy dashboard designs, no infotainment system, and getting in and out of one requires some flexibility. The EP9 is also much cheaper than other hypercars. The Chinese manufacturer produced 10 units which were sold for $1,2 million each.
Ultima RS
You can experience the thrill of a 1,000 hp car even if you’re not a millionaire, thanks to Ultima. The British car manufacturer recently introduced the RS, a budget hypercar which you can own for just $120,000, although the price can go higher depending on engine power (2). Ultima is renowned for making cheap, reliable performance vehicles, that you have to assemble in your garage. Yes, the RS is a kit car, but one that has a supercharged Chevy LT5 V8 engine that puts out 1,200 hp. It is also very light, just 2,050 lb thanks to the carbon-fiber body. The RS can go from 0 to 60 in just 2.3 seconds and has a top speed of around 250 mph. The car isn’t much to look at, as it still looks a lot like the GTR, which Ultima launched in the 90s. But what it lacks in looks it certainly makes up in performance, like every other Ultima car designed in the past 20 years.
Conclusion
The most powerful, and fastest, car at the moment is the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which costs a staggering $3,9 million. If you don’t have millions to spend on hypercars you could go with the Ultima RS, which is priced only at $120,000. The only problem is that you have to assemble it yourself.
Although the number of street-legal cars that have over 1,000 hp is still rather small, more and more manufacturers are announcing models that will easily surpass this number. Some are even closing in of the 2,000 hp mark. The Rimac C_Two is said to have an engine capable of producing 1,914 hp and will go from 0 to 60 in just 1.85 seconds. The car hasn’t gone into production yet but the Croatian manufacturer has already sold all the 150 units it plans on making.
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