Is 200 mph the high-performance blue chip it used to be? In the late 1980s, you had to get behind the wheel of an uber-exclusive, no-frills supercar to go 200 mph, and even then you'd barely tick the mark. Today, you can slide into the well-padded driver's seat of a big-ass sedan, turn up your favorite song by One Direction, and hit 200 mph before the song is over. Naturally we're not suggesting you try this unless you're a trained professional on a closed course. (We're also not suggesting you listen to One Direction.)

Over the past 25 years, 200 mph has become much easier and far less expensive to reach. The performance gap between performance cars and exotics is quickly filling up with high-performance variants of commodity-type cars. And as lightweight materials, active aerodynamics, and infinitely tunable forced-induction engines trickle down from top-tier halo cars into not-so-special sedans, more ordinary cars will go faster than 200 mph.

We feel a duty to recognize this moment -- a moment when 200 mph is neither phenomenal nor prosaic -- by looking at the current state of 200-mph street-legal production cars. Let us recognize the cars that do 200 mph today and then pay tribute to the cars that first set the bar. And we must, of course, consider the imaginative loons who've long chased insane speeds, the aftermarket tuners who see "more" at the top of a car's speedometer.

Scroll down for the 200-mph cars you can buy today, then keep reading about the 200-mph cars of yesterday and specialty cars that can hit 200 mph.

The 200-mph Cars of Today

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Top speed: 203 mph

Once when we were driving this 552-hp Aston, we were scared out of our wits when someone sitting in the back seat asked us a question. We'd not only forgotten about our back-seat passengers, we'd also forgotten that the car had back seats. The Rapide S blends the performance and confidence of a well-balanced sports coupe with the spaciousness of a luxury sedan.

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2013-2015 Aston Martin Vanquish

Top speed: 201 mph

When you imagine a beautiful grand tourer, you see the Aston Martin Vanquish. It's one of the most attractive GTs in history, toeing the line between aggressive and sexy perfectly. This Vanquish debuted with a six-speed automatic transmission, which was annoyingly clunky, but there's a new, creamy eight-speed automatic transmission that softens quick upshifts.

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2014-2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S/Roadster

Top speed: 205 mph

Don't call it a baby Aston Martin. Be it a coupe or a convertible, the V12 Vantage S has the power and the chops to hang with -- and outrun -- its big brothers. While the Vantage is not nearly as seductive-looking as the Vanquish, it's every bit as fun to flog.

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Tacking "Speed" onto the end of a model name is no new trick for Bentley, and it's no surprise that Bentley gave its popular Conti the "Speed" treatment. It is somewhat surprising, though, that this 5,115-pound two-door can top 200 mph, less so when you remember it has 626 hp.

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2016 Cadillac CTS-V

Top speed: 200 mph

The CTS-V sedan has always brawled with the best and baddest from Germany, but the all-new 640-hp sedan can now outrun just about all of its Deutschland foes on an autobahn. Hell, it'll even outpace a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 on a long enough straight.

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2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Top speed: 204 mph

But the CTS-V might have to get out the left lane when the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat comes up behind it. The Charger will no doubt be less civilized than the CTS-V, likely a point of pride. It has the same 707-hp supercharged V-8 as the Challenger SRT Hellcat (which can reach only 199 mph, by the way).

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2010-2015 Ferrari 458 Italia/Speciale

Top speed: 202 mph

Mid-engine Ferraris have always been stunners, but nothing from yesteryear came close to the 458 Italia's elegance, grace, and desirability. Coupe, Spider, Speciale, Speciale Aperta -- they're all supermodels. The 458 successor, the 488 GTB, will officially debut at the Geneva motor show in a few weeks. The 488 GTB will have a 661-hp, turbocharged V-8 engine and is said to have a top speed in excess of 205 mph.

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2011-2015 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Top speed: 211 mph

Comfortable enough to drive across the country and fast enough to make it from coast to coast in two days, the Ferrari F12 berlinetta is the newest Ferrari grand tourer in a long line of Ferrari grand tourers. Don't let the trick aerodynamics and Manettino dial scare you off; the F12 is as fast as it is friendly.

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2012-2015 Ferrari FF

Top speed: 208 mph

The FF is your best hope at hitting 200 mph on snow. It's a novel concept, a four-passenger, all-wheel-drive Ferrari that's faster than a 458 Italia. Word is that a swoopier, two-passenger version of the FF is in the works. Though a traction-packed F12 Berlinetta piques our interest, we still like the idea of a Ferrari with space for four.

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2015 Ferrari LaFerrari

Top speed: 217 mph

Conventional V-12 powertrain? 789 hp. Electric motor output? 161 hp. All together good for a combined 950 hp, the LaFerrari's hybrid powertrain takes KERS knowledge from Ferrari's Scuderia racing efforts and puts it into an, er, street car. Also on this street car: a carbon-fiber driver cell, fixed seats, and ant-antennae side mirrors.

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2012-2015 Lamborghini Aventador

Top speed: 217 mph

What a savage. The Aventador is a brutal tool that accomplishes its goal -- neck-breaking acceleration -- swiftly but not smoothly, much like an axe in desperate need of sharpening. The 691-hp V-12 flagship is a perfect distillation of what Lamborghini is all about.

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2015 Lamborghini Huracan

Top speed: 202 mph

The Gallardo replacement takes only 10 seconds to rocket from 0 to 125 mph. We'd be hard-pressed to call the littlest bull "civilized," but it's certainly one of the most livable Lamborghinis we've been in. After naming it one of our 2015 All-Stars, we drove the Huracan 1,000 miles to and around Chicago, our lower back no worse for wear.

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2015 McLaren 650S Coupe/Spider

Top speed: 204 mph

The MP4-12C is dead; long live the 650S. (At least it's a shorter name.) McLaren buckled to requests for "more power" and brought the 650S out just a few years after debuting the MP4-12C. While the 650S's V-8 displaces only 3.8 liters, two turbochargers help pump out 641 hp.

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2014-2015 McLaren P1

Top speed: 217 mph

The second of an astonishing hybrid hypercar trio (one is the LaFerrari; the other is coming up next), the McLaren P1 has a 727-hp, turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 paired to a 177-hp electric motor. Combined hp? 904. Another important number is 375. That's the number of P1s being produced. Oh, and one more number, the price: $1.15 million.

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2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

Top speed: 214 mph

The plug-in Porsche hypercar is more sensible than its hybrid cronies. It has insane performance credentials -- the 606-hp V-8, working with both 129-hp front and 156-hp rear e-motors, propels the 918 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds -- but coming off the racetrack and onto the road isn't punishing. In fact, the 918 is surprisingly enjoyable on the freeway, especially with its targa-style roof removed and stowed in the frunk.

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2013-2015 SRT Viper

Top speed: 206 mph

When SRT separated itself from Dodge and brought out the newest Viper under its own umbrella, we knew the car would perform much better than its predecessors. And it does. On a road course, there are few cars more entertaining than an SRT Viper. Would we try to take it to 206 mph though? Hell no.

The 200-mph Cars of Yesterday

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2009-2012 Aston Martin One-77

Top speed: 220 mph

The One-77 stole the show in March 2009 at Geneva. With hand-shaped aluminum panels laid over a carbon-fiber monocoque and a 750-hp, mid-ship 7.3-liter V-12 engine bolted to a six-speed automated manual transaxle, it's not surprising that the One-77 had a price tag of "one million pounds." Production of the 77 (clever, eh?) examples of the fastest-ever Aston rounded out in 2012.

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1999-2000 Aston Martin Vantage V8 V600 Le Mans

Top speed: 200 mph

You forget that even Aston Martins can be ugly, and then you remember the Vantage V8 Le Mans. Only 40 of these pig-nosed coupes were produced after the car launched in 1999. The twin-supercharged V-8 could get an optional power bump from the V600 package, allowing the car to top out 200 mph. The Vantage V8 V600 Le Mans was the most powerful Aston until the One-77.

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2004-2007 Aston Martin Vanquish S

Top speed: 200 mph

What did $19K for an S model get you that $236K for a regular Vanquish didn't? A power bump (520 hp from 460 hp) brought about by bigger injectors, better connecting rods, and modified combustion chambers, as well as different gearing. Still, we're pretty sure the guys who bought one of these are kicking themselves for not pocketing $100,000 and driving a DB9.

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2009-2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed

Top speed: 200 mph

Oh, how Bentley benefited from coming under Volkswagen's purview. The Continental Flying Spur Speed might've looked like a less ugly (maybe) Volkswagen Phaeton, but it ran like a Lamborghini. The 600-hp sedan was the most powerful four-door Bentley had ever made.

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2010-2013 Bentley Continental Supersports

Top speed: 202-205 mph

The Bentley Continental Supersports is Bentley's fastest and most powerful production car to date. Although it didn't really look much different from the base Conti behind it on Rodeo Drive, save some extra holes in the hood, the 621-hp, twin-turbocharged W-12 engine set the Supersports apart from the rest of Bentley's lineup.

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1991-1995 Bugatti EB110

Top speed: 213 mph

Looking at its spec sheet, it's hard to believe the EB110 came from a time when Acura was still cool and midsize trucks were still small: a carbon-fiber monocoque, an all-aluminum body, pushrod suspension, all-wheel drive, and a quad-turbocharged V-12 engine producing 561 hp. Only 139 of these Bugattis were produced.

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The French femme fatale for 200 mph. After the Ferrari F40, no supercar had both the performance and mystique to grab and hold the attention of an entire generation until we met the Veyron, a mere six years after Volkswagen Group bought the rights to the Bugatti name. A replacement model, Chiron, is on its way.

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2009-2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Top speed: 205 mph

Blue Devil. That's the name the sixth-generation Corvette picked up after it went under the knife at Chevrolet's factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and became a ZR1. The 'Vette came with a 6.2-liter V-8 producing 638 hp, thanks in part to a four-lobe supercharger mounted to the top of the engine.

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2008-2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe

Top speed: 202 mph

The Viper SRT10 had -- surprise, surprise -- a V-10 under its big de Bergerac nose. The fourth-generation Viper debuted for 2008, and although its engine displacement rose only slightly from 8.3 liters to 8.4 liters, power jumped from 510 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque to 600 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque.

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2002-2006 Ferrari 575M Maranello

Top speed: 202 mph

Front-engine V-12 Ferraris will likely always be around, and each will be in the 200-mph club. Why? Because the Ferrari 575M Maranello set the 200-mph bar, and Ferrari doesn't take steps backwards. The 575M had several variants, sold well, and set the stage for yet another front-engine V-12 Ferrari to take its place.

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This front-engine V-12 Ferrari, in fact. More curvaceous than the flat-sided Ferrari it replaced, the 599 had a 6.0-liter V-12 that produced 612 hp. Well, in "base" GTB guise that is. The GTO, a road-going version of the 599XX racing car, produced 661 hp. It also lapped Fiorano faster than this next Ferrari.

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2002-2003 Ferrari Enzo

Top speed: 217 mph

Nobody ever called the Ferrari Enzo by its birthname (Enzo Ferrari). And we still won't. The Ferrari Enzo isn't so much a racing car in street-car garb but a racing car with a few extra fairings. (All functional, of course.) The Enzo's 1,700 pounds of downforce at 185 mph dropped to 1,300 pounds at higher speeds to help the car approach its top speed.

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1987-1992 Ferrari F40

Top speed: 201 mph

The first 200-mph production car, the F40 captivated every enthusiast of its time. There are at best two or three cars as magical and alluring as this Ferrari. Its allure is as strong as ever, even if its 201-mph top speed isn't as intimidating as it used to be. The F40 itself, though, is an intimidating as the day we first drove it. And when we say intimidating, we mean frightening.

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1995-1997 Ferrari F50

Top speed: 202 mph

Two fewer turbochargers, four more cylinders, and far more forgiving than the F40, the F50 gave drivers more confidence and still managed to raise Ferrari's top-speed bar. The F50 had a rounder look than its predecessor, its roof came off, and its 513-hp, 4.7-liter V-12 engine started life as a 3.5-liter V-12 from Formula 1.

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2005-2006 Ford GT

Top speed: 205 mph

Resurrecting the 1960s battle between Ford and Ferrari, FoMoCo couldn't bring back the supercar that bitch-slapped Maranello all those years ago unless its new car's performance could be on par with the Italians of the time. A mid-mounted, supercharged, 550-hp 5.4-liter V-8 made it happen.

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2013-2014 Ford Shelby GT500

Top speed: 200 mph

The GT500 had super-tall gearing. Ford went from the Mustang's 3.55:1 rear end to a 3.31:1 rear end for the GT500, giving the Shelby some long, lanky legs to run with. It easily hit 60 mph in first gear, so it made sense that Ford claimed the car could hit 200 mph, although we witnessed the GT500 struggle to hit the mark.

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1992-1994 Jaguar XJ220

Top speed: 213 mph

What do engineers do in their spare time? Create things like this. While they would've preferred to fit the XJ220 with a V-12 engine, emissions restrictions meant they'd have to use a turbocharged V-6 instead. The XJ220's one-year reign as the world's fastest production car ended when the McLaren F1 came out. Only 275 examples of this jaw-dropping Jag were produced.

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1990-2001 Lamborghini Diablo

Top speed: 202 mph

Lamborghini didn't have the soundest business model in the '80s, but, still, its suits wanted a V-12 supercar that hit 199 mph. Fortunately, the engineers had more imagination. The Diablo rode on an updated Countach chassis but looked nothing like its predecessor, and it was much faster than the "Miami Vice"-era car, too, thanks to a 485-hp, 5.7-liter V-12.

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By far the best-selling Lamborghini to date, this baby bull could outrun the Diablo despite having two fewer cylinders. All- and rear-wheel-drive versions were available. Hardtop and convertible versions were available. Special-edition and track-focused versions were available. All were powered by a 5.2-liter V-10s, with horsepower ranging between the mid- and high-500s.

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The big bull looked at the many missteps the Diablo had made, learned from them, and turned out better for it, a far more enjoyable supercar than its predecessor. All of its body panels, save the roof and door skins, were made of carbon fiber, its chassis felt more dialed in, and its 6.2-liter V-12 howled beautifully. "Mercy, mercy me, that Murcielago."

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2010-2012 Lexus LFA

Top speed: 202 mph

Who used a loom to build a car? Lexus, that's who. Development of the carbon fiber-intensive LFA started in 2000, 10 years before the supercoupe became a reality. We absolutely loved revving its 552-hp V-10 engine up to and just beyond 9,000 rpm. It was hard to make a case that someone should buy a $380,000 Lexus, but those who did shouldn't regret it.

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2004-2005 Maserati MC12

Top speed: 205 mph

Who asked for a less attractive Ferrari Enzo without a prancing horse badge? Only 50 of these reskinned Ferrari Enzos were built, and that's fine by us. A bigger body and a tall rear wing meant more downforce. And more aerodynamic drag, which limited the car's top speed.

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1992-1998 McLaren F1

Top speed: 231-248 mph

McLaren constructed the F1 using materials such as carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, Kevlar, and gold. It had a center-mounted steering wheel with a single seat up front, winged by two rear seats. Powered by a conventional V-12 engine, it's still the fastest naturally aspirated road car ever built. There are seven prototypes, 72 street-legal cars, and 28 track-only versions out there.

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2012-2014 McLaren MP4-12C

Top speed: 207 mph

After a long hiatus, McLaren's return to road cars impressed the hell out of us. A carbon-fiber monocoque kept the 12C's curb weight to a svelte 3,200 pounds. The chassis featured hydraulics that tied all four dampers together, making the 12C equal parts comfortable and capable. Revving the turbocharged, 592-hp V-8 engine, with its flat-pane crankshaft, all the way out to 8,500 rpm: intoxicating.

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The McMerc had quite the long shelf life. Maybe because at the time Mercedes-Benz had been going through a "who are we?" crisis before championing AMG. Or maybe because the SLR McLaren simply stayed relevant for seven odd years. It looked absolutely wild with its long, sharp nose, scissor doors, super-stylized air ducts, and rocker-sill exhaust.

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What started life as a homologation special transformed into one of the most desirable Porsche 911s of all time. The GT2 that turns us on most is this one, the 997-gen car that debuted several years ago. The GT2's twin-turbo, 3.6-liter flat-six mounted in the rear produced 530 hp, and a lightweight-spec GT2 made 620 hp.

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2004-2007 Porsche Carrera GT

Top speed: 205 mph

A menacing reminder of what a supercar could be when you disposed with adjustable suspension and launch control and traction-aiding all-wheel drive. The GT didn't know how to "soft bite" and could be unpredictable if not respected. But, boy, was it enjoyable to beat on. Especially after removing the targa roof panels to fully enjoy the sounds spit from the 605-hp V-10's exhaust.

A Smattering of 200-mph Cars From Specialty Brands

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9ff GT9

Top speed: 254-271 mph

"Gearbox configuration and engine performance that can be altered to reflect your personality," says 9ff of its GT9, which somewhat resembles the 911 it's loosely based on. Want 1,400 hp? It's yours. The German tuning company puts a Porsche twin-turbo flat-six engine in the middle of the GT9, not the rear, to give the 2,500-pound sports coupe better weight distribution.

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Ascari Ecosse/KZ1/A10

Top speed: 201-220 mph

With cars drawn by Italians, built by Brits, and paid for by a Dutchman, Ascari might be one of the weirdest aftermarket automakers out there. Its first production car, the KZ1, had a naturally aspirated V-8 from a BMW M5 mounted longitudinally in its middle that put out 500 hp. Its successor, the A10, which had the same engine but made 125 more hp, never made it past the prototype stage.

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Bristol Fighter T

Top speed: 225 mph

We never lusted after a Bristol, and we still don't. The Fighter had an uber-low drag coefficient and a V-10 engine from a Viper. The Brit supercoupe looked inspired by aeronautics, as its name would suggest, and we have absolutely no idea how many of these things actually exist.

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Caparo T1

Top speed: 205 mph



Inspired by Formula 1 but designed like a Le Mans protoype, the T1 is a Brit-built, road-going two-seater powered by a 3.5-liter V-8 engine that produces its peak 575 hp at -- wait for it -- 10,500 rpm.

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Cizeta-Moroder V16T

Top speed: 204 mph

How an engineer persuaded an Italian music composer to go into business with him and build a supercar is beyond us, especially when said supercar would not be powered by a traditional V-16 engine but the internals of two flat-plane V-8s mounted transversely in one block, shoved into the middle of a car.

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Gumpert Apollo

Top speed: 224 mph

Ronald Gumpert is a bad name, but when you build a serious sports car, you want to put your name on it. The Apollo is an engineer's dream, a designer's nightmare, and it's as fast as it is ugly. Supposedly, at above 190 mph, you can drive the Apollo upside down in a tunnel. This probably excites the people who are excited by the Gumpert. (What a bad name.)

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Hennessey Venom GT

Top speed: 265-270 mph

Of course hardcore enthusiast and red-blooded Texan John Hennessey stretched out a Lotus Exige, fitted it with a 1,244-hp twin-turbo V-8, and had his team run it at 270 mph on NASA's 3.2-mile Cape Canaveral runway, an insane idea dreamed up and executed by a loony American hero.

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We must applaud Christian von Koenigsegg, the man who at 22 decided to start his own supercar company. He serves as a constant reminder that if we want cool cars from Sweden, we don't rely on Volvo. Keep on going, hombre.

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Noble M600

Top speed: 225 mph

Unlike Nobles from the past, the M600 doesn't rely on a six-pot engine mounted behind its driver for propulsion. The M600's engine is still mid-mounted, yes, but the Brit-built coupe is powered by a twin-turbo Volvo V-8 that pushes out 650 hp and is bolted to a six-speed manual transmission.

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Pagani Huayra

Top speed: 230 mph

The Huayra looks like a creature that's crawled out of a deep ocean crevice. Powered by a 720-hp, twin-turbo V-12 from AMG, the Huayra will rip around a road course sensationally fast, its active aerodynamics helping to keep things sorted. The price? More than $1.8 million.

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Pagani Zonda

Top speed: 208-217 mph

Named after the Zonda wind that blows above Argentina, the first Zonda, the C12, had a 400-hp Mercedes V-12 engine. Then came a slew of variants, special editions, and one-offs with more bells, whistles, and power. What did every Zonda have in common? They were all stupid fast and ridiculously expensive.

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Ruf CTR Yellowbird

Top speed: 211 mph

Ruf is still in the business of hopping up Porsches, but this, the Yellowbird, is the car that snagged the attention of every enthusiast in the world. Introduced in 1987, the Porsche 911-based Yellowbird humbled major manufacturers by becoming the world's fastest sports car. It was the only twin-turbocharged 911 in the world at the time.

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Saleen S7/TT

Top speed: 200-248 mph



Dubbed "America's first production supercar," the Saleen S7 used a 351 Windsor V-8 engine that had been bored out and stroked. While the base S7 made an impressive 550 hp, the twin-turbo version, which ultimately replaced the naturally aspirated version, produced 750 hp, even though the exhaust-driven snails spooled to a surprisingly low 6 psi each.

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Weber Faster One

Top speed: 248 mph

The Faster One has four fuel tanks, spread throughout the car for a lower center of gravity and better weight distribution. Its active rear wing works both as an airfoil and an air brake. Its 5.6-liter, force-fed V-10 engine produces 1,200 hp. What's this Swiss-made, all-wheel-drive coupe cost? "Price: On request." So, not cheap.

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SSC Ultimate Aero/TT

Top speed: 256-257 mph

2.14 pound per hp. That's the Ultimate Aero TT's insanely low pound-per-hp rating. The TT stands for twin-turbocharged, which the 6.3-liter V-8 is, allowing it to produce 1,000-plus hp and 1,000-plus lb-ft of torque. The company from Washington state planned to build a 208-mph all-electric Aero as well, but that didn't happen.

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Zenvo ST1

Top speed: 233 mph