10 highest horsepower cars in the world

The idea of a car with a ridiculous amount of horsepower appeals to the inner child in all of us, because at the end of the day, hypercars are just cool. Whereas back in the day it was all about who had the biggest engine, today’s highest performers tend to be – pause for dramatic effect – electric cars.

There are still some dinosaur-powered beasts around, however, sticking it to the electric cars’ silent speed with shouty, fire-breathing combustion engines. But which production cars really do have the most horsepower? Well, if you’ve got the stomach (and the wallet) for them, these are the ten beefiest of the bunch:

1. Yangwang U9 Xtreme – 2,978hp
2. Koenigsegg Gemera – 2,300hp
3. Rimac Nevera R – 2,107hp
4. Lotus Evija – 2,011hp
5. Aspark Owl – 1,953hp
6. Pininfarina Battista – 1,900hp
7. Hennessey Venom F5 – 1,875hp
8. Bugatti Tourbillon – 1,800hp
9. SSC Tuatara – 1,750hp
10. Koenigsegg Jesko Absolute – 1,600hp

1. Yangwang U9 Xtreme – 2,978hp

It may not look particularly outlandish (save for its giant wing) and it may come from a brand you’ve never heard of, but the Yangwang U9 Extreme takes the crown of the most powerful production car on sale today. Its four electric motors output a frankly absurd 2,978hp on a world first 1200V platform.

The tech isn’t a total surprise, however, because while we don’t get any Yangwang models in the UK, it’s actually the luxury arm of manufacturing giant BYD. With a verified top speed of 308mph, it’s not only the most powerful car in the world, but the fastest, too. The price? A cool £2.2m of your hard-earned dosh.

2. Koenigsegg Gemera – 2,300hp

Bet you didn’t expect a four-seater car on this list, eh? The Koenigsegg Gemera is the Swedish company’s most sensible car, a large boot, plenty of interior space and a whopping 2,300hp with its 5.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 hybrid engine. No worries about getting the kids to school on time, then…

Almost as impressive as its power figure and (limited) 249mph top speed are the Gemera’s pair of enormous, upwards-opening doors which allow access to the back seats as well as the front. At £1.5m, it’s practically a bargain compared to other cars on this list.

3. Rimac Nevera R – 2,078hp

An even higher-performance version of the already ballistic Rimac Nevera, the Nevera R takes the same quad-motor layout and adds some spice, taking it from 1,888hp to 2,107hp. It also features more advanced handling tech and brakes, with a 268mph top speed.

It may cost £2.3m, but the Rimac has a claim to fame: it’s the fastest accelerating production car in the world, managing the 0-60mph stint in only 1.74 seconds. We’ve experienced it in person and it’s absolutely mind-warping.

4. Hennessey Venom F5 Evolution – 2,031hp

The top three may be electric and hybrid cars, but fear not, here come the Americans to correct that with arguably the most old-school car here. The Venom F5 Evolution not only has an awesome name, but produces 2,013hp from its 6.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine – and nothing else.

It’ll cost you around £2.3m in Evolution trim, and a good chunk more than that at the pumps as you need to fill it with E85 race fuel in order to achieve that full power output.

5. Lotus Evija – 2,011hp

The Evija well and truly shattered the Lotus mould when it was revealed way back in 2019, with a 2,011hp, quad-motor, highly advanced electric powertrain underneath an uber-aerodynamic body. Just look at the air ducts running through its rear haunches!

Starting at £2.4m, but with a top speed of ‘only’ 186mph, the Evija costs as much as the other hypercars on this list, but would be left behind on a long enough drag strip. Shame, because it really is a stunner.

6. Aspark Owl – 1,953hp

Japanese supercars often become things of legend long after they’re introduced, which might well be the case with the quad-motor, eclectic Owl – as it’s another brand you probably haven’t heard of yet. With 1,888hp at your disposal and a mighty 272mph top speed, it certainly knows how to make an entrance.

It’s also in the running for ‘most elegant hypercar,’ totally devoid of outlandish creases and silly wings, with a super-low, super-svelte shape. It costs around £2.5m.

7. Pininfarina Battista – 1,953hp

The Aspark Owl may be elegant, but the Pininfarina Battista is absolutely exquisite to behold – not that you’d expect anything less from the people who designed some of the most beautiful Ferraris of all time. That gorgeous body houses four electric motors which produce a casual 1,953hp.

It’s almost affordable, too, starting at £2m and fun fact – the Battista is made in Croatia, by the same people who make the Rimac Nevera R.

8. Bugatti Tourbillon – 1,800hp

Undoubtedly the poshest, most luxurious car on this list, the Bugatti Tourbillon is pure artisanal lunacy in a four-wheeled, 8.3-litre, V16-powered package. In fact, it’s the only sixteen-cylinder production car in the world, with three additional electric motors to produce 1,800hp.

Yet it isn’t the power output that impresses the most, no. The Tourbillon truly sounds like a racecar, and the interior might well be the most incredible ever to grace the roads. Only right, considering the Bug starts at £3.2m… 

9. SSC Tuatara – 1,750hp

Another blue-collar American hero, the SSC Tuatara features a similar twin-turbocharged engine recipe to the Hennessey Venom F5, but with a smaller 5.9-litre displacement it only produces 1,750hp.

Not that it’s a slow coach by comparison, because the Tuatara can hit 295mph with a long enough stretch of road – all for the bargain price of £1.5m.

10. Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut – 1,600hp

Koenigsegg’s classic take on the hypercar recipe, the Jesko Absolut is a minimalist, 5.0-litre V8-powered rocketship with 1,600hp, designed to be slippery enough for a 310mph top speed.

In fact, the Absolut does without the wings and front canards of the regular Jesko, replacing them with a pair of fins; shedding downforce in exchange for straight-line stability. This sleek hypercar will set you back £2.3m.

Highest horsepower cars FAQs

What is the highest horsepower car in the world? 

On paper, the UAE-developed Devel Sixteen is the highest horsepower car in the world. Prototypes had a massive V16 engine with 5,007hp, but the sole road-going car ‘only’ featured a 1,500hp V8 in its place. The Yangwang U9 Xtreme, then, is the most powerful car on sale with 2,978hp.

Is 0-60mph in one second possible?

Yes it is, and the Rimac Nevera R gets close at 1.7 seconds, while the non-road legal McMurtry Spierling manages the stint in just 1.4 seconds. There are some race cars which have managed the feat, such as Top Fuel Dragsters which hit 60mph in less than half a second.

Can a car have 5,000hp?

Yes it can given a big enough engine. The Devel Sixteen’s 12.3-litre V16 has been tested at 5,007hp, meaning it’s possible to make a car produce this much power – getting that power to the road is another matter.

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