Petersen Says These 8 Are the World's Fastest CarsPetersen Automotive MuseumThe Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles opens a new exhibit July 18 on fast cars. And not just fast, "The World's Fastest.""This exhibition presents the complete chronology of postwar record-holders, positioning them not simply as the fastest of their time, but as pivotal moments in an ongoing pursuit of speed," the museum said.Nothing starts bar arguments (or fights!) faster than saying your car is the world's fastest, because there are always qualifiers: the fastest for its time, the fastest on a road course, the fastest in a straight line. It goes on and on. Here are eight of the Petersen Museum's nominees. Scroll on down and see if you agree. Then go see the exhibit; it runs through August of next year.1) Ferrari DaytonaPhoto credit: Petersen MuseumThe Daytona was built from1968-1973, with a big V12 sitting in front driving the rear wheels. Officially the full name is 365 GTB/4, but the Daytona refers to Ferrari's 1-2-3 sweep at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. It is also the namesake of the modern, ultra-exclusive 2023–2025 Daytona SP3 hypercar.2) Shelby CobraPhoto credit: Petersen MuseumThe Shelby Cobra was born in 1962 when Carroll Shelby rented a stall at Dean Moon's hot rod shop and dropped a Ford V8 into an AC Ace chassis to create a legend. Weighing in at a claimed 2,020 pounds, early "small block" 289 models quickly dominated racing. By 1965, the iconic 427 big-block was introduced, cementing the Cobra's status as a wildly fast, raw supercar.AdvertisementAdvertisementEverybody's still suing each other.3) Jag XK120Photo credit: Petersen MuseumThe XK120 was made from 1948 to 1954. The name celebrates the car's record-breaking top speed of 120 mph, which made it the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch, thanks to its then-revolutionary 3.4-liter twin-cam XK inline-six engine that produced a remarkable—for the day—160 horsepower. Today, these typically sell at auction between $50,000 and $120,000, depending on their originality and condition.4) Lamborghini MiuraPhoto credit: Petersen MuseumThe Lamborghini Miura was made from 1966 to 1973. Designed by Marcello Gandini, it is widely recognized as the world's first true supercar. It should be recognized for housing a transverse mid-engine 3.9-liter V12 and a transmission in the space behind the driver and forward of the rear axle. Had you any foresight at all, you could have bought one in 1966 for 20 grand. Today they sell at auction for over $2 million.5) Bugatti Veyron SSPhoto credit: Petersen MuseumThere is little disagreement that when the Veyron came out, it defined a new category of car, supercar was blasé, the world now had its first hypercar.AdvertisementAdvertisementThere were only 48 Veyron 16.4 Super Sports ever made. It's powered by a magnificent 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine delivering 1,200 hp, enough to launch it from 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds. It holds a Guinness World Record for top speed at 267.856 mph.6) Iso GrifoPhoto credit: Petersen MuseumThe Iso Grifo has provenance. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone and engineered by Giotto Bizzarrini. It famously blended stunning Italian coachwork with reliable, high-performance American V8 engines to rival Ferrari and Maserati.While it started life with a small block Chevy, by 1968 the Grifo 7 Litri was introduced, featuring a Chevrolet L71 big-block, a Tri-Power version of the 427. It produced an officially advertised 435 hp at 5,800 rpm. The factory claimed the 7 Litri could attain a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). They can't lie about that!7) Mercedes-Benz 300 SLPhoto credit: Petersen Automotive MuseumThe iconic SL featured a lightweight tubular space frame and upward-opening "Gullwing" doors, which were required to clear the car's high, wide side sills. Powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six producing 215 horsepower, it was capable of reaching a top speed of 163 mph, making it the fastest production car in the world.8) RUF CTR YellowbirdPhoto credit: Petersen Automotive MuseumIntroduced in 1987 and based on the Porsche 911, it became famous for its incredible 213 mph top speed, outperforming icons like the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959 to become the world's fastest production car.
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