The best hypercars – driven, rated and ranked
Few experiences are more exciting for a petrolhead than seeing (or hearing) a rare and modern hypercar glide past.
These ultra-exclusive models take out-of-this-world styling and are all about achieving the peak of what’s technologically possible.
Often considered the peak of high-performance art, these exotic, expensive and explosively fast machines deliver the ultimate in driver thrills thanks to some money-no-object, cutting-edge engineering.
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Sitting at the top of the performance car pecking order, the hypercar’s origins are relatively recent. If the Lamborghini Miura was the first supercar back in the Sixties, then the archetypal hypercar was arguably the 2005 Bugatti Veyron, which with its 16-cylinders, four turbos and 250mph top speed raised the bar to the next level.
In the two decades since the Bugatti made its sensational debut, the number of hypercars has increased almost as quickly as the Veyron accelerated.
From pure petrol machines to powerful plug-in hybrids and high-energy all-electric offerings, the hypercar uses many motive forces to hurl itself at the horizon as quickly as possible.
But which of the latest hypercars do we like the most? Here are our top 10 performance paragons, each pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in pursuit of performance.
Each one is a high-octane thrill ride that’ll have no doubt broken the speed odd record as it stakes its claim on a place in the automotive hall of fame.
1. Aston Martin Valkyrie
Pros Scintillating performanceThe most extreme factory-built car ever built Cons It’s very loudVery uncomfortable on under harder driving
When it comes to design philosophy, it would be best to describe the Aston Martin Valkyrie as ‘uncompromising’.
The brainchild of Red Bull F1 technical director and all-round aerodynamic genius, Adrian Newey, the jaw-dropping British machine has been created to deliver the ultimate in outright performance, with nothing coming between it and its lap times-smashing goal.
Despite wearing number plates, headlamps and indicators, the Aston Martin is a purebred racer that you just so happen to be able to put in for an MoT.
The lightweight carbon tub has been designed with strength in mind, while the knee-high body’s surfaces have been sculpted by wind tunnel data and feature adaptive aero surfaces.
The suspension is equally trick, its active adjustable ride height aiming to keep the car on an even keel as aero and cornering forces build.
Yet arguably the highlight is the naturally aspirated (but very mild hybrid assisted) 6.5-litre V12 motor that revs to a heady 11,000rpm and delivers a knockout 1140bhp punch for 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and a 220mph top speed.
Inside, the stripped-out interior there’s barely enough room for the driver despite the two-seat billing, while noise-cancelling headphones are required to protect against the ear-splitting howl of that Cosworth-built motor.
Sensory overload is guaranteed, and if you’re brave enough few cars are quicker around a circuit. Yes, the active suspension strips away some vital feedback and the standard Michelin rubber isn’t quite up to the incredible forces the Valkyrie can generate, but as a visceral automotive experience few come close.
Read our Aston Martin Valkyrie review
Read our Aston Martin Valkyrie review
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2. GMA T.50
Pros 4.0-litre Cosworth V12A stunning car to drive Cons Only 100 will be builtNot practical, if you’re bothered
Designer of the celebrated McLaren F1 Gordon Murray is bringing the world his own take on a modern successor for his 1992 masterpiece, and it's a hypercar the car-loving world may be preoccupied with for several reasons.
The GMA T50 shuns electric motors and uses instead a naturally aspirated V12 engine that revs beyond 12,000rpm and produces 650bhp.
It follows the principles that made the F1 so special: rigorous lightweight design, advanced engineering and compactness.
Like the F1, it has a central driving position and a three-seater cabin. And lastly, it uses ‘fan car' active aerodynamics like no other production machine there has ever been.
Read more about the GMA T50
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3. Mercedes-AMG One
Pros Game changing technology The fastest Mercedes-AMG model ever built Cons They’re all soldYet another £2.2 million pricetag
Meet the most potent AMG car ever built. The Mercedes-AMG One is the brand's hardcore yet elegant coupe. It partners a 1.6-litre V6 grand prix engine to four electric motors, for a total output of 1049bhp.
Engineered in part in Brixworth by powertrain specialists from the brand's F1 team, it's the brand's fastest production car ever, overtaking the 214mph Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR that went on sale 25 years ago.
This follows the famous Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, which was also built in the UK, at Woking, between 2003 and 2009.
Power stands at 566bhp at 9000rpm – 2000rpm shy of the redline – while top speed stands at 219mph. It'll also hit 0-62mph in 2.9sec.
Its technology is really rather staggering. Its four electric motors come from recent Mercedes-AMG Grand Prix racers. Two are positioned between the turbocharger and the electric compressor, while the remaining duo are integrated into the front axle.
Want one? Unfortunately, all 275 cars have been sold for £2.2 million apiece.
Read more about the Mercedes-AMG One
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4. Bugatti Tourbillion
Pros One of the fastest cars ever madePhenomenal power Cons You might never see one…… let alone own one
The Bugatti Tourbillion arrived some 20 years after the Veyron, the car that well and truly changed the game for hypercars.
On paper, some of the £3.2 million Tourbillion's figures are almost unbelievable. Powered by a behemoth 8.3-litre, V16 plug-in hybrid engine, total output stands at 1775bhp.
Bugatti, now controlled by Rimac, also claims a staggering 0-62mph sprint of 2.0sec, with a preliminary top speed of 267mph. Oh, and it'll also do 0-124mph faster than a Golf GTI reaches 62mph.
Because it's a plug-in hybrid with a 25kWh battery, it'll also travel up to 37 miles on electric-only power. Just 250 will be made.
Read more about the Bugatti Tourbillion
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5. McLaren W1
Pros Introduces a new engineClever aerodynamics technology Cons All cars have soldProduction won’t start until 2026
The McLaren W1 is a record breaker for the Woking-based firm. It's McLaren's fastest and most powerful model yet.
It employs a sublime-sounding engine and smart aerodynamics technology, along with a forensic approach to weight-saving, meaning it tips the scales at just 1399kg.
Beneath the metal sits a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine with hybrid technology, engineered in-house from the ground up. Alone, it produces 915bhp.
It also uses a 342bhp electric motor using technology derived from Formula E. Total power stands at 1258bhp, hitting 0-62mph in 2.7sec.
Read more about the McLaren W1
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6. Ferarri F80
Pros Modern technology derived from F1Faster than the McLaren W1 and Mercedes-AMG One Cons No pure electric mode, but we suspect owners won’t mindStyling isn’t typically beautiful like previous Ferraris
The Ferrari LaFerrari is no more, but the Italian firm has plugged the gap with the new Ferrari F80 hypercar.
Like the W1 is for McLaren, the F80 is Ferrari's most powerful road car yet, powered by a hybridized twin-turbocharged V6 engine capable of revving up to 9200rpm.
While the engine takes parts from the firm's 499P Le Mans car to produce 888bhp on its own, two electric motors work together to pump out an additional 280bhp, lifting total power output to 1184bhp.
Naturally, the F80 is incredibly fast. It launches from 0-62mph in 2.15sec, and from 0-124mph in 5.75sec. Whisper it, but that's faster than the Mercedes-AMG One and McLaren W1…
Read more about the Ferrari F80
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7. Pagani Utopia
Pros Sublime engine and gearbox combinationLightweight Cons They’re all sold out£2.2 million pricetag, but we expect buyers don’t care
On paper, the Pagani Utopia has all the hallmarks of an all-time great.
It's powered by a 6.0-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine sourced from Mercedes-AMG, pumping out 864bhp and 809lb ft, which is 58bhp more than the most powerful variant of its predecessor, the Huayra.
All that power is managed by a seven-speed manual gearbox. All that, and it weighs just 1280kg – only 100-ish kilos more than a Mazda MX-5.
Its interior is typically glamorous, with quality analogue dials, milled switches and ergonomics, plus a modern steering wheel milled from one solid aluminium block.
The Utopia is a dream car for many, but as with all of the best hypercars, there's a catch.
Like all Paganis, the Utopia is ultra-exclusive. Just 99 examples of the coupe will be built, and all of them have already been sold. But there are still convertible and track-only variants to come…
Read more about the Pagani Utopia
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8. Rimac Nevera
Pros One of the fastest cars on the planetStartling performance Cons £2.4 million pricetag
The crowning achievement of the young Rimac empire is the Nevera, which is the follow-up to the Concept One and C_Two show cars.
The former arguably kick-started the electric hypercar trend with its 1073bhp output and £670,000 asking price when it debuted in 2017.
Only 150 examples of the Nevera will be made, and its appeal has only been enhanced by many by its recent record-breaking EV top speed run when it topped 256mph.
The car is built around a composite tub, and there's an electric motor for each wheel, with independent single-speed gearboxes at the front and two two-speed dual-clutch 'boxes for the back axle.
All this means the Nevera boasts 1888bhp and a mountainous 1696lb ft, which allows it to hit 0-62mph in just 1.95sec with a top speed of 258bhp. Its 120kWh battery also allows for up to 340 miles of range.
If (on the off chance) you're after something that feels slightly more up-market, the Pininfarina Battista uses a rolling chassis co-developed with Rimac – and is the Nevera's more luxurious cousin.
Read our Rimac Nevera review
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9. Lotus Evija
Pros Lighter than most other electric hypercarsIncredible performance Cons Still in prototype stageLimited range
,If you were in any doubt about which way the high-performance wind was blowing, then the appearance of two EVs in our hypercar top 10 should leave you in no doubt.
We love high-revving, noisy, fast and dramatic combustion-engined machines, but the appeal of instant, walloping, vectored-per-corner torque isn’t hard to deny – and the Lotus Evija serves that up in spades.
So far our man Mike Duff has only driven the Norfolk firm’s fast flagship in prototype form around Lotus's own test track at Hethel, but the initial impressions are promising.
Electric or not, this car's key vital statistics leave nothing to chance. Its 70kWh drive battery and a quartet of electric motors make it weigh some 1700kg; but it also develops some 2000 metric horsepower at peak, runs on Pirelli P-Zero Trofeo R tyres and is claimed to be capable of 0-186mph in just 9sec (more than 4sec quicker than Bugatti's sensational Chiron can do it).
Duff's prototype drive revealed a car that struggles to feel dramatic when launching from low speeds, but one that piles on speed beyond three-figures with an unrelenting potency, and whose handling feels as balanced and poised as you would expect of a Lotus, despite its four-wheel-drive layout. Promising signs.
Read our track drive of the prototype Lotus Evija
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10. Czinger 21C
Pros Fascinating 3D printed production processFastest production car to ever fly up the Goodwood hill Cons Ultra exclusive – just 80 will be builtPrice of around £2.1million
The Czinger 21C is slightly different to the other cars on this list, in that it's produced in a rather unconventional way: through 3D printing.
That doesn't mean it's slow, though. It takes a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine and dual electric motors to produce an eyewatering 1332bhp.
Czinger claims a 0-62mph sprint of a scarcely believable 1.9sec, but the stats don't end there. The 21C is also the fastest production car to ever ascend the Goodwood hill climb.
It completed the 1.16-mile ascent in just 48.82sec, and it also shattered the production car lap record at both the Circuit of the Americas and the Laguna Seca.
Read more about the Czinger 21C
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HOW WE TESTED AND SELECTED
This list of the world's best hypercars utilises Autocar's wide-ranging knowledge of hypercars and is informed by driving experiences, statistical analysis and news gathering. Autocar's experienced road tester team has been behind the wheel of several models listed above, with further drives expected.
FAQs
What is a hypercar?
Hypercars are the most exclusive, exhilarating cars money can buy. They often represent the peak of what is technologically possible in the motoring world, with incredible power, performance and driving dynamics.
How much do hypercars cost?
Hypercars can range in price, but they’re often ultra-expensive owing to their exclusivity. It’s common for hypercars to be millions of pounds, and even them they’re often limited in number. Some might never see the road, destined to be locked away in garages and private collections.
What car brands produce hypercars?
Hypercars are produced by carmakers from across the world. Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes, McLaren, Bugatti and Rimac are among the world’s leaders in hypercar production.
What was the first ever hypercar?
Many enthusiasts deem the Lamborghini Miura to be the world’s first ever production hypercar. It launched back in 1966 with a V12 engine, becoming the world’s most powerful car in the process. In modern times, the McLaren F1 and Bugatti Veyron lay claim to the title – but it’s an argument that will rage on today, and many decades from now.
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