5 Of The Fastest Italian Sports Cars, Ranked By Top Speed

Apart from being wildly popular for its food and breathtaking landscapes and ruins, Italy is also famous for being the birthplace of some of the world's finest sports cars. From Ferrari, to Lamborghini, to Pagani, Italy is the turf and home of production for several legendary automobile giants. Over the years, more than a handful of Italian vehicles have gone out to set new records in terms of speed and performance. 

While being absolute monsters on the track, another impressive element about most of these cars is their exceptional design. They are as much a treat to the eye as they are breathtaking performers. While some might argue that German-made vehicles have an edge over their Italian counterparts, the latter takes the baton when it comes to making dangerously fast beauties that top the speed charts. These are some of the fastest sports cars that proudly wear the "Made in Italy" badge.

[Featured image by Axion23 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

The Ferrari La Ferrari is anything but a slow car. However, on this list in particular, it is the slowest Italian sports car. One of Ferrari's most remarkable creations, it was launched in 2013 and was a milestone in the Italian carmaker's journey.

As much as it is eye candy, the LaFerrari's stats on the road are even more impressive. The car clocks a top speed of 218 mph and can whoosh to 60 mph in less than 2.9 seconds. Along with an 800 horsepower 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine, the La Ferrari also has a 120 kW electric motor that jacks up its total power to 963 horsepower. The car was designed by some of Ferrari's most brilliant engineers, including the legendary Rory Bryne — chief designer of Ferrari's F1 car in the '90s. 

The LaFerrari's chassis-integrated seats and carbon-fiber body help reduce the total weight by almost 20%. Being Maranelo's fastest production machine for the time, the car came with a special set of Pireli 265/30 R19 tires at the front and 345/20R tires at the rear, which also led to better track braking with the redesigned Brembo braking system.

The only Lamborghini on the list, the Aventador SVJ is perhaps the finest machine to boast a raging bull at the front. Although aesthetically it matches the typical Lamborghini design of today, the machine is much more than just its looks. The performance figures that the Italian automaker initially promised for the car seemed too good to be true: Under the hood, it packs a 6.5-liter V12 and can dish out 759 horsepower. The maximum speed of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ is 221 mph, and it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just under 2.8 seconds.

One of the reasons behind the Aventador SVJ's speed is its aerodynamic design and ultra-light chassis. Inspired by a jet plane, the car's design also complements the naturally-aspirated engine underneath. Made of mostly carbon fiber and aluminum, the curb weight of the car is merely 3,615 lbs. The use of carbon fiber extends to its insides, too, where it is paired with leather and Alcantara for a luxurious finish.

[Featured image by Alexander Migl via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

Pininfarina is one of the most iconic names in the Italian automobile industry. Starting as a coach builder, Pininfarina designed some of the most famous vehicles for automakers like Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and even Rolls Royce. However, with electric DNA from Rimac, Pininfarina unveiled the Battistsa in 2019: A fully-electric hypercar with a top speed of 222 mph. It's the company's most powerful car ever, with an engine that is equally marvelous on paper as it is on the road.

Thanks to its 1,900-horsepower powertrain, the Batista can swoosh from 0-60 mph in just 1.7 seconds. With its 120 kWh Lithium-ion battery, it has a total range of 300 miles that can vary drastically depending on the driving mode and how spirited the driving experience becomes. The extensive use of carbon fiber monocoque in its chassis brings the total weight of the car to 5,247 lbs. Additionally, Pininfarina took luxury to the next level with the Battista, offering customization options in almost every element of the car, interior and exterior.

The first Pagani on the list is the Zonda R, the dream car for many gearheads and wannabe racers. The Zonda R looks like it dropped straight out of a futuristic film, and one look at it is enough to speak for its performance. Unveiled in 2007, the car is restricted only to tracks, and for good reason. The Zonda R has a top speed of 233 mph and packs an engine that perfectly complements its visual appeal. 

With its Mercedes-AMG 6.0-liter V12 and a six-speed paddle-shifting longitudinal transmission, the Zonda R can dish out power figures of up to 750 horsepower, and can touch the 0-62 mph mark in just under 2.7 seconds. When it comes to the engine sound, it might be one of the sweetest-sounding Italian beauties, producing a beautiful sound akin to a Formula 1 machine from its four-barrel exhaust at 7,500 rpm.

Pagani is also often synonymous with super-fast machines that are mostly street-legal. The Italian automaker's bold and aggressive design of its cars pairs well with its almost unreal performance numbers. Despite unveiling a handful of jaw-dropping vehicles in recent years like the Zonda, the Huayra BC is Pagani's fastest car — and arguably its finest, too. The Huayra BC is nothing short of a work of art, Pagani seemingly leaving no stone unturned when it came to its design. Pagani was able to maintain its aesthetic appeal while considering optimal aerodynamics in the car's design.

The BC in the name stands for "Benny Caiola," who, in a way, inspired the creation of the car and was also the first person ever to own a Pagani. The Huayra BC is made with a carbo-titanium monocoque chassis and chromium-vanadium steel tubes, keeping the total curb weight just under 2,686 lbs. It comes equipped with a 5.98-liter twin-turbocharged V12 Mercedes-AMG engine that is capable of generating 753 horsepower and can reach a top speed of 238 mph. The seven-speed rear engine longitudinal automatic transmission comes with a single clutch mechanism instead of a dual one, which helps shed the excess weight.

[Featured image by Benleo via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]