5 Of The Fastest V8-Powered Cars, Ranked By Top Speed

Much like V10s and other big gas-guzzling engines, V8s have become endangered species in the wake of the strict regulatory emphasis on efficiency and low emissions. This means that each year, there are fewer V8-powered cars to turn to, with automakers preferring instead to offer smaller engines supplemented by electric motors to deliver plenty of power while staying emissions-compliant. Despite the high abandonment, you can still drive a high-powered V8 engine to satisfy your thirst for speed.

To help, we scoured the new car market to identify the fastest V8 cars that are still available, and ranked them by top speed, from the slowest to the fastest. This list takes into account all the V8-powered cars you can buy (or admire) new, meaning there are some steeply priced hyper-luxury cars on this list. The only requirements are they have to be street-legal and have plenty enough pizzazz to get your pulse racing.

Regardless of generation, ZR1s sit at the top of the Chevy Corvette lineup as the baddest, meanest 'Vette of all. But even for a royal bloodline so famously adored for its high-speed performance, the supercar-slaying 2025 C8 Corvette ZR1 really kicked things up a notch.

It features a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 good for an eye-popping 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque. Also known as the LT7, the V8 engine propels the C8-generation ZR1 to a top speed of 233 mph, which represents some 18 additional mph compared to Chevy's original estimate of 215 mph, making it genuinely one of the fastest V8 cars out there.

If you're checking the record books, you'll find that engine and its numbers make the 2025 ZR1 a car of many records. For one, it is the first Corvette in history to make more than 1,000 horsepower. Second, its engine is the most powerful V8 ever made in America by an automaker, per the same Chevy press release cited earlier. Then there's also the matter of the C8 ZR1 being the first factory Corvette to feature twin turbochargers.

In keeping with the theme of breaking records, the Gemera is the first Koenigsegg model to offer four seats. It was initially slated to offer a lightweight, twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter three-cylinder engine paired with three electric motors for 1,700 total horsepower and 2,581 lb-ft of torque. However, the automaker later had a change of heart and dropped the Tiny Friendly Giant (TFG) engine, as it's called, due to low consumer interest in the three-cylinder, although engineering issues are also rumored to have played a role in the engine being discontinued.

With the idea of a three-cylinder-powered Gemera now abandoned, those considering the 2+2 coupe can only build it with a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine paired with a single e-motor to produce 2,300 total horsepower and 2,028 lb-ft of torque. Alone, the Hot V8 engine generates 1,500 horsepower and around 1,106 lb-ft, meaning the e-motor is responsible for the remaining 800 horses and 922 lb-ft. Koenigsegg claimed the original TFG engine would boast a top speed of 248 mph; it has promised even more acceleration and performance with the V8 engine.

America has blessed the automotive industry with some extreme, untamed cars over the years, and the SSC Tuatara has been instrumental in that. Armed with a low-slung, aerodynamic body and a 5.9-liter twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8 engine with 1,750 horses, the mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car has been at the center of many speed records, including the famous 316.11 mph speed record that stirred up controversy in 2020.

After admitting the initial record attempt didn't exceed 300 mph as claimed, SSC North America took another run in January 2021, with help from SSC Tuatara owner Larry Caplin, who averaged a verified 282.9 mph in his Tuatara at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds in Florida. More than a year later in May 2022, Larry Caplin again drove his Tuatara at the same facility, managing to achieve a one-way speed of 295 mph. Like his first, Caplin's second run was also verified.

Granted, all 12 planned units of the Hennessey Venom F5-M Roadster have already been sold at a staggering starting price of $2.65 million, but it's still one of the new cars available with a V8 engine. It features a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that sends 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 lb-ft of torque to the wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.

If those numbers are familiar, it is because it's the same Fury V8 engine powering the Hennessey Venom F5 coupe, which ended production in 2022 after all 24 units sold for $2.1 million each, although the Roadster's engine has been adapted to work with the new manual transmission ratios. Hennessey claimed that model had a top speed of over 300 mph, and the Venom F5-M Roadster, which sports a rear dorsal fin, is billed to reach similar speeds — 311 mph to be exact. The sprint from 0-62 mph requires just 3.3 seconds.

Koenigsegg is renowned for chasing car speed records and has designed many cars around this premise. Of all the Koenigsegg models out there, however, the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut ranks as the fastest, with a theoretical top speed of 330 mph. While the run hasn't happened in real life yet, a chassis dyno test indicates the Jesko Absolut is indeed capable of 310+ mph top speed. The Jesko Absolut is a higher-performance variant of the standard Jesko and features a 5.0-liter twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8 engine that generates up to 1,600 horsepower when fed E85 fuel (1,280 horsepower on regular gas).

The Koenigsegg CC850 is yet another of the fastest V8 cars from Koenigsegg. It is a limited-edition model (70 vehicles) launched to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Koenigsegg CC8S, the brand's first production car. As you probably guessed, it has a 5.0-liter twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8 making up to 1,385 horsepower on E85 and 1,022 lb-ft of torque. Top speed in this case is also over 310 mph.