The metric system may be the primary unit of measurement in most places around the world, but the 1/4-mile is known far and wide as the true test of a car's power. It may be the only imperial measurement that is known to the rest of the metric world, but it is the only imperial measurement you need to know when it comes to cars.
Updated April 2022: Setting the quickest quarter-mile times has always been a way for some performance car manufacturers to flex their engineering muscles and set themselves apart from their competitors. However, the arrival of electric supercars has completely flipped the game on its head, and some of the world's quickest cars on the quarter-mile are also some of the quietest. Here's how they all stack up in 2022.
It focuses mainly on acceleration, who can get to the end of the 1/4-mile drag strip first, and how fast they are going when they cross that finish line. A lot of things come into play, down to the humidity at the time of the race. Everything matters, from the power and power distribution to the weight of the car and what tires they are running on.
The 1/4-mile drag is an art form in the auto world, and many people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to build drag cars, even if winning means blowing their headers. But today, we are looking at the fastest 1/4-mile cars that well-known companies have developed, in the hopes of having the fastest car out there.
Some of these cars we cover today will be no surprise to anyone, and others will absolutely blow you away. These are the fastest of the fast cars out there, brought to you by companies that majored in speed in 2022, and the quickest cars these manufacturers could roll out, you know, without blowing the engine after one race.
25 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
The Sesto Elemento is something of a living legend when it comes to Lamborghini. It has a unique and sleek design that draws the attention of everyone on the road, as well as a powerful 5.2-liter V10 motor that delivers 562 horsepower to all the wheels.
Combine that with its carbon fiber body, and it can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in an impressive 2.6 seconds. It is also capable of using that power to take down a 1/4-mile run in 10.5 seconds at 141.7 miles per hour, which is just enough to land it on our radar today.
24 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo is well known across the globe and has been since it came out in 2005. The best part is that it lives up to all the hype that it has generated over the years with its powerful twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V8 motor that pushes out 750 horsepower.
It is capable of going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.3 seconds and can run a 1/4-mile drag race in only 10.5 seconds, finishing at 146 miles per hour. The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo is among the fastest of the fast for 17 years now.
23 Ferrari 812 Superfast
The Ferrari 812 Superfast came out in 2017 and has been making waves. It houses a powerful 6.5-liter V12 motor under that sleek design that pushes out 789 horsepower. It can reach insane speeds and can also go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.8 seconds.
The 812 Superfast is exactly that, super-fast, with 1/4-mile drag times of only 10.4 seconds at 141.2 miles per hour. It may be the slowest Ferrari on our list today but is still faster than most models out there, it's even faster than the 812 Competizione and GTS models.
22 Lotec Sirius
The Lotec Sirius may have flown under the radar in a lot of places in the world, but it has all the power that we have come to expect from German engineering. It has an absolutely huge 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 motor that pushes out 1,183 horsepower.
It can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds and run a 1/4-mile race in only 10.4 seconds at 147.9 miles per hour. The Sirius is more focused on top speed than anything, which is where a majority of the power kicks in.
21 McLaren 650S
The McLaren 650S may be one of the lower-end McLaren models out there, but it still has more than enough power to make it onto our list today. It has a powerful 3.8-liter V8 motor that pushes out a crazy 641 horsepower to the rear wheels. The 650S is capable of going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.7 seconds, and it also runs down 1/4-mile drag strips in only 10.4 seconds at 139.2 miles per hour.
There really are few cases where a McLaren will lose in a drag race, and all the cars that can beat one are on this list.
20 Ferrari F12 TDF
The Ferrari F12 is certainly something to behold, with a sleek style that is easily identifiable. Besides its design, it also has a lot to offer in terms of power, with a 6.3-liter V12 motor that pushes out a crazy 769 horsepower.
The F12 TDF can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.8 seconds and can complete a 1/4-mile drag race in only 10.4 seconds at jaw-breaking speeds of 141.1 miles per hour. The F12 TDF is the fastest F12 available ever, and comes with a sleek custom design that is a little edgier than the base model, and makes it one of Italy's most prized limited-edition models.
19 Lamborghini Centenario LP770-4
The Centenario is well known for being the face of some newer racing games, but what makes it tick? It was released in 2016 and houses a giant 6.5-liter V12 motor that plows out 759 horsepower to all four wheels.
It is capable of going from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.8 seconds and can run a 1/4-mile drag in a remarkable 10.3 seconds at 136.1 miles per hour. The Centenario is truly a masterpiece as you can see above, and it has more than enough power to back up that mean style.
18 McLaren 675LT
The McLaren 675LT was introduced in 2015 and is just as fast and mean as its reputation says. It has a strong 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 motor that gives it 666 horsepower. This thing is an absolute beast and is able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.7 seconds, which is one of the most remarkable times out there today outside hypercar territory.
It can run a 1/4-mile in 10.3 seconds at 142 miles per hour, and it just keeps on going after that and is a seemingly endless power source.
17 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
There are many models of the Lamborghini Aventador, but none square up with the SVJ model when it comes to 1/4-mile runs. It has a powerful 6.5-liter V12 motor that cranks out 760 horsepower to all the wheels, allowing it to go from 0 to60 miles per hour in only 2.5 seconds.
It utilizes that power to run 1/4-mile drag races in only 10.3 seconds at 136.4 miles per hour. The Aventador still has a reputation as one of the baddest Lambo rides ever produced, and it's had that reputation since it came out in 2011.
16 Ferrari 488 Pista
The 488 Pista is the top-of-the-line 488 from Ferrari and is as fast as it looks. It was released in 2018 and so far is one of the fastest models of Ferrari ever produced. It has a staggering 710 horsepower that stems from a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8.
The Pista can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.7 seconds and has the ability to run a 1/4-mile in only 10.1 seconds at 144.1 miles per hour. The next best thing is how good the 488 Pista looks and sounds when it soars past on the drag strip.
15 Lamborghini Huracan Performante
The Lamborghini Huracan took over the spot of a lower-end Lamborghini that was once held by the Gallardo. But of course, they can and will always make it faster. The Huracan Performante has a powerful 5.2-liter V10 motor that produces 631 horsepower and allows it to run from 0-60 in a mere 2.3 seconds.
It then uses that power to run a 1/4-mile in only 10.1 seconds, at 136 miles per hour. This is one of the fastest Lamborghinis ever made as far as 1/4-mile runs are concerned, and it sure is one of the best-looking models they have gifted the world with as well.
14 Porsche 911 GT2 RS
The 911 is one of the most famous models of Porsche ever produced, and of course, fast is never fast enough. With that in mind, they unveiled the GT2 RS model in 2017 with a crazy 690 horsepower that comes from a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat 6 motor.
The GT2 RS is a force to be reckoned with, with the ability to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.6 seconds. It can also take down a 1/4-mile drag strip in only 10.1 seconds at a whopping 139.3 miles per hour.
13 SSC Ultimate Aero Twin Turbo
The Ultimate Aero is truly a powerhouse when it comes to speed, and it has been since it was introduced in 2007. The Ultimate Aero Twin Turbo comes with a strong 6.3-liter V8 motor that gives the Aero 1,167 horsepower, which was almost unheard of for supercars of its time.
It can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.8 seconds and completes a 1/4-mile run in only 9.9 seconds. The Ultimate Aero helped set the pace for supercars and hypercars of its time.
12 Hennessey Venom GT
The Hennessey Venom GT is without a doubt the world's favorite Frankenstein car, which basically means it is a car built around an engine that has no other plans than to destroy speed records.
It comes equipped with a powerful 6.2-liter twin-turbocharged V8 motor that produces 1,200 horsepower. Yes, a car that size has that much power, and it allows it to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 2.8 seconds. It is also capable of running a 1/4-mile drag in only 9.9 seconds, ending at 163.4 miles per hour.
11 McLaren 765LT
The McLaren 765LT is a hot version of the 720S and it came ready to run with the big boys and even outran a few of them. It is an ultra-lightweight speed demon powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 motor that gives it 755 horsepower to the rear wheels.
It can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.7 seconds and run a 1/4-mile in only 9.9 seconds, where it crosses the line at 146.2 miles per hour. It may not have the power that other supercars have, but it sure knows how to use every last drop of what it has.
10 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport
The Bugatti Veyron was, once upon a time, the fastest production car on planet Earth. The Super Sport came along later with a bit more power to help maintain that record, with its infamous quad-turbocharged W16 motor that pushes an amazing 1,183 horsepower to all four wheels.
This, in turn, allows it to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.4 seconds and run a 1/4-mile drag in 9.9 seconds, finishing at 146 miles per hour. The Super Sport Veyron is the fastest Bugatti Veyron model ever produced until the Chiron came along.
9 Porsche 911 Turbo S
Porsche never seizes to impress when it comes down to their 911 models, especially the performance-orientated turbocharged ones. The 992-generation Turbo S is powered by a twin-turbo 3.7-liter flat-six engine capable of sending more than 640 hp to all four wheels via Porsche's versatile 8-speed PDK transmission. This led to a 0-60 time of as low as 2.1 seconds, and an equivalently impressive 9.9-second quarter-mile time.
8 McLaren P1
The McLaren P1 is one of the most well-known supercars out there today, possibly due to how rare the car is, or maybe it has something to do with all that power it holds. The P1 has a twin-turbo V8 motor as well as an independent electric motor that works together to crank out a whopping 903 horsepower.
The P1 has the ability to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 2.6 seconds and can run a 1/4-mile track in only 9.8 seconds, finishing at speeds of 152.2 miles per hour.
7 Porsche 918 Spyder
The Porsche 918 Spyder may not be as fast as one of their racecars, but it can hold its own and is actually street legal. The 918 Spyder is rather interesting due to its three motors, one 4.6-liter V8, and two smaller electric motors.
They work in conjunction to create an amazing 875 horsepower. It also has a 7-speed PDK transmission that gives it some glorious shift times - which all work together for a stunning 2.2-second 0-60 time and an equally impressive 9.8-second 1/4-mile where it finished at 148.5 miles per hour.
6 Koenigsegg One:1
The Koenigsegg One:1 has that same style we have come to know and love from the Swedish powerhouse, and it does not disappoint when it comes to power either. It features a stunning 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 motor that pushes out a whiplash-inducing 1,340 horsepower.
That crazy amount of power takes this beauty from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 3.2 seconds and allows it to run a 9.8 second 1/4-mile ending at 163.4 miles per hour, which is not even close to its top speed.