Normally aspirated engines are gradually being phased out, even in supercars. Smaller turbo or supercharged engines produce more power, fewer emissions, and unfortunately less noise. It is worth remembering that normally aspirated engines tend to be less complicated and more reliable than highly-complex forced induction units.
Very few modern high-performance road cars have naturally aspirated engines, robbing owners of the instant torque and power delivery that doesn't require their owners to always be in the correct gear before mashing the accelerator.
Already we have seen Dodge drop the V10 dodge Viper, Lamborghini is slowly winding down V12 Development, even Mustangs are being tamed with smaller EcoBoost engines in place of powerful V8's.
10 Ferrari LaFerrari - 218mph
Marking the end of their V12 mid-engine designs, the LaFerrari launched in 2013 and was restricted to 500 models globally for the coupe, plus an additional 210 examples of the open-topped Aperta. Keen to showcase their F1 technology Ferrari coupled its 6.3-liter V12 engine with KERS giving a combined output of 950hp giving a verified top speed of 218mph.
Purchasing a Ferrari has never been easy, in the case of the LaFerrari, gearheads couldn't simply turn up to a showroom and put down their deposit, rather you had to be invited to buy one of these rare Ferraris.
9 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ - 220mph
Aventador SVJ models are likely to be the last hurrah for the aging Aventador platform, and more significantly probably the last time Lamborghini will build a V12 engine road car. Wanting to go out with a bang, the 6.5-liter V12 engine, 759hp, and electronically controlled all-wheel-drive ensure the SVJ can scorch to its top speed of 220mph.
Traditionally, big Lamborghinis were more show than go, their chassis unable to contain the huge power, but now, with active aerodynamics, the SVJ can make full use of its V12 and currently holds the Nürburgring lap record for a production car.
8 Aston Martin One-77 - 221mph
Traditionally Aston Martin has produced fast comfortable GT cars, but this changed with the arrival of the limited-edition One-77 in 2009. Lurking under its beautiful handcrafted bodywork sits the AM Cosworth V12 engine, 7.3-liters, 48 valves, and 750hp - all designed to deliver the One-77's verified 221mph top speed.
Looking too similar to every other Aston Martin model of the time, the One-77 isn't special enough to warrant the launch price of $1.87 million. Rarity will help to bolster investments, but it needed more wow factor.
7 Ferrari Enzo - 221mph
Previous flagship Ferraris have either been very good (F40) or immensely forgettable (F50), fortunately, arriving in 2003, the Enzo was a return to form. Heavily influenced by the F1 team's success, Enzo's adopted carbon composite body shells and F1 sourced paddle-shift transmissions. Tipo F140B 6-liter engines produced 651hp, with the final drive to the rear wheels.
Claimed to be the most powerful normally aspirated engine at launch gave the Enzo its maximum speed of 221mph. Ferrari would go on to produce the Enzo based FXX model with much of the development work carried out by none other than Michael Schumacher.
6 Lamborghini Veneno - 221mph
2013 marked Lamborghini's 50th anniversary, with the company producing 14 examples of the Veneno (5 coupes + 9 roadsters). Fundamentally a re-bodied Aventador, the Veneno featured more aggressive styling, although much of the car underneath remained unchanged. If it isn't broken don't try and fix it, with this in mind, the 6.5-liter normally aspirated V12 was uprated to 740hp delivered a top speed of 221mph.
It should come as no surprise this rare Lamborghini at its launch cost a cool $4 million, with all planned examples sold before the Geneva Motor Show closed.
5 Bristol Fighter S - 221mph
Most gearheads will have never heard of Bristol cars, the quirky small volume manufacturer responsible for the Fighter model. Exclusively built to order, the 8-14 examples (no one knows for sure) Fighter S models feature a more powerful version of Chrysler's V10 engine, tuned to deliver 628hp, although this figure at high-speed rises t0 680hp thanks to the ram air effect.
With so few "S" spec models produced, there has been little in the way of road testing carried out, with independent testing claiming 226mph.
4 Pagani Zonda F Clubsport - 226mph
Zonda production ceased in 2017, with earlier "final" edition models extending Zonda's life. Already light for a supercar, Pagani stripped a further 55kgs from the overall weight, which, when mated with the uprated 7.3-liter AMG v12, delivers unrivaled performance. Setting a record 226mph top speed only tells half the performance story, equally impressive thanks to its carbon fiber brakes, the F could stop from 124mph in 4.4 seconds.
If something seems too good to be true, then it usually is. In the case of the Zonda, US road regulations prohibit the car from being sold and used unless under special circumstances with limitations on annual mileage. Still, at least the follow-up, Pagani's Huayra is road legal.
3 Mercedes CLK GTR Super Sport - 232mph
Hiding behind the familiar Mercedes style grille lurks the company's M120 V12 engine, displacing 6.9-liter and delivering up to 711hp, besides these, nothing else is shared with any other Mercedes road car. In Supersport configuration, 60mph flew by in 2.9 seconds, reaching a record 232mph flat out.
Removing the front and rear bodywork shows how little the CLK GTR had in common with road car design, with much of the car's strength coming from the central carbon-fiber tub. All of the GTR's running gear utilizes racing style bolt-on sub-assemblies for easier maintenance.
2 Ultima GTR 720 - 235mph
Wearing a very thin disguise, the Ultima GTR 720 is, to all intents and purposes, a racing car that managed to meet road car regulations. Designer Lee Noble penned the GTR, with the later 720 models boasting 720hp from their Chevrolet sourced American Speed V8 units. Independently tested, the GTR720 held numerous performance records, taking the quarter-mile crown of 9.9 seconds, and ultimately reaching 235mph.
Astonishingly, Ultima fitted standard road tires and suspension for the record-breaking runs proving this wasn't a one-off publicity stunt. Available between 1999-2016, GTRs could be purchased ready to run or in kit form.
1 McLaren F1 - 240mph
More than 25 years since its launch, McLaren's F1 hypercar remains the fastest naturally aspirated road car in the world, reaching 231mph at a time when most of its rivals could only just break the magic 200mpg barrier. Revolutionary carbon-fiber construction combined with BMW's 6.1-liter V12 engine hit the sweet sport for power and weight.
Anyone wishing to go faster today will need some serious power, with the F1's record being eclipsed by the mighty Veyron requiring four turbochargers and around 1,000hp to do so. McLaren's engineers got their performance record with just 618hp.