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FastestThings

Cars

Hennessey Venom GT

The manufacturer's video description records 270.49 mph one way on 14 February 2014, with a Racelogic representative present.

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Top speed

Published as 270.49 mphPublished as 270.49 mphPublished as 270.49 mph

One direction at the Kennedy Space Center shuttle runway, driver Brian Smith. Source is the manufacturer's video description; a Racelogic representative was present. Not a two-way average.

VerifiedHennessey Performance (opens source in a new tab)

In context

  • 4.2× a cheetah's timed top speedSourced · Cheetah, 29 m/s. Sharp 1997, mean of three timed runs over 201.2 m
  • 1.3 football fields a secondConstant · American football field, 100 yd (91.44 m)
  • London to New York in 12 h 48 minConstant · London to New York, 5,570 km great-circle

Worked out from the sourced figure above, which stays the ranked number.

This list

Why it's so fast

A car is fast when the force pushing it forward still beats the air, and when the tires and the gearing can use that force. A limiter is a different fact from an unlimited run.

  1. Drag and gearing

    Top speed is the balance point: thrust equals aerodynamic drag. The gearing has to still be pulling when the car gets there, or the engine falls off its power.

  2. What the sources signed

    A manufacturer claim, a magazine test and an electronic governor are not interchangeable. The measurement line says which one this page ranked.

A limited example is the Bugatti Chiron.

This is how the category works. A note written for this entry appears here once it is in the database.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 435km/h270.49mph121m/s235knRanked figure

    One direction at the Kennedy Space Center shuttle runway, driver Brian Smith. Source is the manufacturer's video description; a Racelogic representative was present. Not a two-way average.

    Verified
    Hennessey Performance (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Driver
Brian Smith
Venue
Kennedy Space Center shuttle runway
Direction
One way

Head to head

Compare Hennessey Venom GT

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