For a lot of car enthusiasts, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of driving fast. It brings with it a feeling of freedom and happiness. It’s for that reason that these drivers seek out the fastest cars and want to know which is the fastest BMW model, or the fastest Mercedes Benz…and so on.
Fast cars are enduringly popular and anybody who wants to buy the fastest car will need to do some research ahead of time to understand which cars drive the fastest and which manufacturers make them.
If you’re in the market for a car that will allow you to race or just get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, you may be interested to learn these fast car facts.
Why Do People Love Fast Cars?
Not everybody loves fast cars but for those who do really love them, what is it about them? What makes people want to drive fast?
The answer may come down to our body’s reaction to speed and the science of the thrill. According to an article in The Atlantic, there are some people who enjoy the cocktail of chemicals that get released into the bloodstream when they encounter danger so much that they’ll deliberately seek out situations that may get them the result they want.
When your amygdala–the root part of your brain–recognizes danger, it releases an array of hormones such as adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphins to prepare you for survival. These chemicals provide a sort of natural high that may explain why people love to drive fast.
BMW Fastest Car
Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) makes some of the most desired–and some of the fastest–cars in the world. While many of the people who buy and drive BMWs stick to the rules of the road, some people buy them for racing or simply because they love the thrill they get when driving fast.
According to Sports Car Digest, here are the top five fastest BMW models:
- 2022 BMW M5 CS: This car received the fastest rating with its 4.4 liter V-8 engine and 635 horsepower. It can go from zero to 60 in 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 189 miles per hour.
- 2022 BMW M8 Competition: This BMW model has the same engine as the #1 car and owners can buy the M driver’s package to get time on a racetrack with the electronically-monitored speed limit raised to 189 mph.
- 2021 BMW M5 Competition: This model was the fastest BMW M5 at the time of its release. It can go from zero to 60 in 3.3 seconds and has 617 horsepower.
- BMW M4 GTS: BMW made only 700 of this model but it made a splash when it was released, setting a new track record at Nürburgring.
- M3 Competition xDrive Sedan: This model is approximately 100 pounds heavier than BMW’s other competition models, but that doesn’t slow it down. The factory specs say it can go from zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds, but independent tests put the time under three seconds.
Competition models may be able to go faster than the official fastest time when the electronically-monitored speed limit is removed.
Fastest Cars from Other Manufacturers
What if you don’t want–or can’t afford–to buy a BMW? You might be wondering what is the fastest muscle car, or which car manufacturers make fast cars that might be more affordable than BMW competition class cars.
Fastest Ford Car
Ford is famous for building both reliable family cars and fast-driving muscle cars that speedheads love. In 2022, HotCars selected the 2016-’22 Ford GT as the fastest Ford ever built.
The Ford GT can go from zero to 62 mph in just 3 seconds and to 100 mph in 10 seconds. With a top speed of 216 mph, it’s one of the fastest cars you can buy.
Fastest Audi Car
Like BMW, Audi is based in Germany and has a reputation for producing fast, sleek cars that consumers love.
Sports Car Digest named the Audi RS e-Tron GT the fastest Audi car ever built. It can go from zero to 60 in just three seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.
Fastest Mercedes Benz
The fastest Mercedes Benz ever built is the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E, which comes close to the BMW models above.
According to Hot Cars, this model can get from zero to 60 in a blistering 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of 192 miles per hour.
Chevy Fastest Car
Chevy has a reputation for making fast muscle cars, so it’s no surprise that their fastest car is an impressive one: the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.
This Corvette model has 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque. Combined with its top speed of 214 miles per hour, it’s one of the fastest cars ever built.
Do You Have a Need for Speed?
Anybody who is in the market for a fast car should compare different models according to their horsepower, torque, top speed, and safety before deciding which car to buy. Even if you love driving fast, you should keep safety in mind and obey the rules of the road–and take your car to a racetrack to test its limits.
