Forget The 60's The Golden Age Of Performance Is NOW!

Forget Hemi 'Cudas, Boss 429s, Tri-Power Corvettes and every other muscle machine from the 1960s and '70s. None of them are powerful enough to make this list. Not. Even. Close.

Today is the golden age of automotive power. And the vehicles listed here have more horsepower than all the others through more than a century of automotive history. Incredibly, the weakest of the bunch packs 544 hp and the oldest hasn't even hit its 23rd birthday.

This list isn't based on opinion, but fact. Each machine's spot on the list was determined by its horsepower rating as claimed by its manufacturer. After months of research, we included every obscure supercar we could find, from Ascari to Zenvo, but we left out tuner machines and kit cars. This list is for "manufacturers" only.

 

Agent009 - 5/22/2012 4:17:37 PM

+1 Boost

Almost all are American or European models. In fact a quick scan shows only 2 Pacific Rims automakers on the list and they are at the bottom of the heap.

chewy - 5/22/2012 5:14:45 PM

+1 Boost

Today's vehicles put down the power more efficiently as well.

ThierryHenry14 - 5/22/2012 6:04:29 PM

+2 Boost

Certain HP ratings are a little off and I would consider the Hennessey Venom GT as a tuner/Kit car as its a car based on a "highly modified" Exige and its engine is a GM LS9 engine... They neither manufactured the car nor the engine. Also, they are producing an estimated 5/year... That doesn't even meet FIA Homologation regulations for "production cars". As well, I would not include the RUFs, the Shelby Mustangs, as those are not original manufacturer's products.

If those are included, I believe that the FXX and FXX evoluzione should also be included as well, along with the 599XX and 599XX Evoluzione...

It would only be fair...

wins555 - 5/23/2012 1:04:51 AM

+4 Boost

Muscle cars in the 60s were powerful and fast machines intended to be driven everyday. This list is not an accurate comparison. Majority of the cars in the list of 100 are supercars which are in limited production and surely cannot be used as a daily driver.

pcar4evr - 5/23/2012 8:02:55 AM

+2 Boost

I learned to drive a stick 45 years ago on a tri-power GTO. I'll never forget that car, nor the furious look on the traffic cop's face when I laid down 50 feet of rubber in front of him when I was learning to use that non-assisted clutch.

LexSucks - 5/23/2012 11:27:47 AM

+2 Boost

The cars from the 60's were affordable. The cars that I see mentioned in the article are all unaffordable exotics. They're plenty of affordable performance cars available today. Why are we only talking about the cars we can't afford, and only the fortunate few will be able to purhchase? And not the cars that we can actualy purchase.