Does any car go 300 mph?
Yes. A few high-performance hypercars have reached or exceeded 300 mph in controlled testing, most notably the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ with a top speed of 304.77 mph in 2019.
How the 300 mph milestone is defined
What counts as a top speed record
Top speed records are typically measured on closed test tracks, using specialized testing conditions. Verification usually depends on a two-way average (speed in both directions) and clear documentation from the manufacturer and independent observers. Some claims hinge on production-car status, while others come from isolated test runs with modified vehicles.
Notable records and widely debated claims
Below is a snapshot of the most-cited attempts and their verification status. The list highlights what is officially verified versus what remains controversial or unverified.
- Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ — 304.77 mph (490.48 km/h) achieved in August 2019 on the Ehra-Lessien test track. Widely accepted as the first production-car milestone above 300 mph, though it was a special, highly tuned variant of the standard Chiron and produced in limited numbers.
- SSC Tuatara — initial claim of 316 mph in 2020; the result was later disputed and retracted. In 2021 SSC reported a two-way run with an official top speed around 282.9 mph, a figure that is widely cited as the verified record for the Tuatara. The episode underscored how crucial independent verification is in this category.
- Hennessey Venom F5 — company claims have targeted speeds well above 300 mph, but there has been no widely verified, independently published top-speed run above 300 mph as of 2025. The project has faced delays and questions about testing conditions.
- Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut — designed with an upstream claim of “300+ mph” potential, but as of now there is no independently verified production-car top speed above 300 mph from Jesko Absolut. It remains an ambitious benchmark rather than a proven record.
The broad takeaway is that while 300 mph has been reached in a controlled test by at least one vehicle, several other high-profile claims have either been re-evaluated or remain unverified by independent testers. The racing of top speeds is as much about verification and interpretation as about engineering prowess.
Where the field stands today
Production-car versus one-off or track-only builds
Bugatti’s 304.77 mph run is often described as a production-car achievement because it used a version of the Chiron intended for sale in limited numbers, though the special configuration used for the test was not a mass-market road car. Other claimed speeds—such as the Tuatara’s initial sensational claim or various projects from Hennessey and Koenigsegg—have faced scrutiny or remain unverified for a broad production run.
What comes next in the race to 300 mph and beyond
Engineers continue to wrestle with aero efficiency, tire technology, power delivery, and thermal management. Even as speeds creep past 300 mph in demonstrations, producing a reliable, road-legal vehicle that can sustain such speeds safely and repeatedly remains a substantial challenge. The field now looks toward more rigorous independent verification and potentially new entrants—electric or hybrid hypercars—that might push the barrier further in the coming years.
Key challenges to breaking 300 mph regularly
Beyond raw horsepower, achieving 300 mph requires precise aerodynamic stability, tire performance at extreme speeds, heat management, and regulatory considerations. Roadworthiness, safety, and the ability to sustain high speeds on a track are all essential to becoming a credible, repeatable record.
Summary
In short, a 300 mph mark has been reached, most definitively by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ at 304.77 mph. Other notable attempts have sparked discussion about verification and production status, most famously the SSC Tuatara episode. As technology evolves—especially with electric powertrains and ever-more-analyzed testing protocols—the boundary may move again, but any new claim will likely hinge on independent, transparent verification and a clear definition of what constitutes a production car.
