Shelby SuperCar Tops Edmunds' InsideLine.com's List of 100 Most Powerful Cars of All Time

Shelby SuperCar Tops Edmunds' InsideLine.com's List of 100 Most Powerful Cars of All Time

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — May 22, 2012 — The 100 Most Powerful Cars of All Time, published today on InsideLine.com. The list is ranked according to each car's manufacturer-listed horsepower rating, with each vehicle packing a minimum of 544 hps.

"We're truly living in the golden age of automotive power," says Edmunds.com Editor in Chief Scott Oldham. "No vehicle on the list is more than 23 years old, and each car in the top ten was built within the last decade. Still, these are some of the rarest vehicles on the planet, so if you see one in person, get a good look before it leaves you in the dust."

According to Shelby SuperCars, the Ultimate Aero can go zero to 60 in less than 2.8 seconds, with a top speed of 257 mph. Only four other vehicles (including two Bugattis) on InsideLine's list crack the 1,200-horsepower barrier:

• 2010 Hennessey Venom GT — 1,200 hp at 6,500 rpm: 6.2-liter, OHV, 16-valve V8, twin turbos. 1,155 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm. Texan John Hennessey goes full lunatic by mating a 1,200-hp version of the Corvette ZR1's engine with the structure of a Lotus Exige. Theoretical top speed is 272 mph.
• 2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport — 1,200 hp at 6,400 rpm: 8.0-liter, DOHC, 64-valve W16, quad turbochargers. 1,106 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm. Thanks to turbos 10 percent bigger than in the regular Veyron (which is #10 on the list with 1,001 hp) and other tweaks, the Super Sport swells up to a full 1,200-metric hp (that's 1,184 in American horses). Aerodynamic tweaks allow a tested top speed to increase to an incredible 267.856 mph.
• 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse — 1,200 hp at 6,400 rpm: 8.0-liter, DOHC, 64-valve W16, quad turbochargers. 1,106 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm. Bugatti combines its open-top Grand Sport body with the more powerful 1,200-hp engine from its Veyron Super Sport. Ultimately not as fast as the more aerodynamic Super Sport, but the open cockpit makes it the ultimate ballermobile for cruising Beverly Hills.
• 2004 Lotec Sirius — 1,200 hp at 6,300 rpm: 6.0-liter, DOHC, 48-valve V12, twin turbo. 974 lb-ft at 3,400 rpm. Lotec's high-tech midengine brute runs a version of the same Mercedes-made V12 that powers various Pagani Zonda models. Seen one? Us neither.

Edmunds.com's full list of the 100 Most Powerful Cars of All Time can be found at http://www.insideline.com/features/the-100-most-powerful-cars-of-all-time.html.

"The 100 Most Powerful Cars" is just the latest of popular lists assembled by Edmunds' InsideLine.com, ranging from the http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/consumers-favorites/.

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Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its acclaimed mobile site, Edmunds.com Android App and five-star Edmunds iPhone and iPad apps make car pricing and other research tools available for car shoppers at dealerships and on the go. Its automotive enthusiast web site, InsideLine.com, is the most-read car publication of its kind. Its highly regarded mobile site and iPhone app features the wireless Web's most comprehensive gallery of automotive photos and videos. Edmunds is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Follow Edmunds.com on Twitter@edmunds and fan Edmunds.com on Facebook.