THE QUICKEST V8-POWERED CARS EVER MADE, RANKED BY 0-60 MPH

Electric cars are center stage nowadays when it comes to blistering 0-60 times, with huge horsepower figures, instant torque and response, and all-wheel-drive grip blasting some of these road missiles to 60 in well under two seconds and on to a quarter mile of little over eight. It makes the podium finishers in any top-ten 0-60 list rather predictable, or does it? Well, internal combustion is still in with a shout, as this list shows, and we’ve given it an additional twist by only featuring cars with America’s favorite big engine under the hood - the gas V8.

Given enough power and launch grip, it’s quite amazing that all the sprinters on this list dispatch the benchmark run in well under three seconds, with comfortable sub-twos out in front. Some of these cars have hybrid assistance and many have all-wheel drive, but one thing they all have in common is a gas V8. It goes to show that there’s plenty of life yet in the good old V8, and that some of the quickest cars on the planet are still equipped with it.

We list the 0-60 times of production cars claimed by manufacturers, not using the one-foot rollout method, unless no other figure is available, in which case well note it. Sometimes, it requires special conditions to achieve, such as a prepped drag surface, in which case well note that too. These cars may be purely gas or hybrids, but they all have V8 engines. Where cars have identical sprint times, we rank them by other metrics, such as top speed.

2025 Lamborghini Temerario

0-60 mph: <2.7 seconds

Engine

4.0L twin-turbo PHEV V8

Drivetrain

8-spd DCT auto, AWD

Horsepower

907 hp

Torque

590 lb-ft

Top Speed

213 mph

Quarter Mile

Est. 10.7 seconds

The Lamborghini Huracán’s replacement, the brand-new Temerario, is a plug-in hybrid. It has a twin-turbocharged flat-crank L411 V8 engine derived from Lambo’s SC63 Le Mans Hypercar’s engine, and it revs to 10,000 rpm while cranking out over 900 hp. It’s quite sobering to note that, with these kinds of impressive numbers to back it up and AWD traction, it only just managed to squeak into tenth place. Lamborghini claims 2.7 seconds for the 0-100 km/h sprint (62 mph), which means the 0-60 mph time will be just below that.

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2022-present Chevrolet Corvette Z06

0-60 mph: 2.6 seconds

Engine

5.5L NA gas V8

Drivetrain

8-spd DCT auto, RWD

Horsepower

670 hp

Torque

460 lb-ft

Top Speed

189-195 mph

Quarter Mile

10.6 seconds

The slowest of a trio of high-performance new Corvettes comes in at number nine with a 2.6-second shunt to 60 mph with the Z07 Performance package fitted. With a superb naturally aspirated flat-crank V8 that revs to 8,600 rpm and kicks out 670 hp, the Corvette Z06 achieves that impressive sprint time with just rear-wheel drive. The all-new engine is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 on the planet, and one of only three cars on this list with neither boosted induction nor hybridization, to put its achievement in context.

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2013-2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

0-60 mph: <2.6 seconds

Engine

4.6L NA PHEV V8

Drivetrain

7-spd DCT auto, eAWD

Horsepower

887 hp

Torque

944 lb-ft

Top Speed

214 mph gas 93 mph electric

Quarter Mile

9.9 seconds w/ Weissach package

It’s been more than a decade since its launch, and the Porsche 918 Spyder is still in the top ten. Its position in seventh place isn’t strictly fair, because it’s proven quicker than its claims in real-world testing, but we only quote manufacturers’ claims or official figures here where available, so its sub-2.6-second time is based on the fact that it achieves that figure to 62 mph. The high-tech 887-hp powertrain comprises a naturally aspirated V8 that revs to 9,150 hp and plug-in hybrid electric assistance, with AWD enabled by an electric motor on the front axle.

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2024-present Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray

0-60 mph: 2.5 seconds

Engine

6.2L NA PHEV V8

Drivetrain

8-spd DCT auto, eAWD

Horsepower

655 hp

Torque

595 lb-ft

Top Speed

183 mph gas 45 mph electric

Quarter Mile

10.5 seconds

The E-Ray was the first Corvette with either hybridization or AWD. Its 655 hp is only 15 hp short of the Z06, but this comes from a combination of the 495-hp 6.2L pushrod V8 in the normal Corvette and a 160-hp electric motor on the front axle, giving it eAWD and 595 lb-ft in total. Despite its higher weight and small power advantage, it still outruns the Z06 to 60 mph thanks to the instant AWD traction the electric motor provides, enabling it to edge ahead with a 2.5-second effort. There are another four cars capable of 2.5 seconds, and we list them below, but the Corvette takes the official spot, because its figures are fully backed by Chevrolet, while the others are estimated and/or unverified.

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2021-present Koenigsegg Jesko/Jesko Absolut

0-60 mph: 2.5 seconds

With 1,600 hp from a twin-turbo 5.1L V8, Koenigsegg’s unique nine-speed Light Speed Transmission, and low drag, the Jesko Absolut is capable of an estimated 310-350 mph.

2020-present SSC Tuatara

0-60 mph: 2.5 seconds

After wildly varying claims and many different top-speed runs, some of which were only done one-way and other of which the veracity was disputed, the top speed of the SSC Tuatara - which has up to 2,200 hp courtesy of a twin-turbo 5.9L V8 - has been recorded to be anything between 279.7 and 331.1 mph. The most accurate two-way average seems to be 282.9 mph.

2020-present Hennessey Venom F5

0-60 mph: 2.5 seconds

With a twin-turbocharged 6.6L V8 capable of 1,817 hp, the Venom F5 is claimed to be capable of more than 500 km/h, which translates to 311 mph.

2007 Caparo T1

0-60 mph: 2.5 seconds

The only other RWD, naturally aspirated car on this list, the T1 was a lightweight 1,036-pound British sports car built in very limited numbers. Using a 3.5L Menard V8 with 575 hp, its light weight made that blistering acceleration time possible. Top speed is estimated to be 205 mph.

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2020-present Ferrari SF90 Stradale

0-60 mph: <2.5 seconds

Engine

4.0L twin-turbo PHEV V8

Drivetrain

8-spd DCT auto, eAWD

Horsepower

986 hp

Torque

590 lb-ft

Top Speed

211 mph

Quarter Mile

Est. 9.5 seconds

Ferrari’s first hybrid packs a twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8 engine and three electric motors to produce 1,000 PS in European speak, which translates to 986 hp in the US. Electric drive on the front axle is available until 130 mph, giving the SF90 Stradale blistering off-the-line pace. The manufacturer claims 2.5 seconds for the 0-62-mph run, which means it will be a touch quicker than that to 60 mph.

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2011-2017 Hennessey Venom GT

0-60 mph: 2.4 seconds

Engine

7.0L twin-turbo V8

Drivetrain

6-speed Ricardo manual, RWD

Horsepower

1,451 hp

Torque

1,287 lb-ft

Top Speed

Est. 265-270 mph

Quarter Mile

Est. 9.4 seconds

In its day, the Hennessey Venom GT was the hottest thing on wheels, setting the Guinness World Record for the fastest car from 0-186 mph - just 13.63 seconds. With a twin-turbocharged 7.0L V8 producing 1,451 hp, it is capable of a top speed of around 270 mph. All that power is harnessed via RWD and a six-speed Ricardo manual transmission, so you need an expert behind the wheel to get anywhere close to that 2.4-second 0-60 without simply turning the rear tires into smoke.

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2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

0-60 mph: 2.3 seconds*

Engine

6.2L supercharged V8

Drivetrain

8-speed automatic, RWD

Horsepower

840 hp

Torque

770 lb-ft

Top Speed

168 mph limited

Quarter Mile

9.65 seconds

At launch, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon became the fastest car over a quarter mile in the world, at 9.65 seconds, as verified by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). It achieved the highest g-force acceleration at any car (1.8 g) and a 0-30 mph of one second - and all of that with RWD! But the asterisk behind these acceleration figures mean that they are only achievable with a one-foot rollout and on a specially prepared drag-strip surface, so for most people, those will be stats on paper only. If they attempt anything similar on a regular surface, they will have to contend with wheelspin down the entire quarter mile and struggle to get anything close to three seconds. But on paper, it’s rapid indeed.

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2024 Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale

0-60 mph: <2.3 seconds

Engine

4.0L twin-turbo PHEV V8

Drivetrain

8-spd DCT auto, eAWD

Horsepower

1,016 hp

Torque

593 lb-ft

Top Speed

199 mph

Quarter Mile

Est. 9.3 seconds

The SF90 XX Stradale is Ferrari’s first road-legal XX car, and the production run of 799 units was quickly sold out. The regular SF90’s 4.0L twin-turbo V8 PHEV powertrain is tuned up to 1,016 hp, making it a bit quicker. Specs-wise, it’s mostly the same as the regular SF90, but the extra power places it close to the top of this list. The 0-62 is a claimed 2.3 seconds, which would make it even quicker than that to 60 mph, but the added downforce reduced its top speed by 12 mph.

2008-2012 Ariel Atom 500 V8

0-60 mph: <2.3 seconds

The ultimate expression of the Ariel Atom naked spaceframe two-seater came in the shape of the Atom 500 V8, with a 3.0L naturally aspirated V8 engine designed by John Heartley. With a weight of only about 1,200 pounds, the engine is capable of slingshotting the Atom to 62 mph in 2.3 seconds, but its top speed is only about 171 mph.

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2025 Koenigsegg Gemera

0-60 mph: <1.9 seconds

Engine

2.0L twin-turbo PHEV I3 / 5.0L twin-turbo PHEV V8

Drivetrain

9-speed Light Speed Transmission, eAWD

Horsepower

1,381/2,269 hp

Torque

1,367/2,028 lb-ft

Top Speed

Est. 248/278 mph 186 mph electric

Quarter Mile

Est. <8 seconds

The Koenigsegg Gemera was only going to be available with a 2.0L twin-turbo three-cylinder PHEV powertrain with 1,381 hp, for which Koenigsegg claimed a sprint to 60 in just 1.9 seconds. Now, Koenigsegg has announced that customers will be able to opt for an HV8 version of the Jesko’s V8 as well, with 2,269 hp in total. For packaging reasons, the turbos have been moved to inside the V. There are no 0-60 claims for this format yet, but it should easily improve on 1.9 seconds, although not by much, given the traction limitations on regular tarmac. On a prepared drag strip, it will likely be close to a second dead, making it quicker than any EV currently on sale, and ahead of the Demon 170. In the real world, it’s easily the quickest car of all the entries on this list, but to find out why the Demon 170 wins on a technicality, read on.

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2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170

0-60 mph: 1.66 seconds*

Engine

6.2L supercharged V8

Drivetrain

8-spd auto, RWD

Horsepower

1,025 hp

Torque

945 lb-ft

Top Speed

215 mph

Quarter Mile

8.91 seconds*

The Demon 170’s name comes from the 170-proof E85 ethanol required to produce its rated 1,025 hp. On 91-octane pump gas, it has 880 hp. But that 1.66-second sprint will be virtually impossible to match. It requires E85 in the tank, a one-foot rollout, and a prepped drag surface, which will enable the RWD to hook up those 315-series Mickey Thompson ET Street R drag radials and punch you with an NHRA-certified 2.004 g on blast-off. Be warned, without all these conditions met, any number of cars on this list will scurry off into the distance while you watch on helplessly and get enveloped in a cloud of tire smoke.

Sources: Wikipedia, Car & Driver, MotorTrend, The Telegraph UK, Du Pont Registry, Hot Cars, Supercars.net, The Drive, Acceleration Times.

2024-10-12T23:03:43Z