The Need For Speed

Modern hypercars have absurd performance, but one number still eludes automakers today. Meet the two cars that hope to crack the magic 300mph mark.

- Kenny Yeo

112 years ago on the sands of Ormonde Beach, Florida, Englishman Arthur MacDonald became the first man to go faster than 100mph (160km/h) in a car. The car used for this feat was a Napier L48 that produced around 90hp, and MacDonald achieved a speed of 104.65mph (168km/h).

It would take another 82 years before mankind could go beyond the next 100mph. This was accomplished in 1987 when Ferrari unveiled the F40. It had a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V8 that produced 478hp, which gave it a top speed of 201mph (324km/h). This was 30 years ago, and ever since then, mankind has been trying to go faster than ever, all in the hopes of cracking 300mph (483km/h).

BUGATTI CHIRON

One car that has a good chance of doing so is the Bugatti Chiron. Founded in Germany by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti in 1909, the company has been in the business of going fast from the very beginning. It has almost unrivaled pedigree in this arena since the Veyron and the upgraded version of the Veyron, the Veyron Super Sport, both held titles of the world’s fastest street-legal production car.