The Bugatti Chiron's W16 (Bugatti)
Power was big in the automotive world this year. Not just in popularity, but in sheer numbers.
It wasn’t so long ago that 500 hp was impressive, but now a car needs 700 hp to even be worth mentioning.
And the best part is, you don’t even have to be a millionaire to afford one, although it still helps.
Budgets aside, here are the five most powerful new cars that hit U.S. roads in 2017:
Bugatti Chiron - 1,479 hp
(Bugatti)
Like the Veyron that preceded it, the $2.5 million Chiron had to be the world’s most powerful production car. Otherwise, what’s the point? It is, with an 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine that’s rated at 1,500 hp and good for a top speed that’s been restricted to 261 mph…because that’s safe?
Dodge Challenger SRT Demon – 808 hp
There are a lot of fast cars you can buy for $85,000, but only one is the most powerful American car ever and the quickest car in the world to 60 mph and through the quarter-mile. The Demon’s supercharged V8 makes 808 hp on premium, but you can bump that up to 840 with a tankful of 100 octane and not void the warranty. Bonus: It does wheelies.
Ferrari 812 Superfast – 789 hp
(Ferrari)
Few cars have a more appropriate name than the Ferrari 812 Superfast, which has a top speed of 211 mph and puts down devastating lap times on the track. The $335,000 front-engine coupe’s 789 hp 6.5-liter V12 is a few prancing ponies short of the Demon’s engine, but it is the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine you can buy today.
Lamborghini Aventador S – 730 hp
The Ferrari’s motor may make the Aventador’s 6.5-liter V12 look quaint, but the Lamborghini’s is mounted in the middle where the supercar gods intended engines to be and is good for 217 mph. Also: scissor doors.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk – 707 hp
(Jeep)
Yea, yea, yea, those cars are fast and all, but can they actually haul anything? The $87,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is powered by the 707 hp Hellcat V8 that spawned the Demon’s engine, which makes it the most powerful SUV in the world. Because America.
