1,000 PS is now within everyone's reach, and you don't have to look exclusively to the super sports car category to find these powers in play since, as you will see from this ranking, they are also peeping out in seemingly commonplace SUVs and saloons.

Internal combustion engines are now capable of delivering more horsepower than ever before, and EVs allow engineers to play a lot with power and electronics. Although we don't really understand where the market is going, the horsepower war shows no signs of slowing down. So we thought it would be a good time to take a look at the most powerful cars on the market, cars that are road-legal and factory-spec.

20 - GMC Hummer EV Edition 1

GMC

GMC Hummer EV Edition 1

It is crazy to think that a big, heavy SUV can beat most European super sports cars in both absolute power and performance. The GMC Hummer EV inaugurates this special ranking by taking 20th place: available in both four-door and pick-up versions, in its top-of-the-line three-motor Edition 1 version it boasts an incredible 1,000 PS. Thanks to Watts-To-Freedom mode (yes, that's what it's called) it sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 3 seconds flat.

19 - Lamborghini Revuelto

Lamborghini

Lamborghini Revuelto

The Revuelto is the very latest Lamborghini super sports car. Under the bonnet it has a huge 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 that, together with an electric module, produces 1,015 PS of maximum power pulling and screaming up to 9,500 rpm. We drove it both on the track and on the road, click here for the test!

18 - Tesla Model S Plaid / Model X Plaid

Tesla

Tesla Model S Plaid

The Model S and Model X are the oldest models in the Tesla range, but also the most powerful in the 1,020 PS Plaid configuration. They are certainly the most popular cars on the market but also among the fastest accelerating road cars in the world. They sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 2.1 seconds.

17 - Ferrari SF90 XX

Ferrari

Ferrari SF90 XX

The Ferrari SF90 XX is the sportiest version of the SF90 and one of the baddest and most extreme models currently in the range. It is officially the fastest road-going Ferrari ever, having lapped Fiorano in 1 minute 17.309 seconds, an incredible result achieved thanks to extreme aerodynamics capable of holding no less than 1,030 PS under control. It sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 2.3 seconds and costs over £650,000.

16 - Rivian R1S / R1T

Rivian

Rivian R1S R1T

Electric motors are small, so manufacturers can squeeze them into spaces where an old combustion would never fit. If you live in the USA and are about to buy a Rivian R1S (the SUV) or R1T (the pick-up truck), you will no doubt know that you can choose between different configurations: you can have two, three or, as of the end of the year, four motors, for a maximum power output of no less than 1,039 PS.

15 - Mercedes-AMG One

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-AMG One

No surprise, when you put a Formula 1 hybrid drivetrain in a road-legal supercar it is obvious that you get outrageous power. The Mercedes-AMG One combines a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 with a complex hybrid module for a total output of 1,063 PS. That it is a super exclusive car is also confirmed by its price of £2.3 million.

14 - Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

Porsche

Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is electric and the most powerful production Porsche in history. It has 1,108 PS and 1,340 Nm of torque and goes from 0 to 62 mph in 2.3 seconds, 2.2 with the Weissach package. Porsche claims a 0-124 mph sprint in 6.6 seconds on the former and 6.4 seconds on the latter, with top speeds of 180 and 190 mph respectively.

13 - Aston Martin Valkyrie

Aston Martin

Aston Martin Valkyrie

The Aston Martin Valkyrie is the direct rival of the Mercedes-AMG One and, like it, takes full advantage of technology derived from Formula 1. The engine is a hybrid petrol V12 with a total of 1,155 PS and screams up to 11,000 rpm. Not enough for you and want to go even faster? Don't worry, Aston Martin also sells the track-ready Valkyrie AMR PRO. 

12 - Lucid Air Sapphire

Lucid Motors

Lucid Air Sapphire

Here is another example of how the absurd power of electric motors gives rise to a model that seems to have emerged from a parallel universe. The Lucid Air Sapphire is a four-door, long-wheelbase luxury saloon that has more horsepower than the most powerful Ferraris and Lamborghinis on the market. Three electric motors produce 1,234 PS of maximum power, enough for a 0-62 mph sprint in just 1.9 seconds. And the car doesn't just go fast on the straights, as Lucid has worked hard on the suspension and chassis to differentiate it from less powerful versions. 

11 - Koenigsegg Jesko

Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg Jesko

The Koenigsegg Jesko is a super-exclusive hypercar that, after years of development and virtually hand-crafted production, has begun deliveries of the Absolut version that is set to be one of the fastest sports cars in the world. To achieve this goal it relies on an incredible 5.0-litre V8 with 1,280 PS, ready to become 1,600 PS if fuelled with E85 ethanol.

10 - Czinger 21C VMax

Aspark

Czinger 21C

This name might not ring a bell, Czinger, but know that this is a Californian supercar manufacturer that, to date, has one of the most powerful cars on the planet in its range. It is called the 21C VMax and is the evolution of the 21C presented 2021. Under the bonnet it has a 2.88-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with 1,368 PS. It sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 1.9 seconds and hits a top speed of 254 mph.

9 - SSC Tuatara

SSC

SSC Tuatara

The SSC Tuatara recently broke its own speed record by touching 295 mph, a speed that has not, however, been certified. This extremely rare American hypercar is equipped with a twin-turbo V8 that reaches 1,370 PS with 91 octane petrol and 1,750 PS with ethanol.

8 - Koenigsegg CC850

Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg CC850

As crazy as it sounds, the Koenigsegg CC850 is something of a throwback. Designed to resemble the CC8S, the first Koenigsegg ever sold, it has a twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V8 with an impressive 1,385 PS and... weighs 850 kg! It is also one of only two cars on this list available with a manual transmission. Or rather, it has a nine-speed multi-clutch gearbox that can either work as an automatic or a manual, by activating the lever in the centre of the tunnel and the left pedal.

7 - Bugatti Tourbillon

Bugatti

Bugatti Tourbillon

In the near future we will see the first 100% electric Bugatti from the union with the Croatian manufacturer Rimac. The Tourbillon is the heir to the Chiron and evolves in everything starting with the engine which is a hybrid based on a 986 PS naturally aspirated V16. Drive is all-wheel drive because two electric motors power the front wheels for a total output of 1,800 PS. It sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 2 seconds flat, with an estimated top speed of 277 mph. The price? It starts at around £3.2 million.

6 - Hennessey Venom F5

hersey

Hennessey Venom F5

To be precise, the Hennessey Venom F5 is completely sold out and therefore can no longer be ordered. Those who absolutely want one and are willing to pay over £2.3 million will therefore have to find an alternative, which can either be an F5 Roadster or a more track-ready F5 Revolution. The engine is the same: both have a twin-turbo 6.6-litre V8 producing 1,817 PS and 1,617 Nm of torque for a top speed of over 300 mph.

5 - Pininfarina Battista

Pininfarina

Pininfarina Battista

Next on the list, the Pininfarina Battista is Italian and a direct competitor to the Rimac Nevera. It has four permanent magnet synchronous electric motors positioned one per wheel with 1,900 PS and 2,360 Nm of torque for a top speed is 217 mph.

4 - Rimac Nevera

Rimac

Rimac Nevera

Rimac now has plenty of experience and knows how to get more and more power out of electric motors. The Nevera is the perfect example: it has over 1,914 PS and sprints from 0 to 62 mph in just 1.85 seconds. It has also broken many records including that for the fastest electric vehicle ever made with a top speed of 258 mph. Want one? It costs more than £1.68 million. 

3 - Aspark Owl

Aspark

Aspark Owl

If you have never heard of the Aspark Owl, you now know that it is the third fastest car in the world. It's a Japanese hypercar that was unveiled in 2020 but arrived on the market in recent months at a base price of around £2.4 million. It is electric, has 1,980 PS and 2,000 Nm of torque and sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 1.72 seconds.

2 - Lotus Evija

Lotus

Lotus Evija

This is not the Lotus that best fits Colin Chapman's famous phrase 'simplify and add lightness'. Lotus is now owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely and, as per its business plan, has begun to focus on high-performance electric cars. We have already tested the Eletre SUV and the 918 PS Emeya saloon, which are nothing like this Evija with 2,039 PS priced from £2.4 million.

1 - Koenigsegg Gemera

Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg Gemera

The Gemera is the third Koenigsegg on this list. It is a simply absurd car because not only does it have 2,300 PS delivered by a 5.0-litre V8 mated to an electric motor, but it is a two-door four-seater with a generous boot. In short, the perfect car for taking the kids to school.