11 years after the Bugatti Veyron took its rightful place on top of Top Gear’s hypercar mountain, it’s successor, the Bugatti Chiron, has equaled that feat. The all-conquering supercar took home the “Hypercar of the Year” award on the strength of possessing one of the most impressive credentials of any performance car in the world today. On that front alone, the Chiron boasts an 8.0-liter quad-turbo W-16 engine that produces a staggering 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. That translates to a sprint time to 60 mph of just 2.3 seconds and a limited top speed of 261 mph. Take out that limiter, and there’s no telling what the Chiron is capable of. Rumors have even suggested that it can reach 300 mph on a good day. It’s no wonder then that in declaring the Chiron as the “Hypercar of the Year,” the jury highlighted its incredible performance capabilities. “The thrust from rest to 100 mph (161 km/h) is insane but the way it bulldozes its way through the next 100 mph is spooky, and it just keeps going.” Hard to argue against that assessment.

Top Gear hasn’t announced the contenders for the Hypercar of the Year award, but seeing as 2017 has been an eventful year as far as hypercars go, it’s safe to say that the four machines below were in the discussion.

Mercedes-AMG Project One

First up is the Mercedes-AMG Project One, the German automaker’s first foray into the hypercar segment. Personally, I wouldn’t have had any problems had Top Gear bestowed the award on the Project One. Mercedes-AMG takes full advantage of its involvement in Formula One, and it shows in the development of the Project One. Its design carries a lot of F1 influence, including a powertrain setup that features a mid-mounted, turbocharged, 1.6-liter V-6 hybrid gasoline-electric engine juiced by no less than four electric motors. That setup gives the Project One an output of 1,000 horsepower, enough to help the hypercar go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 217 mph.

Read our full review on the 2020 Mercedes-AMG Project One.

Aston Martin Valkyrie

Raise your hands if you thought that Aston Martin was capable of building a car like the Valkyrie? I certainly had my doubts in the beginning, but I’m happy to have been proven wrong. The Valkyrie is every bit as glorious as all the other hypercars that have come before it. Red Bull Racing's involvement in the car’s development helped create a Formula One-type mystique behind it, and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. It makes use of a high-revving, naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 engine that produces 1,130 horsepower, enough muscle to help it sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds before maxing out at a top speed of at about 220 mph.

Read our full review of the 2018 Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Koenigsegg Agera RS

If you’re going to discus cars that deserve to be in the conversation for “Hypercar of the Year,” that discussion needs to include the newly-minted fastest production car in the world. The Agera RS follows a long line of demented supercars to come out of the Swedish automaker. It’s no surprise then that with 1,360 horsepower at its disposal, the Agera RS is capable of unspeakable power and speed. That much was on full display earlier this month when the Agera RS clocked in an average top speed of 277.9 mph, destroying the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport’s seven-year top speed record for a production car. The Agera RS is also the same car that laughed in the face of the Bugatti Chiron’s 0-249-0 MPH time and proceeded to beat the Bugatti’s time too.

Read our full review on the 2015 Koenigsegg Agera RS.

Hennessey Venom F5

Just like a deadly snake, the Hennessey Venom F5 is sitting quietly in the shrubs, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on the competition. That’s a perfect way to describe Hennessey’s latest predator, the Venom F5. Developed to conquer just about any performance car in the world, the Venom F5 is already being considered the favorite to become the first production car in history to eclipse 300 mph. It carries a brand-new 7.4-liter V-8 engine that produces 1,600 horsepower and 1,300 pound-feet of torque. Yes, you’re reading that right. That’s more power than the Project One, Valkyrie, Agera RS, and the newly crowned Hypercar of the Year, the Bugatti Chiron. It’s performance capabilities have yet to be displayed, but Hennessey has made no bones about its goal of achieving the holy grail of all car performance records. Whether it does so or not is anyone’s guess at this point. But seeing as we’re even talking about it speaks to how incredible the Venom F5 is.

Read our full review on the 2019 Hennessey Venom F5

References

Bugatti Chiron

Read our full review on the 2018 Bugatti Chiron.