Just like top speed, 0 to 60 mph acceleration is one of the key aspects of a performance car. As a result, automakers have been competing to improve and even set records for these figures for decades now. While most supercars were't capable of hitting 60 mph in less than three seconds 20 years ago, newer examples will do it effortlessly.

And new technology also enabled some sedans and SUVs to hit that magical benchmark in less that three clicks. Compiling a list of the 10 quickest cars to 60 mph is a bit tricky since many of these cars come with claimed manufacturer times that have yet to be tested, but no matter how we twist it, the world's 10 fastest cars reach the benchmark in 2.6 seconds or less. Here's our own ranking from quickest to slowest.

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon - 2.1 seconds

In a market packed with supercars, hybrid hypercars, and potent sports cars it feels a bit strange for the quickest production model to be Dodge, but this isn't your regular Challenger.

It's powered by a supercharged, 6.2-liter V-8 that cranks out 840 horsepower and 770 pound-feet on 100 octane fuel, but the secret lies in the race-spec features that Dodge created specifically for this model. The SRT Demon is capable of running from 0 to 60 mph in an amazing 2.1 seconds, but there is catch. To do so, it has to run on 100 octane fuel and be equipped with the optional Direct Connection powertrain controlled and passenger- and rear-seat delete.

Without these optional extras, the SRT Demon is rated at 2.3 seconds. Which is still impressive, but on par with the second car on our list. Still, these are options you can get and you don't need racing slicks. Dodge says that the 2.1-second time can be achieved with road-legal Nitto tires, so it's officially the fastest 0-60 production car in the world. It can also deliver the fastest quarter mile time for a production model in 9.65 seconds at 140 mph.

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon specifications

Read our full review on the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

Tesla Model S Performance w/ Ludicrous mode - 2.3 seconds

Back then, the range-topping Model S fitted with this upgrade needed 2.8 seconds to hit 60 mph, but a new update decreased that time to 2.4 seconds in 2017. But Tesla didn't stop there and the 2020 Performance model with Ludicrous mode activate hits the benchmark in only 2.3 seconds. That's on par with the Challenger SRT Demon if we ignore Dodge's options and the quickest electric car on the market right now.

The beefed up sedan features a dual-motor layout with AWD capability that delivers almost 800 horsepower and around 1,000 pound-feet of torque. It can also reach a top speed of 163 mph while running for up to 348 miles on a single charge.

Tesla Model S Performance w/ Ludicrous mode specifications

Read our full review on the Tesla Model S Performance w/ Ludicrous mode

Ariel Atom 500 - 2.3 seconds

The Ariel Atom is an extremely lightweight, open-body sports car that has been around since 2000. Although the cars are nowhere near as powerful as the other vehicles on this list, they tip the scales at less than 1,500 pounds, so they benefit from a similar power-to-weight ratio.

Ariel claimed that the Atom 500 needed only 2.3 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standing start, but this benchmark has yet to be verified through an independent test. The Atom 500 was limited to only 25 units.

Ariel Atom 500 specifications

Read our full review on the Ariel Atom 500

Bugatti Chiron - 2.4 seconds

The Bugatti Chiron was introduced in 2016 as a replacement for the Veyron. The latter was already amazingly fast, so Bugatti had to come up with an even better supercar. By using a more powerful W-16 engine and new technology, Bugatti managed to shave a tenth of a second off the Veyron's 0 to 60 mph benchmark. While a 2.4-second benchmark is impressive, the Chiron shines even more when it comes to top speed, with the Super Sport 300+ model being the first production car to blow past the 300-mph mark with a verified record of 304.7 mph.

Bugatti Chiron specifications

Read our full review on the Bugatti Chiron

Porsche 918 Spyder - 2.5 seconds

The Porsche 918 Spyder was a limited-run supercar that the German carmaker offered from 2013 to 2015. It was also the company's first hybrid supercar, pairing a 4.6-liter V-8 engine to a couple of electric motors mounted on the front and rear axle. The 918 Spyder arrived at the same time with the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1, sparkling a three-way tug of war between the world's first hybrid supercars. The V-8 engine generates 599 horsepower and 398 pound-feet, while the electric motors provide an additional 282 horsepower.

This procedure means that the clock doesn't start when the car starts rolling, but only after it travels a foot or more. The practice comes from the drag strip, but we're not going to include here in order to keep things far for other cars. So the 918 Spyder comes in at 2.5 seconds, which puts it on par with two other vehicles on this list.

Porsche 918 Spyder specifications

Read our full review on the Porsche 918 Spyder

Nissan GT-R Nismo - 2.5 seconds

The Nissan GT-R Nismo was introduced in 2013 and it remained relatively unchanged until 2020. It might be some seven years old as of 2020, but it's still among the quickest cars on the planet. That's on par with both the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, an impressive feat given that it's not as powerful as these supercars. At the time of its unveiling, the GT-R Nismo was the world's fastest production car around the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Nissan GT-R Nismo specifications

Read our full review on the Nissan GT-R Nismo

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport - 2.5 seconds

Produced from 2005 to 2015, the Bugatti Veyron was THE supercar of its era. And even though it's been surpassed by the Chiron and some vehicles from other brands on the performance front, it's still one of the most capable vehicles out there. The Super Sport is the most powerful iteration of the Veyron, featuring a quad-turbo, 8.0-liter W-16 rated at a whopping 1,184 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque.

The Veyron also set top speed records. The standard model topped the list from 2005 to 2007 at 253.8 mph, while the Veyron Super Sport was the world's fastest production car from 2010 to 2017 with a record 267.8 mph. Although production of the Veyron lasted for 10 years, the Super Sport was only built in 30 units in 2010 and 2011.

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport specifications

Read our full review on the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Porsche Taycan Turbo S - 2.6 seconds

The Taycan Turbo S is the second Porsche on our list, but it's also the second all-electric car. Launched in 2019, it's Porsche first all-electric production model and goes against the already iconic Tesla Model S. The Turbo S is the range topping model and comes with two electric motors that generate 751 horsepower and 774 pound-feet of torque. Porsche's official rating put the Taycan Turbo S' 0-to-60 mph sprint at 2.6 seconds, but independent tests found it to be even quicker than that.

Porsche Taycan Turbo S specifications

Read our full review on the Porsche Taycan Turbo S

Porsche 911 Turbo S - 2.6 seconds

Yes, it's also of the Turbo S variety, but it's a two-door coupe and it's powered by a gasoline engine. This sports car packs a twin-turbo, 3.7-liter flat-six engine that cranks out 641 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Although it's not as powerful as the Taycan Turbo S, it's just as quick thanks to being lighter, which results in a better power-to-weight ratio. Capable of hitting 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds, the 911 Turbo S is also the quickest 911 built so far.

Porsche 911 Turbo S specifications

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 Turbo S

Tesla Model X Performance - 2.6 seconds

Our top 10 list includes a third all-electric car. Who would have thought a few years ago that this will happen, right? Well, Tesla not only makes a fast sedan, but it also makes an amazingly quick SUV.

That's two tenths slower than the Model S, but just as quick as the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and 911 Turbo S. This SUV packs two electric motors that deliver a combined 794 horsepower and 1,013 pound-feet of torque.

Tesla Model X Performance specifications

Read our full review on the Tesla Model X Performance

Q&A

What is the fastest street legal car 0-60?

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is the fastest production car from 0 to 60 mph as of 2020. You can't buy it anymore because production ended in 2019, but you can find some on used car market with a bit of luck. This drag-ready beast will take you to 60 mph in an amazing 2.1 seconds.

How many cars can hit 60 mph in less than three seconds

This list is quite extensive and goes beyond our top 10. Getting a complete and precise list requires a bit of work since there are many obscure sports cars that can run 0 to 60 mph in less than three seconds, but a quick count reveals at least 40 production cars that can do it. Such a list would be typically populated by vehicles from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Bugatti, Koenigsegg, and Tesla, but it would also include a handful of vehicles from automakers like Honda, Nissan, and Caterham.

Fastest electric car to 60 mph

The Tesla Model S Performance is the quickest electric car on the market. It can hit the benchmark in 2.3 seconds.

What is the world’s fastest 0-60 car?

It really depends on how we describe the term "car" here, but dragsters are usually quicker than production models. The most extreme such vehicle we are aware of if an extremely modified Honda Civic that packs a 1,500-horsepower engine. This car reaches 60 mph from a standing start in just 1.1 seconds. Blink it and you will miss it.