When New Zealand-born Bruce McLaren went racing (and won in 1959, 1968, and 1969), little did he know the immense legacy that lay ahead. Sadly, in 1970, the world lost Bruce to an accident at the Goodwood Circuit in England, at the young age of 32. He was testing a brand new race car that lost composure at speed. McLaren raced professionally for 12 years.

In 1985 McLaren Cars was founded and their sole car ever to be produced was the F1, which required extensive development and some experimental construction. Later the group helped Mercedes-Benz develop the SLR McLaren, but the company remained dormant for many years. In 2010 McLaren Cars became McLaren Automotive, where the company started producing the MP4-12C. As the car, and rebranded McLaren gained enthusiasm once again, the company was able to produce more models.

Today, to drive a McLaren means you’re piloting one of the most capable vehicles on the road. McLaren routinely sets the bar, and dominates the competition through speed by clever engineering. The F1 may have set the precedent for McLaren road cars 30 years ago, and the effects of its greatness/reputation still shows in the passion behind the brand’s never-ending search to extract speed and handling out of automobiles. Since the McLaren name has become synonymous with speed and competition, here are the fastest McLaren cars.

Updated September 15, 2023: We have added one McLaren model and additional information to the existing entries that shed more light on the engineering aspect behind each of McLaen's supercars.

We've relied on data from McLaren Automotive and real-world numbers and data from sites like MotorTrend and Car and Driver.

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11 McLaren GT

Top Speed: 202 mph

The GT was supposed to be McLaren’s calmer, more grown-up car. They really wanted to mean the “GT” part. To some extent it was more grown up, slightly more practical. Mostly though, it was another reason to hurdle past 200 miles per hour in a supple interior with an engine bark that more closely resembled the growling Ricardo V-8 we heard in earlier cars of McLaren’s renaissance. Many claimed GT cars can’t be mid-engined, or only have two seats.

McLaren GT Performance Specifications

McLaren thinks otherwise, and with its softer, less technical interior, ultimately proving up to the task of long distance cruising. Its rear hatch opens to reveal a small cargo space, rather than showing off the V-8 engine beneath, and you get a "frunk" for extra storage up front. For two people on a journey across the country, it really could serve as a viable GT. 202 miles per hour while doing it is a perk too. With a total cargo capacity of 20.1 cubic feet (569 liters), McLaren GT is one of the most practical high-perfomance cars to have come out in recent times.

10 McLaren MP4-12C

Top Speed: 204 mph

McLaren's official return to building road-going cars, the MP4-12C was a force to be reckoned with. After a near 20-year hiatus, McLaren entered the supercar realm once again. Later with its name shortened to just “12C”, the original MP4-12C brought a level of engineering and precision to supercars in a time when they were still accepted for their rough-edged quirks. The McLaren 12C's twin-turbo V-8 came with a flat-plane crankshaft and high-rev characteristics. More surprisingly, it was based on a Nissan racing engine, dating back to 1988. A version of that engine powered the Nissan R390 GT1.

McLaren MP4-12C Performance Specifications

The M838T engine is truly impressive and desite its love for revs, it makes 80 percent of its peak torque from 2,000 RPM. A 204-mile-per-hour top speed may not come close to the original McLaren F1, but for the brand's first original car after decades of dormancy, creating a supercar capable of steady handling above 200 miles per hour is mighty impressive. The 12C would go on to be known as extraordinary in the handling department when compared to the competition. Not bad for the rebirth of McLaren.

9 McLaren Artura

Top Speed: 205 MPH

Just because it’s powered by a V-6 doesn’t mean the new baby McLaren doesn’t move like a big-boy supercar. 205 miles per hour is no small feat. McLaren’s third hybrid enters the market under the brands sports series. The McLaren Artura is the brand’s newest car and leans towards tech and hybridization rather than displacement and boost. In case you wonder, you can drive, purely on electricity, for 19 miles (30.6 km).

McLaren Artura Performance Specifications

A V-6-powered McLaren might seem blasphemous, but considering its power-dense thanks to the electrified components, and the fact that Ferrari is employing a very similar strategy, the oddball Artura may not seem so odd as we move into the electric era. A 205 mph top speed is nothing to laugh off, nor is its incredible 2.5 second zero to sixty time. Among the Artura's unique quirks is the fact its transmission doesn't feature a reverse gear. Instead, that role has been bestowed, exclusively, upon the electric motor.

RELATED: 10 Things That Make The McLaren Artura Really Special

8 McLaren 765LT

Top Speed: 205 MPH

The sole LongTail McLaren in our list, the 765LT is in many ways the most unhinged vehicle of the group. LT cars are meant to be responsive and deliver instantaneous power, with clever aero upgrades to match the speed, keeping the car glued to the track. While more powerful than most of its McLaren siblings, the 765LT features a lower top speed due to generating more downforce. Still, 205 mph is no small feet.

McLaren 765LT Performance Specifications

The M840T engine may be reworked and with increased displacement compared to the earlier M838T engine, but it can still trace its roots to the old, VRH35, Nissan racing engine. A racetrack is really an LT’s happy place, and the only place you can truly utilize its immense capabilities. The 765LT takes after the 675LT’s erratic nature and brings back the wild side of McLaren as the 720S which it’s based on, is known for putting power down in a composed manner. The 765LT remains one of the real-world quickest cars money can buy at the moment.

7 McLaren 650S

Top Speed: 207 MPH

The 650 series cars were really proof of a slight transitionary phase in McLaren’s road car-building process. Difficult to tame, but wildly impressive is the McLaren 650S. Hot off the heels of the success of the 12C, McLaren decided to turn up the heat and the result was a supercar McLaren could fit between the newly formed sport series, and the ultimate series cars.

McLaren 650S Performance Specifications

Based on the 12C, the 650S builds on the platform bringing a new level of performance and savagery, with a top speed of 207 mph. This evolution of the MP4-12C, still relies on the M383T engine, but with more power and more torque, especially in the mid-range.

6 McLaren Senna

Top Speed: 208 MPH

McLaren Senna is the third McLaren supercar to join the brand’s ultimate series, which include the F1 and P1 models. The Senna is a much more track-focused variant that’s loosely-based on the P1. However, while the McLaren P1 is all about the hybrid tech, the Senna is about downforce and being lightweight. Naturally, the car is named after Brazillian racign driver, Ayrton Senna, who used to drive for McLaren. It does away with the electric motor, leaving the M840T, twin-turbo V-8 as the only source of propulsion.

McLaren 720S Performance Specifications

McLaren Senna tips the scales at just 3,029 pounds (1,374 kg) – 261 pounds (118 kg) less than the McLaren P1. The Senna is produced in four different versions, some of which track-only variants like the Senna GTR. Those are even lighter than the regular Senna, of which 500 units were made.

RELATED: McLaren P1 vs McLaren 650S: Video

5 McLaren 720S

Top Speed: 212 MPH

The ultimate road car. When the 720S was unveiled, it shocked the world with its truly next-level performance. It’s no surprise we find it on the faster half of our list as it punches its way up to an incredible 212 miles per hour. McLaren’s trick is making speed melt away as you climb higher through the speedometer.

McLaren 720S Performance Specifications

The 720S’s biggest trick is its ability to have an incredibly compliant on-road ride and composure, while a trip to the track will result in mind-bending lap times. It’s a true dual personality car that is easy enough to handle at everyday speeds, but rewards the most advanced drivers with focus and high capability. The 720S is more road-oriented than the more track-focused 765LT. As such, the 720S produces less downforce, hence the higher top speed of 212 mph versus 205 mph for the 765lt.

4 McLaren P1

Top Speed: 217 MPH

Perhaps the most exotic of the holy trinity was the McLaren P1. It certainly looked more like a spaceship than the others. With its hybrid powertrain, the P1 developed an astonishing 903 horsepower and 664 foot-pounds of torque, rocketing to sixty miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds. P1 arrived at a pivotal time for McLaren Automotive as it was in the midst of rebuilding the brands image.

McLaren P1 Performance Specifications

By bringing an “ultimate” series car to compete with the world’s best, the team was successful and putting McLaren back on the stage as a super-sports car manufacturer. The P1 gave the brand immense credibility, while developing a hybrid powertrain, both invaluable to the company’s success.

3 McLaren F1 LM

Top Speed: 225 MPH

Based on the racing version McLaren F1 GTR, the F1 LM was a road-going version of the hardcore race car. This version of the iconic supercar produced 671 horsepower from its upgraded BMW-sourced 6.1 liter V-12 engine. Although, it was a couple tenths of a second slower than the normal F1 and with a restricted top speed.

McLaren P1 Performance Specifications

The McLaren F1 LM variant was more about downforce with its large rear wing and other aero upgrades making it stick to the ground even more than the standard model. Still, despite its restrictive aerodynamics, set up for more downforce, the F1 can reach an amazing top speed of 225 miles per hour, which is still more than most supercars can achieve today.

RELATED: 10 Facts You Didn't Know About The Legendary McLaren F1

2 McLaren F1

Top Speed: 241 MPH

The one. As difficult to describe how significant the F1 is, not only for McLaren, but to the age of supercars as a whole, perhaps its stats can speak for itself. Zero to sixty miles per hour in 3.2 seconds. A top speed of 241 miles per hour, in the 1990s! It was an incredible feat that wouldn’t be beat for nearly a decade. The most interesting part of the McLaren F1 story, however, was the fact that it was never meant to be a top speed car.

McLaren P1 Performance Specifications

The McLaren F1 featured many firsts for a production car, main of which the three-seat layout with central driving position. The BMW-developed V-12 engine is so balanced, it did not require a flywheel. F1 father Gordon Murray described the car as being simply, “the best in the world” from a pure driving experience. He made it a point to ignore mainstream stats like zero to sixty and top speed metrics, as his focus was on the theater of the car rather than intangible numbers. As it turns out his requirements for such a car far exceeded what was available to the public, and held the crown as the fastest road car for many years.

1 McLaren Speedtail

Top Speed: 250+ MPH

Straight-line speed was never a specific goal of McLaren, a principle set largely by Gordon Murray and his time with developing the F1 for the company back in the 1990s. Speedtail was McLaren’s first attempt at going for all-out speed. Until then their focus remained on power mixed with handling, supported by genius engineering and the latest CAD software. Now though, high speed was a sole priority and doing it, while remaining stable at that speed was the goal.

McLaren Speedtail Performance Specifications

The McLaren Speedtail turned out to be an absolute monster in a straight line, eclipsing the F1’s 241 top speed. Powered by a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 720S-derived V-8 combined with a particularly punchy, 310-horsepower electric motor, it still isn’t completely clear just how fast the Speedtail will go unrestricted. At the very least, 250.4 miles per hour (403 km/h) is completely achievable with a grand total of 1,036 horsepower sent to the rear wheels. This makes the Speedtail the fastest McLaren in the world.