The Need for Speed franchise has been one of the longest-running arcade racing series, with new titles still gracing the world of gaming. Over the roughly 30 years of this series' life, there have beennumerous Need for Speed games, some good and some bad, and nearly each game features a different vehicle that wears the crown for being the fastest vehicle.
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Here are cars across various mainline Need for Speed games that have the highest top speeds. Some of these cars are featured in multiple games, and while nearly every Need for Speed game has its own specific car that acted as the game’s brand ambassador, like the BMW M3 GTR for Most Wanted (2005), these vehicles are often not the fastest in their respective games.
10Audi Le Mans Quattro – Top Speed 214 Mph
Need for Speed Carbon
The Audi Le Mans Quattro is a concept car that was featured in Need for Speed Carbon as the top-end car owned by the final boss. Though it may not reach the top speeds of some of the other hypercars on this list, it’s no slouch, with its 214 mph top speed making it a blazing fast pick for the game’s life-threatening canyon duels. Unlocking this car requires completing the career mode and defeating Darius, the game’s final boss, in the finale of the gripping story.
What makes this car memorable is its real-world connection. The Le Mans Quattro was a precursor to the now-iconic Audi R8, and Carbon gave players a glimpse of what Audi was cooking at that time.
9Dodge Challenger SRT8 – Top Speed 238 Mph Fully Upgraded
Need for Speed (2015)
Need For Speed (2015)
This beastly American muscle car was part of the roster of cars in Need for Speed (2015). While it was the ‘73 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 2.8 that received the spotlight in this game, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 was the machine that had the highest top speed of 238 mph in the game.
In the game, this car is available for purchase fairly early on, making it a go-to option for players who love muscle cars and can wait for a while till they invest enough money on it to bring out its true potential.
8Carrera GT – Top Speed 241 Mph
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Even though it’s not themost iconic car in Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005), a designation that’s given to the BMW M3 GTR, the Porsche Carrera GT is still the fastest car in the game, with a max speed touching 241 Mph, if the players can manage to squeeze this number out of it. It becomes available to purchase after players defeat Ronald “Ronie” McCrea, the #3 blacklist
The Carrera GT is renowned for its real-world exclusivity and engineering marvel, and the game captures its essence perfectly. Players often recall the car for its agility, making it ideal for weaving through police blockades and traffic in Need for Speed: Most Wanted, which had some of the most intense police chases in gaming history.
7Porsche 911 Turbo – Top Speed 250 Mph
Need for Speed ProStreet
A standout in Need for Speed ProStreet, the Porsche 911 Turbo is a car designed to dominate thecircuit racesthat defined this title. Its balanced stats make it an excellent choice for grip races and time attacks. The car costs a whopping $122,000 of the in-game currency, and while players will have to be patient before they can purchase it, the car’s performance will be well worth the investment.
The 911 Turbo is a cornerstone of Porsche’s legacy, and in ProStreet, it comes equipped to handle the competitive nature of the game’s structured racing environment. Its aerodynamic design and powerful engine allow it to hit its 250 mph top speed, which is close to some of the hypercars on this list.
6Koenigsegg CCXR Edition – Top Speed 259 Mph
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered
The Koenigsegg CCXR Edition thrives in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit as one of the fastest vehicles in the game and a top-tier choice for those who want to outrun the pesky cops or dominate opponents in the Seacrest County landscape.
The CCXR Edition for racers is unlocked once players accumulate a 937,500 racer bounty, while the SCPD unit requires a 1,000,000 cop bounty. In real life, this car is popular for being able to run on biofuel such as E85 ethanol, making it the first green supercar.
5Bugatti Chiron Sport – Top Speed 262 Mph
Need for Speed Unbound
The Bugatti Chiron Sport is the epitome of modern hypercar engineering, and it’s featured in all its glory in Need for Speed Unbound. With a top speed of 262 mph, it’s the fastest vehicle that players can get their hands on in Lakeshore City.
To unlock the Chiron Sport, players will have to grind to accumulate a substantial amount of bank to pay the whopping price of 3.6 million dollars. However, once acquired, the car is a game-changer, offering unparalleled performance in both street races and open-world exploration.
4FZR 2000 – Top Speed 264 Mph
Need for Speed 2 SE
Yes, the FZR 2000 is a fictional vehicle, but it is still the fastest car in the game and one of the fastest cars in all Need for Speed games. A vehicle that fans swooned over during the days of the franchise, the FZR 2000 was a fictional hypercar that appears in Need for Speed 2 SE. This car is unlocked as a bonus for completing the tournament mode, or by typing in the cheat code “fzr2000” in the main menu.
The design of the vehicle was clearly inspired by the 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Indy and the 1988 Pontiac Banshee, both of which were concept cars from the 80s.
Need for Speed 2 SE was the first game I ever played, and when my cousins unlocked the FZR 2000 in it for me, I completely lost my mind over how fast it was in game, how beautiful it looked, and how well it could steer. I still wish the FZR 2000 existed in real life.
3Koenigsegg Regera – Top Speed 265 Mph
Need for Speed Payback and Heat
The Koenigsegg Regera was featured first inNeed for Speed Payback, where players had to steal it from a truck in one of the story missions which blatantly copied the antics from the Fast and Furious movie franchise, and then later on inNeed for Speed Heat. In both games, the vehicle can only be owned after grinding and reaching the endgame.
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At the time of its unveiling, the Regera was the most technically advanced hyper to date, and its single-gear transmission allowed it to hit 265 mph with ease. In Heat, the car is a must-have for nighttime pursuits, where its acceleration and handling make it nearly unstoppable.
2Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport – Top Speed 268 Mph
Need for Speed Most Wanted (2012) and The Run
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport needs no introduction. With a top speed of 268 mph, it’s the fastest car in both Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) and The Run. In Most Wanted, players need only find the car in the open world to unlock it, without grinding or spending any sort of money, while in The Run, it’s unlocked after collecting 180 stars.
Despite it being heavy and difficult to control around corners, there’s no denying that Bugatti is one of the fastest cars ever created, and these two games perfectly capture the car’s brute power and top speed. It would have been the fastest car in the entire Need for Speed franchise, were it not for one car.
1Koenigsegg One:1 – Top Speed 280 Mph
Need for Speed Rivals
Taking the crown as the fastest car in the franchise, the Koenigsegg One:1 is a marvel in Need for Speed Rivals. With its top speed of 280 mph, this technological marvel is unmatched in head-to-head races and pursuits. The One:1 is unlocked in the late game after completing any rank 20 assignment, allowing players to get the ultimate vehicle for dominating Redview County.
The car’s name, One:1, indicated that it’s the first production car to achieve a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio, and this beautiful beast is only featured in Need for Speed Rivals, one of the most criminally underrated titles in the franchise.
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