To be the best, you've got to beat the rest. And these 10 cars do just that - not only do they stop the clock from 0 to 60mph (96.6km/h) in under three seconds, they also beat every other car in the benchmark acceleration dash.
Carmakers continue to play Top Trumps when it comes to speed, despite the fact that the cars competing for the honours are so fast they could never be safely and legally properly extended on public roads.
They come in all shapes and sizes. Heavy-duty super saloons join lightweight sports cars, and engines are potent petrols, hybrids and full electric powertrains.
We haven't included soon-to-be-launched cars, and have also excluded the sold-out hypercar trio of Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder. All figures are manufacturers' claimed times.
10. Lamborghini Aventador, Porsche 911 Turbo S - 2.9sec to 62mph
Price: $460,000, $260,000
Okay, so we've immediately expanded our top 10 beyond 10 cars - but just you try to pick between these two supercars.
Both are remarkable for being stock machines that break into the twos for the 0-62 rush, and the Porsche is sufficiently understated to make this even more amazing.
The Ferrari F12tdf ties with these two models, but all 799 models have been sold, so we've had to omit it from our list.
9. BAC Mono - 2.8sec to 60mph
Price: $194,000
The BAC Mono may have only a fairly humdrum 305bhp four-cylinder Ford engine, but space-age materials and exotic construction mean it weighs next to nothing.
That's how the Liverpool company's road-going single-seater is able to be so explosive.
But, as fast as it is, it's not practical. There's no boot, no doors, not even a roof.
8. Tesla Model S P90D - 2.8sec to 60mph
Price: $167,000
The Model S P90D, a five-seat family saloon car, in Ludicrous mode hurtles to 60mph in amazingly silent, instant-punch intensity. And it's not the only five-door luxo-Tesla to humble supercars.
7. Caterham 620R - 2.79sec to 60mph
Price: $88,000
Caterham has been building rabid rocket ships for years, and the Seven's core design dates back even further, to the 1960s.
We can't imagine what they would have made, back in the day, of the 310bhp supercharged 2.0-litre Ford engine that helps it hit 0-60mph in just 2.79 seconds. Even today, it melts our minds.
There's a mildly more sensible 620S model, which does the same sprint in just 3.44 seconds.
6. Hennessey Venom GT - 2.7sec to 60mph
Price: $1.6 million.
Based on a Lotus Exige but given a breathtaking power boost up to 1244bhp, Texas-based Hennessey hasn't just recorded a 270mph top speed from the Venom GT, but has also clocked 0-60mph in a scant 2.7 seconds.
On Valentine's Day in 2014, Hennessey clocked the Venom GT at a top speed of 270.49mph in a drag down the Kennedy Space Center's 3.22-mile shuttle landing strip in Florida.
But because a speed was only recorded in a single direction and the carmaker hasn't yet sold the minimum requirement of 30 models, it does not qualify as the world's fastest production car in the world. Yet.
5. Koenigsegg Regera - 2.7sec to 62mph
Price: $2.6 million
A twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 wasn't enough for the Koenigsegg Regera -- the company also felt it had to bolt on three electric motors.
If it had more traction off the line, it would surely prove quicker than 2.7 seconds to 62mph; a 255mph top speed adds to its credentials.
As well as outrageous speed and looks, the price tag is equally as gobsmacking.
4.Rimac Concept One - 2.6sec to 62mph
Price: $1.2 million
Rimac is a start-up supercar maker from Croatia.
You probably haven't heard of it yet, but just check the acceleration figure that comes courtesy of its four electric motors.
Combined they generate a colossal 1073bhp and can slingshot the car to a top speed of 221mph. It's good for 310 miles on a full charge -- though not at this speed.
3. Ariel Atom 3.5R, Tesla Model S P100D - 2.5sec to 60mph
Price: $95,000, $190,000.
Here's another joint standing.
The 550kg Atom 3.5R gets a supercharger, extra cooling and 350bhp, though it is fairly minimal in the practicality department.
The Tesla, on the other hand, not only has a new 100kW battery pack to propel the Model S to 60mph, three-tenths quicker than the P90D, it also has a massive boot, loads of gadgets and five seats. Oh, and a roof.
2. Bugatti Chiron -- sub-2.5sec to 62mph
Price: $3.3 million
Bugatti is confident with the Chiron. So much so, it simply says the 0-62mph time will be less than 2.5 seconds.
We're waiting to find out how much less -- but, with a 1500hp quadruple-supercharged W16 engine driving all four wheels, we're expecting something special from the Veyron replacement. It might not be the quickest car in our list but it's the most expensive.
1. Ultima Evolution Coupe -- 2.3sec to 60mph
Price: $169,000.
Until Bugatti reveals its hand, Ultima claims the record for the fastest-accelerating road-going car in the world.
The 6.8-litre supercharged V8 strapped to the Evolution Coupe produces 1020bhp for skin-warping performance and a ferocious 0-60mph time of just 2.3 seconds.
Just because it currently has the crown as the quickest car to clip England's national speed limit doesn't mean it's unfathomably expensive. In fact, you could have 19 of the British-built sports cars for the price of one Chiron.
Daily Mail