Car Olympics: The Fastest Sports Car From Every Country (2024)

Every four years, the world's best athletes convene to compete in hundreds of events across dozens of sports and disciplines to determine medal-worthy individuals from nearly every country on Earth. There are delegations from 206 nations to the 2024 Paris Olympics, but if there was an event featuring the likes of automakers, the number would be much, much smaller. However, events featuring speed would undoubtedly be dominated by the smattering of high-performance sports cars found in every corner of the globe.

Part of being fast in the automotive world is having a top speed beyond the holy grail of 200 mph. While top-end velocity has its place, one of the most visceral feelings is quickness off the line.

As implements such as forced induction, hybrid power, and aero trickery become mainstream, they are commonly found on sports cars on dealership lots, meaning more of the public has the opportunity to see them in action, if not experience them. An international contest with acceleration at its core underscores the diversity of automotive engineering, with each country's fastest sports car representing its prowess in manufacturing and tire-shredding power. Here's how they stack up.

10 Zenvo TSR-S: 0-60 In 2.8 Seconds

Denmark

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Zenvo Automotive)

With a top speed of 202 mph, the Zenvo TSR-S begins the list sporting an all-carbon fiber body covering a lightweight steel and aluminum alloy semi-monocoque frame, with race-derived front and rear steel subframes.

One of the most jaw-dropping characteristics about the small Danish company's flagship sports car isn't its exorbitant price tag, it's four-figure power output, nor its design similarities with General Motors V8s, but the huge, hydraulically-actuated wing on the back. It acts as an air brake, but critically as a means to augment grip. While cornering, the Zenvo's rear wing can change its lateral angle by up to 20 percent, creating as much as 600 pounds of downforce to stabilize the roughly 1.5-ton TSR-S.

9 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut: 0-60 In 2.8 Seconds

Sweden

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Koenigsegg)

The Scania-based automaker boasts that the Jesko Absolut is "streamlined for top speed." Koenigsegg took inspiration from the company's track-focused Jesko Attack, but dropped the rear wing that produced over 3,000 pounds of downforce, which was approximately how much the car weighs. With the Absolut's 331 pounds of downforce, it can move through the air as unencumbered as possible. The final drag coefficient is just 0.278, allowing the Jesko Absolut to have a predicted top speed of 330 mph, making it more of a faster long-distance sprinter than any other vehicle on the list.

8 McLaren 765LT: 0-60 In 2.7 Seconds

United Kingdom

Specs

(Specs courtesy of McLaren)

Continuing the enhanced aero theme is McLaren's Super Series Longtail version of the 720S, and gets its numerical name from how many units they intended to produce in the Woking factory: 765. The McLaren 765LT's top speed may be limited to 205 mph, as opposed to the 720S's 212 mph, but what it loses in top-end speed, it gains about 0.1 of a second of quickness in its launch to 60, and much more in the bends.

The 765LT also steps off the scale at 176 pounds lighter than the 720S, primarily because of an even more extensive use of carbon fiber, but also thinner polycarbonate glass, ultralight alloy wheels, and an all-titanium exhaust system.

7 Nissan GT-R Nismo: 0-60 MPH In 2.7 Seconds

Japan

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Nissan USA)

Despite the Nissan being the least powerful sports car on the list, the GT-R Nismo is no slouch. Affectionately known as "Godzilla," the Japanese giant's racing division takes the already formidable flagship sports car and enhances it with a host of performance upgrades.

To propel the Nissan forward, up to 98 percent of the twin-turbo engine's available power can be sent to the rear wheels, then maximized for corners with a 50/50 front-rear split. Shedding more weight off the standard GT-R was also a priority. Nismo added carbon fiber bumpers, fenders, roof, trunk lid, clear-coated hood, and a new track-focused "swan neck" rear wing to improve downforce for the nearly two-ton car.

6 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 0-60 In 2.6 Seconds

United States

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Chevrolet)

With an 8,000-RPM redline and a 215-mph top speed, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is like no other sports car from the Detroit automaker. After shifting the engine behind the driver, Chevrolet combined the four-figure power output from the company's new, smaller-displacement LT7 powerplant with over 1,200 pounds of downforce with the carbon fiber aero package to remain planted at top speed and rival the world's best competitors in the corners.

Apart from its mind-bending performance, the Corvette ZR1 also features an homage to the brand's storied history. The 2025 model proudly wears a split-window—not seen on a production Corvette since the 1963 Sting Ray—which acts as a base for the car's carbon fiber spine and gives onlookers a chance to see the manufacturer's most powerful production V8 ever.

5 Nio EP9: 0-60 MPH In 2.6 Seconds

China

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Nio)

Although the Shanghai-headquartered EV company doesn't have a century-long heritage behind its badge, the EP9's performance figures put it in fierce competition with the globe's best sports cars. The EP9's instant delivery of power to all four wheels sends every one of the electric car's 3,825 pounds to a top speed of 195 mph.

Fortunately, its immense downforce will keep it stuck to the tarmac with a myriad of aero features. Nio built massive rear diffusers and underbody air channels to manipulate the air in its favor, including the rear air brake. In all, the Nio Ev9 can produce nearly 5,400 pounds of downforce, which is twice as much as the standard Formula 1 car.

4 Porsche 911 Turbo S: 0-60 In 2.2 Seconds

Germany

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Porsche, Car and Driver)

The Stuttgart sports car manufacturer seems to be underselling the twin-turbo version of its flagship model. Porsche advertises the 0-60 mph time of the 911 Turbo S at 2.6 seconds. However, other third-party tests proved it's far faster than its makers want to admit. The exterior of the 911 Turbo S may seem more aesthetically mature these days, but the rear-engined sports car remains swift and youthful in the corners. Apart from the painfully-quick acceleration and the top-tier handling, the boosted 3,557-pound Turbo S can hit a top speed of 205 mph.

3 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300: 0-60 MPH In 2.2 Seconds

France

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Bugatti)

The French may be more well-known for their comfortable passenger cars and zany interior designs, but one of the world's automotive leviathans is built in the heart of Alsace. Bugatti has built its modern brand on record-breaking products with record-breaking prices and power outputs.

As the pioneer of hitherto unknown road-legal speed, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300 uses the immense grunt of 16 cylinders to stamp out a blazing tine off the line on the way to a top speed of 305 mph. The Chiron's engine may be a carryover from the 20-year-old Veyron, but it's thoroughly updated and over 40 pounds lighter.

2 Ferrari SF90 Stradale: 0-60 MPH In 2.0 Seconds

Italy

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Ferrari, Car and Driver)

The SF90 Stradale is the first-ever plug-in electric hybrid from the Maranello manufacturer. While Ferrari claims it takes 2.5 seconds for the SF90 to hit 60 mph, tests from other sources show it can hit the mark much quicker with its mix of four engines and four modes of power output. The SF90 Stradale has the capability to run as a hybrid, meaning owners can get up to 51 MPGe by utilizing the four engines, but it has a reassuring top speed of 211. Unfortunately, only 799 coupes and 599 convertibles will be sold—all of which already have found owners.

1 Rimac Nevera: 0-60 MPH In 1.74 Seconds

Croatia

Specs

(Specs courtesy of Rimac)

Some of the previous entries were record-breakers at their debuts, but no sports car broke as many as the second production model from the Croatia-based EV automaker. Rimac, which set on a journey to set overly ambitious performance targets, shattered a total of 23 records, including the 0-60 mph time for a production car.

Others include 0-100 mph in 3.2 seconds, 0-200 mph in 10.8 seconds, 0-249 mph in 21.3 seconds, and another 8.6 seconds to bring the 5,100-pound Nevera to a screeching halt. In case that isn't fast enough for enthusiasts, it also set the top speed record for EVs at 256 mph, which is a higher speed than the Nevera's autonomous cruise control can handle.

Sources: Zenvo Automotive, Koenigsegg, McLaren, Nissan USA, Chevrolet, Nio, Porsche, Car and Driver, Bugatti, Ferrari, Car and Driver, Rimac