Ranked: the world’s fastest sedans

Driving a car that looks like it should be ferrying the family about but can hit a huge top speed holds a lot of appeal. 

Whether it’s a subtle ‘Q’ car sedan or something a bit more overt, fast four-doors are always something to savour. Here’s out pick of the world’s fastest four-doors listed in ascending order of their maximum speeds:

Quite possibly the only car to be singled out for a newspaper campaign to ban it because of its outrageous top speed, this is the Lotus Carlton. It officially claimed 174mph maximum was quickly shown to be modest as magazine tests wrought 177mph from the muscular sedan.

With 382 hp on tap from the 3.6-liter twin-turbo straight-six engine, the Lotus Carlton could even top 180mph in certain conditions. It could also cover 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and even earned its own Lotus production number, so it’s known as the Type 104.

You’ll need to remove the Audi S8’s speed limiter to realise the full potential of this luxury express. Do that and you’ll hit 189mph all out thanks to the S8’s 571 hp 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 motor. This unit also packs 590 LB FT of torque, which helps it from rest to 62mph in 3.8 seconds.

The V8 doesn’t produce as much power as the previous S8 Plus, but improved aerodynamics for the latest model that are primarily aimed at making this four-door more efficient also help it reach its impressive top speed

The idea of a stripped out CS version of the BMW M5 is faintly ridiculous, but the CS is 154 lb (70kg) lighter than an M5 Competition. That, plus a small increase in engine power to 635 hp, means the CS is good for 189mph before it runs into the BMW-imposed limiter. With it removed, rumor has it the CS will top 200mph.

The engine is a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 that revs hard and also deliver 553 LB FT of torque, so the M5 CS covers 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds. All this and the CS remains a supremely comfortable executive sedan.

When BMW introduced the E60 generation of M5 with a 5.0-liter V10 engine, all other quick four-doors looked a bit, well, old tech. Here was a 507 hp unit that owed a good deal of its inspiration from the firm’s then involvement in Formula 1. As was usual, top speed was quoted as 155mph due a limiter, but BMW itself hinted this could be 200mph in reality.

When the limiter is removed from the E60 M5, tests show it will record a top whack of 189mph reliably and repeatedly. This is accompanied by one of the best engine sounds you’ll ever hear in a sedan car, even at idle.

Alfa Romeo came from nowhere to join the top speed elite when it launched the Giulia Quadrifoglio in 2016. With a focus on lightweight materials as well as the 510 hp twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 motor, it was a combination that was destined to deliver, and it did with a maximum speed of 190mph.

While the headline-grabbing top speed laid down a gauntlet to Audi, BMW and Mercedes-AMG, the real eye-opener with the Quadrifoglio was its precise handling that made a BMW M3 look slightly dull by comparison.

Not strictly a four-door, the Audi RS7 fulfils the role in Audi’s line-up left vacant by RS6 sedan. You can have an RS6 Avant, but for a non-wagon vast and fast Audi it’s the RS7 for you. Not a bad choice when it comes with a top end of 190mph when the factory limiter is removed.

Audi’s 4.0-liter V8 motor with a brace of turbochargers does sterling work in the RS7 and delivers a mighty 600 hp. That’s enough to see the RS7 from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and it keeps on pulling hard all the way to its maximum velocity that just edges the RS7 in front of arch-rival, the BMW M5 CS.

By rebadging its Holden cousin’s rapid sedan, Vauxhall created the VXR8 Bathurst S and the most powerful car the company has ever built. It’s also the fastest, putting the Lotus Carlton in the shade with the VXR8’s top speed of 190mph.

Powering the Bathurst S to such a rapid top end is a 6.2-liter V8 from sister company Chevrolet. It uses a supercharger to generate 572 hp and 547 LB FT of torque. So much power and speed didn’t require a massive budget with the VXR8, which cost about half as much as a BMW M5 in the UK at the time.

The Maserati Quattroporte GranSport GTS is not the first sedan to use a Ferrari-built V8 engine – that accolade goes to the 146mph Lancia Thema 8.32. However, the Maserati is the quickest by some margin with a top speed of 193mph.

The 3.8-liter V8 engine uses twin turbochargers to wring out 530 hp from the motor. Despite so much power and pace, however, this Quattroporte remains a very comfortable and capable luxury car, which is how it prefers to be driven.

This AMG-developed four-door is every inch what you’d expect from Mercedes’ performance division. You get a 4.0-liter V8 engine with dual turbochargers that develops 639 hp, which is sufficient to propel the 63 S to 196mph given enough autobahn.

Mercedes-AMG also offers the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E, which is a plug-in hybrid version that has a jaw-dropping 1082 LB FT of torque compared to the gasoline-only model’s 663 LB FT. However, even with that amount of shove, the hybrid model’s top speed is identical to its pure gasoline counterpart

A rule of thumb is the more words and letters there are after the Porsche badge, the quicker the car. So it proves with the Panamera Turbo S, which will whisk you all the way to 196mph before it hits the buffers. This luxury sedan will also see off 0-62mph in 3.1 seconds if you choose the optional Sport Chrono pack.

A 4.0-liter V8 engine with two turbochargers takes care of powering the Panamera Turbo S. It produces 630 hp, along with 605 LB FT of torque, which the Turbo S also harnesses to great affect on switchback roads as well as arrow straight highways.

It takes a bit of mental calibration to get your head around a car that can return 104.6 MPG and also hit a top speed of 196mph. Welcome to the world of the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which comes with a 700 hp hybrid drivetrain.

Most of the power comes from a twin-turbo 4.0-liter gasoline V8 engine, but the electric motor contributes 136 hp. This means this Panamera can also drive at up to 87mph on battery power alone and has an EV range of up to 31 miles.

With a name like Blackwing, the Cadillac CT5-V was destined to be a super-fast car that ducks under the radar of most drivers. Only 120 of the latest Blackwing will be built and each has a top speed described by Cadillac as ‘more than 200mph’.

Under the Blackwing’s hood lies a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that makes 677 hp and 659 LB FT of torque. It drives through a 10-speed automatic gearbox and, though Cadillac is a little vague on a precise top speed figure, the Blackwing will cover 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds. All that and it costs $92,390.

Jaguar only made 300 of its XE SV Project 8 limited edition, which brought together its most compact car and most powerful engine. The result was a small executive sedan with a 600 hp supercharged 5.0-liter V8 motor, which gave a top speed of 200mph.

As a car with a track focus, Jaguar was keener to point out the XE SV Project 8’s aerodynamics could generate 268 lb (122kg) of downforce at 186mph. Even so, this steroidal XE was also good to drive on the road.

The Tesla Model S has always been notable for the acceleration its EV drivetrain offers, but the Plaid takes it to a whole new level. For starters, the Plaid has a combined 1020 hp on offer from its tri-motor system that drive all four wheels. This gives 0-60mph in 1.99 seconds and a top speed of 200mph on the button.

Driven with a little more restraint, a Tesla Model S Plaid has a claimed driving range of 396 miles, which gives it one of the longest EV ranges as well as being the fastest four-door EV currently on sale.

Romping along at 202mph will rarely feel as easy or hushed as it does in the Bentley Flying Spur W12S. This ultimate version of the first-generation Flying Spur sedan comes with a 635 hp version of the twin-turbo W12 motor.

The 6.0-liter Bentley sends 60% of its engine power to the rear wheels, which helps it offer 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds to complement its impressive top speed. From the outside, the only obvious clue to the W12S is it swaps chrome trim for gloss black, though you’ll struggle to notice this at 202mph.

Dodge claims its Charger Hellcat Redeye is the world’s most powerful mass-production four-door sedan. It comes with an 797 hp 6.2-liter V8, helped along by a supercharger. If you go for the boldly names Jailbreak pack, power is boosted to 807 hp, and all Charger Hellcats comes with a ‘Last Call’ plaque under the hood that acknowledges these are the last of the company’s gasoline-only performance models.

All of that power means the Hellcat Redeye hits a top speed of 203mph. As the car has been designed with drag strip use in mind, its 0-60mph time of 3.5 seconds is more relevant than its outright top end, and this model can also cover the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds.

Following the time-honored formula of sticking your biggest engine into your most compact car, Maserati has arrived at the Maserati Ghibli Trofeo. It uses the Ferrari-designed 3.8-liter V8 with twin turbos from the Quattroporte GranSport GTS but with the power turned up to 580 hp.

In the smaller, lighter Ghibli, this means a top speed of 203mph and 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds, giving Maserati a true BMW M5 rival. While not as powerful as the BMW or its other German rivals, the Ghibli Trofeo has that indefinable character that sets Maserati apart and makes this a very desirable super sedan.

If the BMW M5 CS’s electronically governed top speed of 189mph just ain’t quick enough for you, then Alpina has the answer in its 205mph B5. It also uses a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine, which makes slightly less power than the M5’s at 630 hp. However, Alpina uses all of the available horsepower to reach that impressive top speed and offer 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds.

If the four-door version of the B5 is not your thing, Alpina also offers something that BMW cannot in the shape of the B5 Touring wagon. However, you will have to settle for a mere 200mph top speed if you choose the wagon over the sedan.

The AMR was Aston Martin’s final fling with the Rapide and its naturally-aspirated V12 engine. With more power than any other Rapide at 603 hp, this race-inspired model lived up to that with a top speed of 205mph, as well as 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds.

Perhaps just as importantly as the Rapide AMR’s power and speed improvements were the changes to the chassis. Sitting 0.4in lower than the Rapide S and with reworked springs and dampers, the AMR is an altogether more engaging car to drive despite its sedan dimensions and near-two tonne weight.

How do you make a Bentley Flying Spur even more impressive than this huge luxury sedan already is? You give it a 207mph top speed, that’s how. This is the fastest four-door car Bentley has ever built and it manages this feat with the same 635 hp twin-turbo W12 motor as the previous Bentley Flying Spur W12S.

What’s different with the Mulliner is its improved aerodynamics over the W12S, so it can slip through the huge forces created by the air at such high speeds. Bentley also offers V8 and hybrid versions of the Mulliners, but you’ll have to put up with top speeds of ‘just’ 198- and 177mph respectively in these two.

Brabus’ reputation for going that bit further and faster than other tuning firms was cemented with the Rocket 800. Based on the Mercedes CLS63 AMG, the Rocket ditched the V8 engine in favor of a 800 hp 6.2-liter that uses a couple of turbochargers to realise this much power.

With upgrades to the brakes, suspension, and aerodynamics, the Rocket 800 has a top speed of 230mph. That makes it the fastest four-door sedan in the world to date, though only eight of this model were ever built by Brabus, so it’s also one of the rarest cars in the world.

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