The Most Powerful American Cars, Trucks And SUVs Ever Made
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has put the sports car world on notice.
The new model features a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 that’s rated at 1,064 hp.
It’s an astonishing figure that makes it the most powerful internal combustion engine car ever built by a major American automaker, but not the most powerful one.
Here’s a roundup of the nine most powerful street legal vehicles from U.S. brands that have ever been sold or are coming soon, based on the most potent version of each model generation.
2017 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1 – 755 HP
The seventh generation Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 was very different from the new eighth generation car. Instead of a mid-mounted turbocharged engine, it packed a 755 hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8 under the hood in front of the driver.
REVIEW: THE 2024 CHEVROLET CORVETTE E-RAY IS SHOCKINGLY GOOD
2020 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500 – 760 HP
The sixth-generation 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500’s supercharged 5.2-liter V8 out-muscled the ZR1’s engine by five ponies.
2025 FORD MUSTANG GTD – 800 HP
The upcoming 2025 Mustang GTD is also powered by a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, but it will have at least 800 hp this time around and they won’t come cheap. The endurance racing-inspired seventh-generation supercar has a $325,000 price tag.
THE FORD MUSTANG GTD CAN HIT 210 MPH WITH DRS AND IS ALREADY SOLD OUT
2022 GMC HUMMER EV PICKUP – 1,000 HP
The GMC Hummer EV pickup is a massive vehicle that weighs more than 9,000 pounds, but it’s top tri-motor electric drivetrain is rated at 1,000 hp and can accelerate the beast to 60 mph in about three seconds when Watts To Freedom mode is engaged.
2021 TESLA MODEL S/X PLAID – 1,020 HP
Tesla updated the Model S and Model X in 2021 with a new Plaid all-wheel-drive powertrain rated at 1,020 hp that can accelerate the Model S to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds on its way to a 200 mph top speed, according to Tesla.
THESE ARE THE ONLY CAR BRANDS THAT STILL BUILD ALL OF THE VEHICLES THEY SELL IN THE USA IN THE USA
2023 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT DEMON 170 – 1,025 HP*
Dodge’s last V8-powered muscle car looked like a mic-drop moment for the classic American engine type before the new Corvette ZR1 was revealed, but its 1,025 hp is nothing to laugh at. That said, it comes with an asterisk because you need to run it on E85 fuel to achieve that power rating, while gasoline is only good for a relatively puny 900 hp.
ACROSS THE LINE: DODGE BUILT ALL 3,300 CHALLENGER SRT DEMON 170S IT PLANNED BEFORE PRODUCTION ENDED
2025 RIVIAN R1T/R1S – 1,025
Rivian designed new electric motors for its R1T pickup and R1S SUV for 2025 that crank up their quad-motor drivetrains to 1,025 hp, making them the most powerful trucks on sale today.
2025 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1 – 1,064 HP
The 1,064 hp Corvette ZR1 will be available as a coupe (with a removable targa roof) or hardtop convertible when deliveries begin in 2025. Chevrolet says it can do a quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds and reach a top speed above 215 mph.
2024 LUCID AIR SAPPHIRE, 1,234 HP
The Lucid Air Sapphire definitely lives in some rarified air. The $250,000 luxury sedan is rated at 1,234 hp and beats the Model S Plaid to 60 mph with a 1.89 second sprint. But it also delivers the equivalent of 105 mpg efficiency, proving that you can have it all, as long as you can pay for it.
