America: Land of the Free. Well, maybe that should be Land of Speed. Here are ten of our fastest cars, from record-setting streamliners to street-legal customs.
10.) Tom Bailey's 1969 Camaro
How Fast? 217 mph
The crown of the fastest street-legal dragster went to this '69 Camaro at Drag Week this year, averaging a 6.7 second quarter at 213 mph, but topping out at 217. Think it's the fastest car to ever tow a trailer?
Suggested By: rabbitman
9.) Ford GT Mk. IV
How Fast? 220 mph
As far as I can tell the 1967 all-American Ford GT Mk. IV Le Mans car only went 213 mph down the legendary Mulsanne Straight. However, apparently some nutbars took chassis J-11 to Bonneville back in 1996 and set a run at 220 mph.
Suggested By: Jarod Rose, Photo Credit: The Henry Ford
8.) SCC Ultimate Aero
How Fast? 256.18 mph
This record was set over a 12-mile-long stretch of Highway 93 in Elko County, Nevada. No fancy high-speed test tracks for this ugly, brute, speed machine. The upcoming SCC Tuatara should be even faster. And prettier.
Suggested By: Jay_Hoff, Photo Credit: SSC
7.) Hennessey Venom GT
How Fast? 265.7 mph
Argue all you want about its resemblance to a Lotus, this car is as American as a Shelby Cobra. And for a little while it was the fastest car you could buy.
Suggested By: asbsvc, Photo Credit: Hennessey
6.) BADD GT
How Fast? 283.232 mph
Rather than set this at the famous Texas Mile, the team behind this 1,700 horsepower Ford GT ran at one of NASA's strips to set the standing mile record last winter.
Suggested By: KCfrnch, Photo Credit: Performance Power Racing
5.) 'Fast Jack' Beckman's Funny Car
How Fast? 320.58 mph
Funny cars aren't so much cars as roll cages with engines, but topping 320 mph in 1000 feet in just 3.986 seconds is still worth a record.
Suggested By: Zoom, Photo Credit: Kev
4.) Tony Schumacher's US Army Top Fuel Dragster
How Fast? 337.58 mph
This top speed wasn't measured in the mile, but in the friggin' quarter, which is thoroughly bonkers.
Suggested By: GR1M RACER, Photo Credit: US Army MWR
3.) Vesco Turbinator
How Fast? 470.444 mph
That's the fastest wheel-driven car...ever. That was set over the mile back in 2001.
Suggested By: Diesel, Photo Credit: Team Vesco
2.) The Blue Flame
How Fast? 630.478
The Blue Flame set that record for the mile back in 1970 and held it for 13 years, until the British Thrust2 broke it.
Suggested By: Chairman Kaga
1.) The Spirit of America Formula Shell LSRV
How Fast? 676 MPH
The Spirit of America didn't set any records when it set that top speed back in 1997, because it was trounced by the 750 mph British Thrust SSC. That doesn't stop the Spirit of America being the US of A's fastest car.
Also, a year earlier in 1996, the Spirit of America crashed at 675 mph, which has got to be some kind of record at least.
Suggested By: BonEvilSSEi, Photo Credit: Craig Breedlove/Spirit of America
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Performance Power Racing