The 10 Quickest Cars of the Year

0-60 mph: 2.6 sec

Quarter mile: 10.9 sec @ 126.0 mph

Only nine four-door production cars have recorded faster quarter-mile times than this Panamera in the history of MotorTrend testing. Eight of those are electric cars that deliver huge shocks of torque instantaneously and without interruption (or with only a single shift in the case of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S). So perhaps it's unsurprising that our test driver said that this Turbo S, despite its 620-hp twin-turbo V-8, felt like a fast electric sedan.

It's certainly heavy like an EV, weighing in at 4,694 pounds, or just 122 pounds less than the Tesla Model S Plaid that holds the title as quickest production car we've ever tested. MotorTrend's driver noted a moment of hesitation as all that mass was put into motion and then, to his butt, what felt like a stronger push than even the 911 Turbo S delivered. The results speak for themselves.

Read our first test of the 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S

0-60 mph: 2.8 sec

Quarter mile: 10.9 sec @ 126.7 mph

You really start to appreciate the 911's depth of performance when you consider how many versions sit above this one in the pantheon of Porsche sports cars. Turbo. Turbo S. GT3. GT3 RS. Sport Classic. Dakar. Granted, not all of those are quicker than this model, but the Carrera 4 GTS is merely a mid-tier purchase in the funny-money world of Porsche. Yet here it is on a top-ten list of the year's wildest performances.

Give credit to the fat torque curve of the 473-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six, the grip-giving all-wheel-drive system, and the unflappable launch-control system. Shifts from the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic are quick and precise, introducing some harshness in the interest of performance. The engine's sonorous roar makes full-throttle runs more dramatic while still being refined enough that no one will complain that it's too loud.

Read our first test of the 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS

0-60 mph: 2.9 sec

Quarter mile: 10.9 sec @ 127.9 mph

Call it a super sedan. The four-door, 4,104-pound M5 CS rides a wave of twin-turbocharged power harnessed by a torque-taming all-wheel-drive system to break two crucial barriers: a 60-mph blitz under 3.0 seconds, and a quarter-mile performance below 11.0 seconds.

In 2021, we pushed an M5 CS to even quicker times—a 2.6-second 0-60 run and a 10.7-second quarter-mile. Could it be the Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires worn by the slower car, where the faster runs were conducted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires? Absolutely, and we'll explain that in more detail with our sixth entry on this list. But the M5 CS was also its own worst enemy in our attempts to beat that earlier time. The launch control is inconsistent and can't be used on back-to-back runs. Sometimes it activates, other times it doesn't—and the car never tells you why. MotorTrend's test driver called it "delicate." There's a lesson to be learned here from Porsche, which makes its launch control easy to activate and robotically repeatable.

Read our comparison test of the 2022 BMW M5 CS, the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, and the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S

0-60 mph: 2.8 sec

Quarter mile: 10.8 sec @ 128.2 mph

Chevrolet engineers almost certainly could have made the new hi-po Corvette quicker with a turbocharged engine inflating its low-end torque and top-end power. But we wouldn't trade the Z06's flat-plane-crank, naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 for all the power in the world, even if that power allowed us to set gas prices at 99 cents a gallon for the rest of time. This 670-hp, 8,500-rpm screamer is one of modern engineering's most memorable engines.

Chevrolet includes a launch-control system that allows anyone to run times as quick as our drivers—as long as you can follow the dizzying sequence of button taps, paddle pulls, burnouts, and more button taps. At Chevy's recommendation, we unlocked the quickest times by first smoking the rear tires to warm and clean the rubber. Do it right, and the Z06 unleashes its fury in a spectacular show of noise and landscape-smearing acceleration that you'll never forget.

Read our first test of the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with Z07 package

0-60 mph: 2.6 sec

Quarter mile: 10.6 sec @ 131.6mph

You might be scratching your head wondering why a Z06 convertible outran the Z07-equipped Corvette Z06 coupe. This particular drop-top is burdened with an additional 88 pounds, its aluminum wheels have more rotational inertia, and its Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP tires are optimized for the street rather than the track. What gives? Remember, a small amount of tire slip actually improves acceleration. In this case, you can also feel that helping as the naturally aspirated V-8 stays on a rolling boil as the clutch engages. With the Z07's sticky tires, the engine revs momentarily dipped ever so slightly on the launch. The downforce-generating aero package on the Z07 car also increases drag, which hurts high-speed acceleration.

This isn't the first time we've heard of Pilot Sport tires being quicker than Michelin Cup tires.

An engineer who worked on the Mustang Shelby GT500 previously told our testing director that Ford got better acceleration numbers with that car's standard tire rather than the track pack's upgraded rubber.

Read our first test of the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 convertible

0-60 mph: 2.8 sec

Quarter-mile: 10.6 sec @ 134.5 mph

Here's a special beast. The Huracán Technica is the quickest naturally aspirated car we tested in 2022, and its 5.2-liter V-10, constantly howling in your ear, never lets you forget it. While the 631-hp Tecnica makes as much power as any other Huracán, the fact that it's rear-wheel drive means there are quicker models available…if that's your thing.

The Tecnica launches from 4,500 rpm with the characteristic no-lag response and linear power delivery that make unboosted engines feel so intoxicating. It feels light rolling off the line, even though its 3,470-pound weight is not particularly remarkable. The sound it makes at every 8,500-rpm upshift and the high-frequency rumble emanating from the engine, on the other hand, are unforgettable. They won't be building them like this for much longer.

Read our first test of the 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica

0-60 mph: 2.4 sec

Quarter mile: 10.3 sec @ 134.8 mph

In the case of the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, $252,940 buys you a hell of a lot of versatility. Here's a car that you can drive in Los Angeles traffic, on the world's most demanding racetracks, and at the drag strip and never be out of place. For the purposes of this list, though, this master of all trades can be distilled to three key components: its 640-hp twin-turbo flat-six, eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and deft all-wheel-drive system.

Porsche's idiot-proof launch control brings those systems together in perfect harmony for brutally quick acceleration. The tires don't slip, the engine never bogs, and the transmission always shifts at precisely the right time. "Best launch control in the business: Explosive, consistent, and takes a beating," associate road test editor Erick Ayapana raved after getting out of the Turbo S. It's so good that it feels like it's lopping fat from the Cab's 3,815-pound curb weight. The 911 Turbo S Cabriolet lands in fourth place with its quarter-mile time, but its 0-60 sprint registers as the second-quickest of the year.

Read our comparison test of the 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet and the 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL63

0-60 mph: 2.9 sec

Quarter mile: 10.3 sec @ 142.6 mph

Check out the trap speed on this thrill ride. That big number contrasted with the more sensible 0-60 and quarter-mile times (relatively speaking) indicates that McLaren's racetrack-ripping 755-hp spaceship struggles to get off the line. Credit where credit is due, though. This is the only rear-wheel-drive car in the top three. It's not easy channeling this much thrust to the ground through two tires, even if they are Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R MC1 track tires.

The twin-turbo V-8 launches from around 3000 rpm, stuttering a bit as it hunts for grip. The shifts are severe and there's a mechanical shriek that shouts over the exhaust and wind noise, but those rough edges just add to the whole exotic experience in a car this focused. The 765LT, after all, isn't just a straight-line hero. This McLaren is the complete package, also landing high on our list of this year's best-handling cars.

Read our first test of the 2022 McLaren 765LT Spider

0-60 mph: 2.2 sec

Quarter mile: 10.0 sec @ 137.8 mph

This is the year's quickest car and our third quickest production car ever if you stop counting at 60 mph. But you'll never realize the full 640-hp 911 experience if you limit the fun to the transmission's first two gears. The Lightweight's crash diet saves 65 pounds (plus another two pounds with the optional $3,890 carbon-fiber roof on our test car), which helped it trim 0.1 second in the 0-60 run and 0.3 second through the quarter-mile compared to the standard 911 Turbo S that we tested in 2021.

Porsche's launch control unleashes the engine's 590 pound-feet of torque with ruthless efficiency. This car just hooks up and goes. The initial push isn't as rollercoaster-like as in the quickest electric cars, but the theatrics of a gas-burning, gear-slamming sports car are hard to beat. The twin-turbo flat-six sends an ultra-fine mechanical buzz through the driver's seat that's as stimulating as a Magic Wand.

Read our first test of the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight

0-60 mph: 2.7 sec

Quarter mile: 10.0 sec @ 145.3 mph

Apparently startup automaker Lucid Motors didn't get the memo that EVs are supposed to rocket to 60 mph and then lose their sense of urgency as speeds climb. The Air Grand Touring Performance's 2.7-second blast to 60 mph seems almost tame by today's standards, but this 5,256-pound sedan will scramble your brain matter and rewire your understanding of EVs on its way to a 10.0-second quarter mile. That performance makes the Lucid Air GTP the sixth-quickest production vehicle that MotorTrend has ever tested. Did we mention that this isn't even the most powerful version of the Air?

The Grand Touring Performance shoots off the line with slight torque steer and a violent shove, but everything after that is quiet, quick, smooth, and stable. Unlike the 911 Turbo S Lightweight, this Air crosses the quarter-mile run in a very graceful manner. Power only begins to noticeably fade beyond 120 mph, but the numbers here remind us that speed is relative: The Lucid might cross the finish line at the same time as a 911 Turbo S, but it claims the victory by achieving a trap speed that's 7.5 mph faster.

Read our first test of the 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring Performance