Not too long ago, automotive journalists raced each other with sports cars or sports sedans to see which was the fastest. Today the super all terrain It is the most talked about segment of the automotive industry. With the plethora of options available, we can clearly see why.
While the original Jeep Wagoneer is considered the first proper SUV, the BMW X5 of the 1990s holds the title for the start of the modern SUV. Since then, most automakers have followed suit due to the segment’s sheer explosion in popularity. Mercedes-Benz created its own niches within existing niches and has bagged them to the end. BMW put a powerful engine in the front of its largest model and again ignited a trend that continues to this day. Today, the super SUV craze has infected even Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari, three automakers known for their two-door sports cars and supercars.
As if to show the world that they’re still in charge of the segment, BMW recently introduced their new M-only SUV, the XM, the most powerful of which will boast higher horsepower than Dodge’s ridiculous supercharged Durango or even the new V12. Ferrari pure blood. The question then is, which of the top ten super SUVs would win in a drag race?
10/10 Bentley Bentayga Speed
The Bentley Bentayga Speed is the top of the range model, above the “normal” W12s, V8s and Diesels. The Speed features the same 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 as the Continental and Flying Spur Speed models, meaning 626 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque at all four wheels through an 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission. .
The Bentayga competes with the Lamborghini Urus, Audi RSQ8 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT in terms of performance, but against the Rolls-Royce Cullinan in comfort. The Bentayga is probably the best combination of extravagant luxury and brutal sportiness in the segment.
9/10 Tesla Model X Plaid
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The Tesla Model X Plaid currently holds the title of the fastest super SUV on the market, boasting an official 0-60 mph time of just 2.5 seconds. This incredible acceleration comes courtesy of three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear, generating a combined output of 1,020hp.
While the Model X Plaid is the top-spec model, the standard Model X isn’t lacking in performance. Aside from the questionable steering yoke, the Model X Plaid is a great family car thanks to its practicality. In a drag race, the Tesla will definitely be the fastest on the line.
8/10 Audi RS Q8
The Audi RSQ8 is built on the same platform as the Bentley Bentayga, but takes a different approach to performance. The Q8 shares many of its components with the Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne, but with a more aggressive design that looks positively sinister when specified in black-on-black-on-black.
The RSQ8 features a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, sending all the German horsepower to all four wheels through a reworked Quattro system. Like the Bentayga, the Audi uses a conventional 8-speed semi-automatic transmission. The official 0-60 mph time is just 3.8 seconds, not bad for a vehicle that weighs more than 4,500 pounds.
7/10 Maserati Levante Trophy
The Maserati Levante Trofeo is the long-awaited high-performance V8 version of the Italian family SUV. It gets some subtle exterior upgrades, like restyled front and rear bumpers, more aggressive side skirts, and a roof-mounted spoiler on top.
Maserati signature triple air vents on the front fenders have red accents and the wheels are sportier designs to accentuate the car’s new stance. Under the hood is the Ferrari F8 Tributo’s 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8, detuned to around 600 hp and 540 lb-ft of torque. The Levante is slightly heavier than the Audi RSQ8, resulting in a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds, a tenth slower.
6/10 Lamborghini Urus Performante
The Lamborghini Urus is now four years old and has only now received its first major update in the form of the Urus Performante. The sportier version adds about 20 hp to the standard Urus’s 640 hp and sheds more than 100 pounds for better driving dynamics on a track.
Lamborghini claims that the Performante will complete the 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.3 seconds, 0.3 seconds faster than the “normal” version. The Urus P also gets more carbon panels and even more aggressive fins and canards, all as optional extras to add to the nearly $270,000 starting price.
5/10 Porsche Cayenne TurboGT
One of only two cars tuned by Porsche’s elite GT division, the Cayenne Turbo GT currently holds the record for the fastest internal combustion engine production SUV on the market. The Turbo GT features the same 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 as the Urus and RSQ8, but it makes 631 hp. It also has bigger wheels, massive brakes, lower suspension, and Alcantara throughout.
The official time from 0 to 60 mph is 3.3 seconds, but many journalists have achieved an impressive time of 3.1 and an incredible time of 2.8 seconds, destroying everything that is not a Tesla Model X Plaid in the process. Sure, the Cayenne Turbo GT starts at nearly $15,000 more than the Turbo S e-Hybrid, but it’s still $60,000 less than the cheaper Lamborghini Urus, which it humbles in performance.
4/10 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
The Dodge Durango is a no-nonsense, practical large family SUV with enough room for five people and their stuff, or seven people and a few purchases. Then Dodge did the typical Dodge thing and improved it in every way except fuel economy: they filled a Hellcat V8 on it.
The result was the Durango SRT Hellcat, which produced more than 700 hp and completed the 0-60 sprint in just 3.6 seconds, on par with the 797-hp Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. The Durango Hellcat completes the quarter mile in just 12 seconds, almost as fast as a Chevy Corvette C6 ZR1. The Durango Hellcat will return for the 2023 model year as part of the HellcatIt’s the last hurrah.
3/10 Aston Martin DBX707
Aston Martin decided not to just build an SUV, but to build the fastest SUV on the market. Enter the DBX707, where the number in the name indicates the horsepower figure, just like some American cars. The DBX707 still features AMG’s 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 instead of the DBS’s 5.2-liter V12, but it’s still a rocket ship.
The DBX707 gains launch control, something the regular DBX doesn’t have for some reason, and can accelerate from zero to 60mph in just 3.1 seconds, putting it on par with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT. As an added bonus, the Aston also hits 193 mph when going full throttle, making it the highest-top-speed production SUV currently on sale.
2/10 Ferrari Purosangue
The Ferrari Purosangue was recently revealed to the world, and everyone was shocked to discover a naturally aspirated V12 under the hood. The Prancing Horse SUV, which Ferrari insists is not an SUV, is the first Ferrari 4-door in production if you don’t count the Maserati Quattroporte V.
Ferrari claims that the Purosangue, which means ‘purity’ in Italian, produces 725hp and will complete the 0-60mph sprint in just 3.3 seconds. This has yet to be independently tested, but we don’t doubt it. Another of Ferrari’s claims includes a top speed of 193mph, the same as Aston Martin’s DBX707. We’ll have to wait and see what happens when someone finally manages to compete in a head-to-head event.
1/10 BMW XM Red Label
The BMW XM has just been introduced and is currently a hugely controversial beast. The styling is such that enthusiasts will either like it or hate it, but no one can argue with its performance. The XM features the new S68 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 coupled to an electric motor between the transmission and the engine.
The regular version will produce 644 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque at all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. This hybrid system is also used in the new BMW V8 LMDh car. The XM will accelerate from 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds. BMW announced the ‘Label Red’ model, which will feature the same powertrain, but increased to around 740hp, significantly reducing 0-60 time. We’ll have to wait and see for ourselves how a drag race between these super SUVs would play out.