iPetersen Automotive MuseumMiracle Mile
World's Fastest
A chronological timeline of record-setting automobiles from the postwar era to today, tracing how aerodynamics and powertrain design chased raw speed.
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The yellow RUF CTR in this room is the actual car that set the record. Road & Track clocked it at 211 mph in 1987, its staff nicknamed it "Yellowbird", and a year later Auto, Motor und Sport got 213 mph out of it.
The 2nd-floor gallery is a timeline of the postwar holders of the "world's fastest production car" title. It starts with the Jaguar XK120, a stopgap Jaguar planned to build only 200 of until its 120 mph caused a sensation. You walk past the Iso Grifo, an Italian chassis with a Chevrolet V-8, the low-slung Miura and Ferrari's Daytona, to the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and its 267.856 mph. Outside on Wilshire, the limit is 35.
TopSpeed noted that the show leans into the argument over what "fastest" means, and pointed to cars it leaves out, such as the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. It's included with museum admission: $52 for adults and $25 for ages 4 to 11, both with the Vault, until 22 August 2027.
Look for
The record-setting Yellowbird
The first CTR ever built, a reworked Porsche 911 with twin turbos and lightweight body panels, and the same car that took the 1987 record.
The Lamborghini Miura P400
Look at how low it sits: Gandini's body gave it one of the lowest profiles of any production car, over the first transversely mounted mid-engine V-12 on the road.
The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
Look for the flush NACA ducts that replaced the original Veyron's roof-mounted intakes, part of the aero work behind its 267.856 mph run at Ehra-Lessien.
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
A 3,530-pound front-engined Pininfarina grand tourer that still reached 174 mph, and the most expensive production Ferrari yet when new, at $19,500.
The Iso Grifo
A Giugiaro-styled Italian grand tourer from a company that had been making motorcycles and microcars, powered by a Chevrolet V-8.
Good for
- Nerding Out
- Rainy Days
With kids
Tickets for ages 4 to 11 are $25 and include the Vault.
Also at Petersen Automotive Museum
On now nearby
Nearby
Image credits
8
- World's FastestCourtesy of Petersen Automotive Museum
- Screenwriting: Takes on LA NoirCourtesy of Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood IconCourtesy of Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Studio Ghiblis PONYOCourtesy of Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Petersen Automotive MuseumDavid Zaitz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Academy Museum of Motion PicturesDowntowngal / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)ArchEyes Magazine / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
- Craft ContemporaryPaul Esposito / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain