10: Noble
M12 GT0-3R 170mph
"In a world obsessed with image, you can’t beat a Porsche. But in a world
obsessed with time, a Porsche is a library. A TVR is the internet. And the
Noble is broadband"
9: Aston
Martin V8 Vantage 175mph. £51,500.
"Thanks to heavy steering, heavy brakes and a heavy six-speed manual
gearbox, they’ve made the syllabub-light body feel like a meat pie. The 911
is for nancy boy racing drivers. The Aston’s for gentleman thugs"
8: Chevrolet
Corvette C6 180mph. £52,595.
"This car has a head-up display, just like you get in an F-16 fighter.
It’s fantastic. Whole bus queues are hidden behind the digital speed
read-out, which is going to make for some wonderful insurance claims"
7: Vauxhall
Monaro VXR 185mph. £36,995.
"Think of it as an Aussie from the outback. Maybe he can’t quote
Shakespeare. Maybe he’s never heard of Terence Conran. But he can smash all
the teeth clean out of your mouth with a single punch. That's the Monaro"
6: Lamborghini
Gallardo Spyder 190mph. £115,000.
"So why, you may be wondering, am I so fond of this car? I’ll tell you
why. Because it’s got orange seats. And because it is so pretty. And because
when you go above 3500rpm it makes a noise like a punctured sumo wrestler.
And because you sit so far forwards you feel like you’re on the nose of some
giant, snarling power-crazed animal"
5: Lamborghini
Gallardo 192mph. £115,000
"It changes direction like a fly, grips like a barnacle and goes like a
jet fighter on combat power. At one point I saw 175mph on the clock and
there was plenty more where that came from"
4: BMW
M5 204mph. £61,760.
"Eventually I relocated Bob Seger but unfortunately I was approaching a
roundabout and the sat nav woman had decided I was an idiot. So she told me
to go straight over and then repeated herself and then repeated it again.
And by the time she’d shut up Bob had been replaced with a miserable
sounding girl called Dildo"
3: Porsche
Carrera GT 205mph. £330,000
"I’ve been in some pretty fast machinery over the years, but nothing
prepared me for the neck-snapping, spleen-bursting, hammer blow explosion of
power that came the first time I floored the Carrera’s throttle"
2: Koenigsegg
CCX 250mph £368,700
"The noise is hard to explain. There’s a lot of it, and in some ways it
sounds like an amplified version of that sound you make when you hit the
brakes at 193mph. A sort of AAAAAAAARGH"
1: Bugatti
Veyron 16.4 253mph £810,345
"On a recent drive across Europe I desperately wanted to reach the top
speed but I ran out of road when the needle hit 240mph. Where,
astonishingly, it felt planted. Totally and utterly rock steady. It felt
sublime.
Not quiet, though. The engine sounds like Victorian plumbing — it looks like
Victorian plumbing as well, to be honest — and the roar from the tyres was
biblical. But it still felt brilliant. Utterly, stunningly, mind blowingly,
jaw droppingly brilliant"
Watch Jeremy drive the Veyron for Top Gear here.
Jeremy`s forgotten the Saleen S7 and the SSC Aero. Even
though they`re rubbish, they should have a place on the
list.
It`s more like Jeremy`s FAVOURITE cars than the
fastest. Everyone knows he worships the Bugatti
Veyron 16/4
Joel, London, England
If the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is one of the 10 Fastest cars, or indeed most dangerous cars in the world, Jeremy Clarkson is a gay, vegetarian tree hugger. Mrs Clarkson may own one, it may be the most beautiful car, it might be "nippy", but it simply is not fast. Try a porsche GT3RS, or any Ferrari. This is just a list of nice cars. How about some original journalism?
John, St Alnbans,
Why isn't the Lamborghini Murielago LP640 not up there?
Jatinder Sidhu, North Vancouver, Canada
I'm not quite sure why Ryan thinks manuals are more dangerous, but I just wanted to say that the Veyron isn't a traditional manual. Its a sequential manual. Meaning its got manual parts hyraulically actuated. Thus you change gear with paddles behind the steering wheel. Or put it in auto mode.
Josh, Adelaide, Australia
You people you people.
Have a whinge.
This list is a top ten most dangerous list not fastest.
There were a couple that could have made the cut like the atom and the TVR but they didn't i mean seriously, a Citroen as a dangerous car. It may be if the steering column is disconnected and even then only at a stretch. And all you people talking about motorcycles. A slight breeze and you crash into a tree and get decapitated. Besisdes this is a list of cars not pushbikes with motors.
Just because a car is quick doesn't mean its dangerous. Take the SLR McLaren. Its quick! But its an auto!! Therefore it can't get nearly as dangerous as manuals like the veyron.
Ryan, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
Nissan Skyline GTR ......... Lotus Carlton??? .... AC Cobra 7Ltr LWT?... Thrust SSC?? ...Jaguar XJ220??...Mercedes C111?...ahhhhhhhhhh.:)
Chris Mouse, Portland, Maine,USA
umm yea da mclaren f1 was a ledgend car..how come dat isnt in ut dangerous 10
tim, honolulu,
the mitsubishi evo without a doubt is one of the best cars ever to grace the roads practical and soo damn fast!!!
mohammed ali, manchester, england
FORD GT?!?!
Justin Thomas, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario
Ever notice how many commentators on Clarkson's articles have a complete brain fade when deciding whether to use its or it's.....?
By the way, I wonder how Jeremy would feel if he'd driven Ford Australia's dramatically effective Falcon Typhoon, a 360 horsepower 4.0-litre turbo in-line six cylinder sedan.
It eats the Monaro and has a much better chassis.
Dave Moore, Christchurch, New Zealand
You've failed to mention the McLaren Mercedes! And Chevrolet does make it to the cut? Oh really Jeremy!
Maarten, Oudenaarde, Flanders
What about the Citroen 2CV? Me thinks you are all missing the obvious! Bad for the environment and crap when driving behind large aircraft! However Lentil eaters loved it and it was obviously too small for Gezzer to get into!
Theres also all lot of winding-up going on in the replies. Atleast hes got you all biting!
pete hills , kettering , northamptonshire
How come the ultima GTR is missing, its beaten th bugatti at everything except the top speed which is still 231mph. 0-60mph 2.6s, 0-100 in 5.3s, and 0-100-0 9.4s. And this car is £55,000 a lot less in comparison with the others.
james, chichester,
G'day from Oz!
Good on you Jeremy for putting the Monaro on your list.I must admit though it does look a bit out of place amoungst all of those girly cars that make up the other nine.
Lee Skelton, Noosa Heads, Australia
What about the Enzo Ferrari? And what about the host of other cars that can reach speeds in excess of 200MPH? The Noble M12 GT0-3R might be fast be is a damp squib compared to the McLaren F1 or the SLR versions of this world.
Do me a favour Clarkson and pick a real list with the fastest road going cars!
Jon, Alfreton,
I always thought the reason they reviewed the best of the best etc. was because the technology employed in these cars filters down to use poor sods who can only afford normal cars.
The flippy paddle gear change will probably be standard in 10 years, along with HUD and automatic breaking systems.
This is the cutting edge.
As to the list, pretty good list I think, not quite the most dangerous vehicles in the world though.
And to Mr Clarkson, thank you for entertaining and enlightening us, and long may you continue to do so.
Jeff, Brechin, Scotland
Is Clarkson saying that these 10 cars are dangerous as in unsafe- without specifying the reasons for them being dangerous? Or is it that they are just dangerous given he driver?
No doubt the Times and Clarkson will be having conversations with the car makers and their lawyers?
Ferraris? Aren't they now made to be driven by hairdressers and football players?
DM, Eastbourne, UK
Never mind "The Dangerous Ten", where's the latest 1? Regular readers don't need a greatest hits collective as much as the fresh text of a new single.
I'm starting to get the same feeling left by that VBH moment a little while ago. Maybe if you can't coax him into sitting behind a keyboard each week, then at least stash away a cache of FRESH material. :)
Derek Bell-Morris, Perth, West Australia
Harry, what relevant matters would you like to talk about?! Motoring articles for some people is a chance to have irrelevant arguements. What would you like to discuss? People getting captured over two miles of water!!!! That to me is a pathetic arguement, yet it was one our government wanted to have.
Phillip, Liverpool,
Firstly, I'm a Clarkson fan and a Top Gear fan. Having declared that, I would qualify both points by saying that I appreciate Jeremy for having strong opinions that he puts over fairly articulately (I feel no compulsion to agree with every opinion he has or to uncritically accept his assessments) and with a fundamental enthusiasm that is missing from many modern commentators. And I like Top Gear as an escapist entertainment, most of us recognise that a Bugatti Veyron is an unattainable dream for the average driver but that doesn't mean we want Top Gear to concentrate on the budget end of the car market. Top Gear viewing figures wouldn't be improved dramatically by concentrating on the latest sub-£6K car from some obscure Asian car manufacturer.
Incidentally, with regard to comments from motorcyclists (and I do have a full bike licence and used to ride 'big' bikes, 1000cc plus) it has never been a secret that Jeremy holds bikers in little regard.
Keith Mackman, Dunmow, Essex
Dear HARRY, you are just another one who like to speak, but drives a rover.
I have driven an old ferrari testarossa, an BE SURE, it's dangerous, heavy and with a BAD roadkeeping. It's gorgeous to look at, but awful to drive.
I mean it.
PAOLO, BERGAMO, ITALY
For god sake what is it about forum posting that turns people into idiots?! This column had nothing to do with bikes and so they shouldnt even be mentioned (and I am a devoted bike rider myself)! Furthermore, JC is well-known for loving every car Ferrari ever made; he classes them as being almost supernaturally good, so why would he put them in a list of "dangerous 10"? Anyway, can the majority of people on here just grow up and stop arguing about completely irrelevant matters.
Harry, London,
To the car haters, why are you even posting on here? Do you really expect us to change our minds or is it just for the wind up? The latter I'm thinking.
Phil, London,
These cars are totally irrelevant in Britain today, and I suspect in most countries of the world. Driving here is a frustrating chore, not a pleasure. JC appears to inhabit a parallel universe of open roads and unrestricted race tracks. Get real and start reviewing cars that are relevant to our driving conditions!
Ben Garside, Loughborough, Leics
Bikes are completly different from cars apart from they both have wheels and gears! If car worship is for dinosaurs then how do you get around!!??!! Flying saucer maybe or is that old 19th century rubbish!!!
Tim, Redpath,
Heh... There's a 3 series fanboy about...
And does Paul in Edinburg have nothing better to do with his time than come onto a section about driving and complain about people car worshipping? If he hates cars and people who like them surely he would be best advised to waste time somewhere else.
I still would like to see a MOST FUN 10 rather than a FASTEST 10. I get the feeling that it may have a few changes in it.
Jay, Woking, UK
Derek from Brighton, have you got a beard?
Ed, Manchester,
Big cars, big power and all for men with small manhoods. Cars are for geting from A to B. Bikes are for doing the same but with more fun on the way, they are also more affordable.
Derek, Brighton,
Car worship is for dinosaurs
Paul, Edinburgh,
Mr Clarkson has not dirven the ULtima GTR factory demonstrator yet. I think this would be somewhere near the top of his list, especially seeing as it out handles and out accelerates the Veyron. Oh and for a fraction of the cost (ok so it doesn't look quite as good) but hey even Clarkson knows looks aren't everything!
JB, Leeds, England
Stevo: if only people with supercar money were allowed to be interested in supercars, Top Gear would have to cover a new Honda every episode, or else score around 5 in the ratings. As in five people.
Elitism isn't an endearing trait, mate.
Nick, Hertfordshire, England
I'm still recovering from Jeremy's ill-considered comments on the Chrysler 300 C Diesel - no victorian plumbing there -and am too upset to fully take in this article; but I am sure they are all very nice
Colin , Penarth, UK
What about the TVR Tuscan, the Citroen XM or the 911 circa 1977?
All good looking, comfortable and very dangerous- All bad brakes and tail happy.
Mick, Tidworth, Hampshire
I like nothing better than sitting alongside a 100 grand car on my 7 grand bike and heading for the horizon. A couple of them can even keep up.
keke, Peterhead, Scotland
Pagani Zonda F anyone?
Mark, MK, UK
I have to imagine that J.C. considers Ferrari a superior car from an alien world.
I imagine that's the only reason for not a single Ferrari to be included in top ten.
I imagine that those kind of 'good boys' listing are just to spend 5 minutes before coffee break.
I imagine J.C. doesn't like coffee.
I obviously like Ferrari, and don't like fat boy like M5...
PAOLO, BERGAMO, ITALY
I love the irony here...Jeremy Clarkson (who absolutely loathes anything environmentally friendly) and this article is "in association with Act on CO2".
Classic!
Tane, Milan,
Get a motorcycle?
And become an organ donor?
No thanks.
RAS, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA
Jeremy, I find it hilarious that you get these chaps writing back to you with such conviction about cars they've never driven and furthermore, never have any hope of driving. Very sad.
Stevo, London, UK
Speed cameras - get yourself a motorcycle. All forward facing cameras and most overheads cannot read a front plate that the government thoughtfully asked manufacturers to remove and as for identifying the rider with full crash helmets.... It's the old story of lets get the easy targets rather than ones that demand more resources.
Top Gear fan, Fareham, Hampshire
In a land of speed cameras, speed limits, speed humps and unending congestion (yes, I'm speaking of Britain), what is the point?
Plus, for how long would a BMW M5's tires and aerodynamics allow it to proceed at 204 mph? (There's a good reason for the speed limiter.)
RAS, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA
Jezza I'm glad you like our Monaro. More to the point, you get the philosophy behind it. Fast, uncomplicated, brash and brilliant. Also noisy. Like us. Please bring the lads down under and do some donuts and other associated driving-type stuff. We'd like that.
Yours in perpetual amusement.
Trav, Melbourne, Australia
Jeremy are you saying that you need to use a Noble to access a TVR?
Alex, Bristol,
Nothing really sursprising in the list, just the usual suspects, except for the Noble. I hoped there would be more than just 10 supercars and the appendant citations. I missed cars like the Ariel Atom, Lotus Exige or the Caterham Seven for example, cause it was called "the dangerous ten" and not "the very fast ten".
Daniel, Hannover, Germany
A top 10 list by JC and not a Ferrari in sight. Furthermore a Porsche at no.3.
I've always though Jeremy has had a strong Ferrari bias and an unfair one too.
Delbir, London,
Fascinating selection, very well balanced. Just one clarification on your "I believe" in the Corvette saga.
I believe it was Colin Chapman's humble Lotus Europa that was the first true road car to attain the magial 1g lateral cornering force. Many, many years before the "late 80's". Keep it uo JC.
Philip, Homosassa, Florida
Where's the Bristol fighter T?
Huw Moorcraft, Sydney, NSW
BMWs have electronic limiters? Cool! Can we have those on all coaches, lorries, and boy racer cars too, please?
Starling, Lancaster,
A link to youtube in a Clarkson article? Am I still living in the same dimension?
Evan, Pennsylvania, USA
But a 335d certainly won't handle like a Noble, even if they really try.
Tom, West Hollywood, California, USA
Yes Owen, because the sole factor upon which a car's performance is measured these days is in fact it's top speed...
Anna, Reading,
"Why start at a Noble that only does 170MPH, take the electronic limiter off a BMW 335d and it will hit 170 MPH."
Because you don't have to do anything to the noble to have an amazing car?
Jeff Radford, Nanaimo, Canada
I thought that Clarckson had driven the 202mph F40 on Top Gear?
Rodden Shaw, London, London
Yeah, the BMW 335d should be in the list.
Oh no, wait - it's slower 0-60 than my Focus ST. Silly Owen.
Patrick, London,
Why start at a Noble that only does 170MPH, take the electronic limiter off a BMW 335d and it will hit 170 MPH.
Owen, Bristol,