The Fastest Car We’ve Tested in 2022

With a curb weight of 3737 pounds, the all-wheel drive 2022 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS we tested carried 336 more mass than the stick-drive rear-drive Carrera 4 GTS we also tested this year. Nonetheless, the Targa clocked in at a mph mark 0.3 seconds ahead of its coupe counterpart. Kudos to Porsche’s 473-hp quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox for this astonishing performance, for its ability to change gears almost instantly far exceeding the speed at which a human could change gears with a manual transmission.

That said, Porsche’s dual-clutch gearbox can only do so much to make up for the Targa’s extra pounds, as evidenced by the 2.8-second run to 60 mph we recorded in a 2021-equipped Carrera GTS.

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Even though we clocked up 40,000 miles in our 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the mid-engine sports car’s on-track performance showed little to no regression from the start of our long-term testing. Just like at the start of his time with us, our Red Mist Corvette Stingray accelerates to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. It even matched its original quarter mile time of 11.2 seconds at a trap speed of 122 mph. No matter how you feel about the eighth-generation Corvette, there’s no denying that this is a machine that offers consistent and predictable performance capabilities.

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Aurevoir, Acura NSX. The Japanese luxury brand is saying goodbye to its second-generation mid-engine supercar by giving it the Type S treatment for 2022. Despite making a full 600 horses, the petrol-electric NSX Type S takes the same 2.9 seconds to reach 60 mph as its own. previously, the 573-hp counterpart. That said, there’s no reason the Acura NSX is fast, Type S or not, and its fast straight-line acceleration makes it one of the fastest accelerating vehicles we’ve tested in 2022.

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Want to enjoy the melodious sound of the naturally aspirated Porsche 911 GT3 flat-six engine without excessive aerodynamic additions? Then the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring is the car for you. With 502 horsepower and an available seven-speed automatic gearbox, the Iris Blue GT3 Touring we tested accelerated to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. Choose the six-speed manual and you’ll add 0.5 seconds to that time. That said, we think the greater driving engagement of stick shift more than makes up for the losses in acceleration.

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We’re not sure if Porsche will sell updated versions of the current 718 Boxster and Cayman alongside the upcoming battery-electric models. That said, if we assume the German manufacturer decides to strictly sell the 718 in EV form, then we’re pleased to see the car currently leaning into its gas-powered performance potential in its final years on the market. You can’t go wrong with any of the 718 models, but you can get a little more correct by choosing one of the six-cylinder options: GTS, Spyder, GT4, or the absolutely insane GT4 RS. While it costs about $20,000 less than the rear-engined 911 GT3, the 493-hp 718 Cayman GT4 RS offers nearly the same performance figures as its more expensive sibling. This includes its 60 mph run, which we clocked in at 2.8 seconds, the same as the Touring 911 GT3 we tested this year.

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Today’s BMW M4 may not have the exciting dynamics of past M4s and M3s, but there’s no denying that it’s a fast machine. Especially if it is equipped with the Competition kit and the BMW xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The former gives the M4 an additional 30 horsepower, for a total of 503 horsepower, and a quick-shift automatic transmission. Couple this with the grip of all-wheel drive, and you have a recipe for one of the fastest M4 variants available today, with BMW’s test car sending us racing to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds.

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Sure, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 coupe includes removable roof panels for a bit of a wind-in-your-hair experience, but convertibles offer a true rooftop experience. The power-operated top of the Corvette Z06 convertible brings fresh air—and the sound of the Z06’s flat V-8 crankshaft—into the cab with the push of a button. With the help of a finely tuned launch control system, acceleration to 60 mph occurs in just 2.7 seconds.

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McLaren Artura’s 2023 plug-in hybrid petrol-electric powertrain may lack the aural thrill of the 720S’s V-8, but the latest addition to the McLaren line certainly packs a punch worthy of the British automaker’s name. We noted the 671 horsepower coupe reaches 60 mph in 2.6 seconds, identical to the 710-hp 720S coupe.

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Lucid Air has a Tesla Model S in its sights, and the battery-electric sedan continues to prove it has the goods to take on the aging statesman of the luxury EV segment. Still, the Air hasn’t stolen the acceleration crown from the Model S Plaid. Even though the 1111-hp Air Dream Performance model’s 2.6-second sprint to 60 mph is a world away from the 1020-hp Plaid’s 2.1-second time, the dual-motor Lucid is still very fast. So fast, in fact, that it’s one of the fastest vehicles we tested in 2022.

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If you want the most performance-oriented variant of the eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette Z06, then you should buy the coupe with the track-oriented Z07 package. The combination turns the already dynamically competent and relatively affordable mid-engined Chevrolet sports car into an outright performance anomaly capable of, among other things, reaching 60 mph in 2.6 seconds.

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We started 2022 strong with early testing of the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S with the optional Light package. This combination allows the 3566-pound 640-hp Porsche to accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.1 seconds. Getting this kind of performance, however, doesn’t come cheap, with the car we tested tacked on for $223,230.

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• Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS 2022: 2.9 Seconds to 60 MPH
• 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe with Z51 Package: 2.9 Seconds to 60 MPH
• 2022 Acura NSX Type S: 2.9 Seconds to 60 MPH
• 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring: 2.8 Seconds to 60 MPH
• Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS 2022: 2.8 Seconds to 60 MPH
• BMW M4 Competition xDrive Coupe 2022: 2.8 Seconds to 60 MPH
• 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible: 2.7 Seconds to 60 MPH
• McLaren Artura 2023: 2.6 Seconds to 60 MPH
• Lucid Air Dream 2022 Performance: 2.6 Seconds to 60 MPH
• 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S with Light Package: 2.1 Seconds to 60 MPH