Super cars are not a modern phenomenon, or at least not as new as you might think. While the first practical car was made in 1908, super cars made their way into the world just 18 years later.

The Bentley Speed Six was a novelty at the time, going a breath-taking 84 mph. In the late 1920’s, the cruising speed of an average car, such as a Model A, was merely 40-45 mph. Although he at first protested, Bentley agreed to race the Speed Six in the first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1929; he won the now legendary race.

Today, super cars are many times faster – the Bugatti Veyron goes an amazing 267 mph! This amazing car is astounding:

• If you drive the Veyron at 250 mph, the tires will only last 15 minutes.
• Replacement tires, which are twice as wide as a normal car’s tires, must be put on your car in France, requiring the car to be shipped for a total price tag of $70,000.
• At top speed, the 26.4 gallon gas tank runs dry in just 12 minutes.
• It consumes 12,416 gallons of air per minute – that’s as much as a man breathes in 4 days!
• The Veyron is made of 3 sections, yet only held together with 14 bolts.
• Only 300 Veyrons will be made – each one a little different and it’s own unique car.
• It takes an astounding 15 hours to build just one radiator for this super car.
• It takes 8 days to weld the fuel tank.

From 1926 to today, how far have super cars come? Check out the graphic below:

Graphic provided by HR Owen