From the Tesla Model S to the Mercedes-AMG S65, there’s no lack of seriously quick and powerful sedans on the market today.
The thing is that if you’re bent on cracking the 200 mph (320 km/h) barrier, or more likely have bragging rights that your car could if you were so inclined, few will make the cut. In fact there are only four – excuse us, five – four-door sedans currently on the market that can break the double-century mark straight from the factory.
Paradoxically, despite all those unrestricted highways and eminently powerful performance sedans, none only one comes from Germany – and none from Italy, nor Japan, either.
The majority of those new cars capable of transporting four to such immense speed come from English-speaking countries. If you’ve been following the automotive headlines lately, you’ll likely have already identified one of them, but it’s not alone. So pick up your three or four best friends, find a track with a long enough straightaway, buckle up, and hit the throttle.
Bentley Flying Spur W12 S
Bentley has produced several versions of its Continental that can crack 200 miles per hour, and even engineered the Bentayga crossover to do the same – but it only recently extended that capability to the Flying Spur. Revealed just last week, the new W12 S model is the first four-door from Crewe able to reach the landmark speed, thanks in no small part to its 6.0-liter twin-turbo twelve-cylinder engine cranking out 626 horsepower and 605 lb-ft of torque. As heavy as it is, that’s still enough to rocket the big sedan to 60 in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 202 mph.
Aston Martin Rapide S
The Flying Spur isn’t the only four-door from England capable of exceeding 200 mph. So can the latest Rapide S from Aston Martin. Essentially a four-door version of the outgoing DB9, the Rapide S packs a 6.0-liter V12, naturally aspirated and churning out 552 horsepower to reach a top speed of 203 mph, hitting 62 along the way in just 4.4 seconds.
Cadillac CTS-V
Detroit proved itself capable of producing a performance sedan to rival Europe’s best when Cadillac came out with the latest CTS-V. The high-performance Caddy packs a 4.4-liter twin-turbo 6.2-liter supercharged V8 rated at 640 horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque to eclipse the bigger twelve-cylinder engines from the UK. The result, according to the manufacturer, is a rocket that’ll hit 60 in 3.7 seconds and top out at 200 mph exactly.
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Dodge aptly demonstrated that you don’t need to look to the luxury market to find a super-sedan capable of cresting the double-century mark when it came out with its Hellcat engine. The monstrous 6.2-liter supercharged V8 kicks out an unfathomable 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. It’s available in the Challenger coupe as well, but in the four-door Charger, its enough to muscle past 60 in a mind-blowing 2.9 seconds and on to 204 mph, making it the fastest sedan on the market.
BMW Alpina B6 Grand Coupe
As some of our more astute readers have pointed out, Alpina makes several four-door models that can top 200 mph – though not all of them are offered as such in North America. In European spec, the B5 Biturbo is rated up to 204 mph, the B6 Biturbo Gran Coupe to 201 mph, and the B7 Biturbo to 205. Unfortunately the 5 Series-based B5 isn’t sold in the United States and the North American-spec B7 will “only” hit 193 – but the B6 will run all the way up to 200, hitting 60 along the way in 3.7 seconds. It’s based on the 6 Series, packs four doors and can be purchased from BMW dealers across the country.
Honorable Mentions
There’s a long string of performance sedans that didn’t make the list, but very well could in their next iteration. BMW M GmbH, Mercedes-AMG and Audi’s Quattro division make enormously powerful and capable performance sedans. The Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte and Jaguar XJR come close as well – but close isn’t enough to join the prestigious 200 MPH Club.
That’s not to say there aren’t other ways of getting four people up past 200, though. The Aston Martin Vanquish, Bentley Continental GT Speed and Ferrari GTC4 Lusso will all get you there – given enough track – if your friends don’t mind squeezing in through two doors. And tuners like Brabus and G-Power offer modifications to production sedans that’ll crest the mark. Perhaps the most accommodating option, though, is the Bentley Bentayga – which currently holds the mantle for the world’s fastest SUV, but may not find itself alone in that territory for much longer.