What is the fastest road legal car in the world, right now? The answer is more complicated than you might think.

"Fastest car" is a coveted label, and one that has put the world's finest auto makers to the test. But officially claiming the title is tricky and requires cutting through some red tape. 

Record setting cars have to be road legal, sold to the public, and have reasonable production levels. Then, those cars have to be driven unmodified to their top speed in both directions, with the record setting speed measured as an average of the two runs. This eliminates help from wind, and gravity. 

Thus, access to a long, smooth, and flat road is almost as important as the car itself, and gives big companies with private test tracks, (like Bugatti and the VW group) a leg up over smaller companies like Koenigsegg and Hennessey.

Right now, the Koenigsegg Agera RS holds the record since 2017. But as you'll soon see, it probably isn't actually the fastest car anymore. 

Here is every car that has owned the official record, and a few that have their eyes on the prize.