An engine's size can be measured in displacement or output and the reality is, those two things aren't always related. Cadillac made a 500ci engine that put out less than 200 horsepower, while a Ford 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 can unleash 310 ponies or more. While it's cool to have a big cubic inch number emblazoned on your fender, it's even more impressive to have a small number written on your window at the track.

The most important factor in determining an engine's output is not size, but rather the rate at which it consumes fuel. The faster it gobbles gas, the more power it produces. A lot of older big-displacement engines were detuned with lower compression ratios to meet EPA mileage standards, which resulted in disappointing performance. On the other hand, smaller displacement engines can generate massive horsepower with extra cylinders or forced-air induction, which creates higher fuel consumption rates.

The 425 horsepower 426 Hemi V-8 used to be the most badass engine you could get in a production car, but is far behind today's standards. Not only are smaller modern turbocharged engines generating obscene amounts of power, but EVs are also putting supercar speed in daily drivers. Some of the fastest production cars ever made offer horsepower outputs in the quadruple digits.

Since "production car" can mean a variety of things, for the purposes of this list, it is defined as a vehicle that was principally constructed for consumers to transport people on public roads. We're also going to add the TopSpeed homologation requirement that at least 100 units have been produced. We've looked up data from the automakers, and reputable sites like MotorTrend and Car and Driver to put this list together.

RELATED: 10 Biggest Engines Ever Put In An American Production Model

10 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170

1,025 Horsepower

2023 is the last year that Dodge will build internal combustion engine muscle cars, which means the Charger and Challenger, as we know them, are going away. While the decision to axe popular models such as these seems questionable, Dodge at least sent them off with a proper farewell, by building a series of "Last Call" versions, celebrating their history.

Power, Performance, and Price

The last of the Last Call variants was the 2023 Challenger SRT Demon 170, which is the most powerful vehicle any of the Big Three American automakers have ever produced. Not only is the Demon 170 the fastest thing to ever come out of Detroit, it has the highest horsepower output of any U.S. factory-made vehicle. It sucks that the Challenger has been discontinued but at least it's going out on top.

9 2022 Mercedes-AMG ONE

1,049 Horsepower

The Mercedes-AMG ONE boasts that it's the most powerful road car the German automaker has ever produced and that's 100 percent true. With five motors, one internal combustion, and four electric, this plug-in hybrid is a horsepower-producing machine, generating 1,049 angry ponies, for a terrifying acceleration experience.

Power, Performance, and Price

Limited to 275 units, it was completely sold out before Mercedes-AMG even started building the first one. Considering that they cost more than an average beachfront mansion, that's quite an accomplishment. As unbelievable as this ride is, the hardest thing to comprehend is that it is street-legal according to Mercedes-AMG.

8 2022 Aston Martin Valkyrie

1,160 Horsepower

Valkyries are winged female figures from Norse mythology who guide the souls of fallen warriors to the afterlife in Odin's Valhalla. It's unclear what that has to do with the Aston Martin Valkyrie, other than those suckers can fly. Also, it probably feels pretty heroic to drive one of these limited-edition hybrid sports cars.

Power, Performance, and Price

The Valkyrie comes with a 1,000 horsepower naturally aspirated V-12 engine, which is technically the most powerful non-turbo ICE engine ever put in a production vehicle. It gets additional horsepower and torque from an electric motor that assists in the initial launch from a dead stop. While that may seem like overkill, rockets come equipped with booster rockets, so it's not unprecedented.

RELATED: 10 Fun Facts About The Mercedes-AMG One

7 2023 Lucid Air Sapphire

1,234 Horsepower

The Lucid Air battery-electric sedan is aiming to be the Tesla Model S killer and with the top Sapphire trim, stands a good chance. It's faster and more powerful than the Model S Plaid and has way more style and luxury than the Tesla. It also has 400 miles of range, which is 85 miles better than any pre-2023 Model S.

Power, Performance, and Price

All the other cars on this list were more or less meant for track use, which begs the question of whether a sports sedan needs that much power. The easiest way to answer that is to point out that if the automotive design was based on basic needs, everyone would be driving 70-horsepower glorified golf carts. Sometimes the best reason for something is because it can be done.

6 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport

1,578 Horsepower

The mid-engine Bugatti Chiron is the replacement for the Veyron, but really it's more of a next-generation than an entirely new model. It still looks about the same, which ain't a bad thing, but the Chiron may be a little faster than its ancestor, slightly topping the Veyron in all measures of performance.

Power, Performance, and Price

Car and Driver test drove a 2022 Chiron Super Sport and the only complaint they had was that it's not the most practical ride out there. That was probably tongue-in-cheek on their part because a French supercar is clearly not a soccer mom special. The automotive mag did conclude: "The Bugatti Chiron is an automotive apex predator that eats supercars for lunch."

5 2023 Koenigsegg Jesko

1,603 Horsepower

There are several Koenigsegg cars that could populate this list, but that would be pretty boring, so the Jesko will represent the Swedish supercar maker's remarkable horsepower achievements. Besides, it's named after company founder, Christian von Koenigsegg's father Jesko von Koenigsegg, which is easily the coolest name for anyone who ever started a car company.

Power, Performance, and Price

The Jesko also comes in two very coolly-named versions: the Attack and the Absolut. The Attack has a giant rear wing that makes crazy downforce but limits its top speed. The more expensive Absolut has a theoretical top speed of 350 mph, which is a fun number to look at but probably frightening to attempt.

RELATED: 10 Things You Need To Know About The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport

4 2022 SSC Tuatara

1,750 Horsepower

An SSC Tuatara sure sounds like some kind of Italian supercar, but it's actually made in Richland, Washington. The SSC stands for "Shelby Supercar" which seems Carol Shelby-related, but again this is a bit misleading as it's named for owner Jerod Shelby, who bears no relation to the legendary car designer.

Power, Performance, and Price

There is however no mistaking that the SSC Tuatara is an amazing American-made sports car that not only competes with but also beats most European hypercars. Getting back to the name, a Tuatara is a native New Zealand lizard known to have the fastest molecular evolution of any living creature. Coincidentally, a Tautara car is known to have one of the fastest molecular acceleration numbers of any vehicle.

3 2022 Hennessey Venom F5

1,817 Horsepower

To date, only 90 Hennessey Venom F5s have been built, which is 10 less than the standard we set for this list, but we reserve the right to make an exception in this case. TopSpeed will bend the rules to accommodate an ICE engine in a sea of EVs every time. Also, Venom is an infinitely more badass name than the Aspark Owl who (hoo?) also barely missed the production parameters.

Power, Performance, and Price

Even better, the F5 moniker has nothing to do with Formula racing but is rather named after a category F5 tornado, which is the most powerful classification. An F5 tornado has winds that blow between 261 and 318 miles per hour. The Hennessey Venom F5 has a top speed of 300 mph+, which will blow some doors off but won't tear off any roofs or flatten a trailer park.

2 2022 Rimac Nevera

1,914 Horsepower

If the Rimac Nevera seems suspiciously like the Pininfarina Battista that's because they're basically the same car. They are both based on the same platform and have the same four liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors, so which EV supercar gets to be on this list? Since Rimac Nevera is easier to spell, it wins, which is some Marketing 101 that Automobili Pininfarina may want to look into.

Power, Performance, and Price

Earlier this year, MotorTrend detailed a day at the track in which the Nevera set 23 different performance records including going from a dead stop to 249 miles an hour and back to a stop in 21.32 seconds. Based on the astonishing capabilities of the car, the magazine quipped the Nevera, "will blow away every other hypercar on the road today."

RELATED: 23 New World Records In A Day - The Rimac Nevera Has Absolutely No Chill!

1 2023 Lotus Evija

2,012 Horsepower

This list started off in the intro with a discussion on the 425 horsepower 426ci Hemi V-8 engine and will end with the 2,012 horsepower Lotus Evija electric supercar. To put things into perspective, the 426-equipped 1970 Hemi 'Cuda was the fastest muscle car of the classic era, with a top speed of 117 mph, while the Evija tops out at over 100 miles per hour faster.

Power, Performance, and Price

It would take 4.7 'Cudas to equal the horsepower of a single Evija. The '70 'Cuda originally sold for $3,164, so 726.7 Plymouths could have been had for the same price as one 2023 Lotus Evija. Car and Driver was in awe of the Evija, saying, "It rockets Lotus into the electric vehicle era at warp speed." It also rockets the car to the top of the list of production cars with the most horsepower.