If you’ve just typed “5 fastest cars in GTA 5” into Google because you’re tired of getting overtaken on the Los Santos freeway, here’s the direct answer: as of the July 2026 Kortz Center Heist update, the fastest car in GTA Online is the Grotti Cartuccia GT, with a tested top speed of 139.00 mph (223.70 km/h). It only just pips the Grotti Veleno GT and the previous record holder, the Bravado Banshee GTS, by a fraction of a mile per hour.

This list changes with almost every DLC drop, so a lot of the guides still ranking for this search are quietly out of date. Below, we’ve used the tested (not in-game speedometer) top speeds for GTA Online, plus the separate picture for GTA 5’s single-player Story Mode, since the two modes don’t share the same answer.

The 5 Fastest Cars in GTA 5 Online Right Now (July 2026)

These figures come from real, tested runs rather than the game’s own speedometer, which reads noticeably higher than actual speed. All prices are GTA$, the in-game currency, not real money.

1. Grotti Cartuccia GT: 139.00 mph (223.70 km/h)

The current record holder, added in the 1.73 Kortz Center Heist update on 14 July 2026. It’s modelled on a Ferrari 12Cilindri and costs $2,395,000 from Legendary Motorsport. It edges out second place by a slim 0.25 mph, so don’t expect it to feel dramatically faster in a straight race.

2. Grotti Veleno GT: 138.75 mph (223.30 km/h)

Also new in the July 2026 update, the Veleno GT costs $3,090,000, making it the priciest car on this list. With PS5 and Xbox Series X|S exclusive HSW (Hao’s Special Works) upgrades, it can reach a genuinely absurd 164.00 mph.

3. Bravado Banshee GTS: 138.00 mph (222.09 km/h)

The previous fastest car in GTA Online, added back in December 2024’s Agents of Sabotage update. At $1,989,500, it’s cheaper than both cars above it, and with HSW mods it’s still the fastest car in the game full stop, topping out at 172.50 mph on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

4. BF Weevil Custom: 137.50 mph (221.28 km/h)

The surprise entry. This muscle car, styled after a VW Beetle rat rod, has been quietly one of the fastest cars in the game since October 2022 and costs a comparatively modest $980,000 from Benny’s Original Motor Works. Genuinely excellent value if you want top-tier speed without the top-tier price tag.

5. Progen Luiva: 136.25 mph (219.27 km/h)

Rounding out the top five is the McLaren Elva-inspired Luiva, added in December 2025’s mansion-focused update. It costs $2,697,500 from Legendary Motorsport and rounds out a top five where every single car does at least 136 mph.

Fastest HSW Cars in GTA Online (PS5 and Xbox Series X|S Only)

Hao’s Special Works (HSW) upgrades are exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and they don’t apply evenly across the fastest cars, which is why the standard and HSW rankings don’t match up. With HSW fitted, the Bravado Banshee GTS becomes the outright fastest car in GTA Online at 172.50 mph, overtaking the Cartuccia GT and Veleno GT, neither of which currently has an HSW variant.

Other notable HSW cars worth knowing about include the Grotti Stinger TT (168.50 mph with HSW), the Declasse Tampa GT (166.00 mph with HSW), and the Grotti Veleno GT (164.00 mph with HSW). If you’re on PC or an older console without HSW support, ignore this section entirely and stick to the standard top five above.

What’s the Fastest Car in GTA 5 Story Mode?

This is where a lot of guides get sloppy, because the fastest car in the GTA 5 single-player campaign isn’t the same as GTA Online, and the game’s own in-game files don’t tell the full story either.

Rockstar’s own data suggests the Truffade Adder is the fastest car in GTA 5’s Story Mode, and it’s the one most guides quote, sitting at roughly 124.75 mph (200.77 km/h) with a real-world Bugatti Veyron look. You’ll find it at Legendary Motorsport for $1,000,000 in single-player.

However, independently tested runs (most thoroughly documented by the YouTuber Broughy1322, whose methodology is now the standard reference for GTA speed testing) show the Truffade Z-Type actually edges it out at around 127 mph (204 km/h), and that the Vapid Dominator (Pißwasser livery) is faster still in practical point-to-point testing, at roughly 126.50 mph, despite the game’s own files listing a lower stat for it than the Adder. The Z-Type costs $10,000,000 in Story Mode, considerably more than its Online price of under $1,000,000, since single-player and multiplayer run on separate, unrelated economies.

If you just want a straightforward answer without digging into the physics engine’s quirks: the Z-Type is the safest single “fastest car in GTA 5 Story Mode” answer to go with, since it holds up under both the in-game stat sheet and independent testing.

How Top Speed Is Actually Measured (and Why the Speedometer Lies)

This is the bit almost nobody explains properly. GTA 5’s in-game speedometer reads significantly higher than a vehicle’s actual velocity, sometimes by 30 mph or more, which is why you’ll see players online insisting their Adder does 190 mph when it doesn’t.

Accurate top speeds are worked out by timing a fully upgraded vehicle over a measured, flat distance and calculating real velocity from that, rather than trusting the dashboard readout or Rockstar’s own Social Club stat pages (which are also inflated). Every figure in this guide uses that tested method rather than in-game or Social Club numbers, which is also why you might see different figures on forums or older articles that relied on the speedometer instead.

Fastest GTA 5 Cars by Budget

Not everyone wants to save up nearly $3,000,000 for a Veleno GT. Here’s how the fastest options break down by what you can actually afford early on.

Under $1,000,000: the BF Weevil Custom at $980,000 is by far the best pick, since it’s fourth-fastest in the entire game and costs less than a third of the top two entries. The Truffade Adder ($1,000,000, single-player) is the classic budget pick for Story Mode.

$1,000,000 to $2,000,000: the Bravado Banshee GTS at $1,989,500 gives you third place on the overall speed list, plus the option to add HSW upgrades later if you’re on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.

Over $2,000,000: this is where the Cartuccia GT, Veleno GT, and Luiva sit, and unless you’re chasing the absolute record, the extra spend over a Banshee GTS buys you well under 1 mph of real advantage.

What Actually Makes These the Fastest Vehicles in GTA 5

Top speed isn’t the only thing that decides how a car in GTA 5 feels or performs, and it’s worth being upfront about that before you spend millions on one.

Acceleration, handling, and braking are separate stats, and a car near the top of this fastest cars list can still lose a race to a lower-ranked car with better cornering, particularly on Los Santos’s twisting canyon roads rather than a straight highway. The Weevil Custom, for instance, is blisteringly fast in a straight line but far less forgiving through corners than something like the Itali RSX further down the full rankings. If you race regularly rather than just cruising the freeway, it’s worth checking a car’s full stat sheet, not just its position on a fastest-cars list.

How Much Does It Cost to Actually Afford One (in £)?

Since these prices are all in GTA$, not real currency, UK players usually either grind missions and heists for in-game cash or top up with a Shark Card, Rockstar’s real-money currency pack, bought through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Steam, or the Rockstar Games Launcher.

As of July 2026, UK Shark Card prices on PlayStation are roughly: Tiger Shark £3.99, Bull Shark £7.49, Great White Shark £14.99, Whale Shark £37.99, and Megalodon Shark £74.99, with the Megalodon giving the most GTA$ per pound spent of the five tiers. A single Megalodon card gets you close to the price of a Veleno GT, but you’d still be a fair bit short after tax and insurance on a new supercar, so most players combine a card with a Cayo Perico heist run or two.

Prices and GTA$ amounts on Shark Cards do shift periodically, so check the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, or Rockstar’s own site for the current figures before buying.

Honourable Mention: Fastest Motorbike in GTA Online

If two wheels interest you more than four, the Western Reever is currently the fastest motorcycle in GTA Online, with a tested top speed of 163 mph (262.32 km/h), which would actually place it above every car on this list. Bikes trade that speed for a lot less protection in a crash, so it’s a genuine trade-off rather than a strictly better option.

FAQs

What is the fastest car in GTA 5 right now?

As of July 2026, the fastest car in GTA Online is the Grotti Cartuccia GT, with a tested top speed of 139.00 mph (223.70 km/h). It narrowly beats the Grotti Veleno GT and the previous record holder, the Bravado Banshee GTS.

What is the fastest car in GTA 5 Story Mode?

The Truffade Adder is Rockstar’s own stated fastest car in Story Mode at around 124.75 mph, though independently tested runs suggest the Truffade Z-Type and the Pißwasser-liveried Dominator are actually a little faster in practice, at roughly 126 to 127 mph.

What is the fastest car in GTA 5 with HSW upgrades?

The Bravado Banshee GTS becomes the fastest car in GTA Online once HSW upgrades are applied, reaching 172.50 mph. HSW is exclusive to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game and isn’t available on PC or older consoles.

How is top speed actually measured in GTA 5?

Accurate figures come from timing a fully upgraded vehicle over a measured straight-line distance, not from the in-game speedometer or Rockstar’s Social Club stats, both of which read considerably higher than a car’s real velocity.

What’s the cheapest fast car in GTA Online?

The BF Weevil Custom is the best combination of price and speed, costing $980,000 while still ranking fourth-fastest in the entire game as of July 2026. For an even cheaper option, the Truffade Adder costs $1,000,000 in Story Mode.

Is the fastest car always the best car to buy?

Not necessarily. Top speed only matters on long, straight stretches of road, and a car further down the speed rankings can still win races through better acceleration, handling, or braking, particularly on winding routes.

Do the fastest cars in GTA 5 change with every update?

Yes, and fairly often. Three of the current top five (the Cartuccia GT, Veleno GT, and Progen Luiva) were all added within the last eight months, so it’s worth double-checking any “fastest car” list against its publish date before trusting it.

How much does the fastest car in GTA Online cost in real money?

The car prices themselves are in GTA$, not real currency, but if you’re topping up with Shark Cards to afford one, a Megalodon Shark Card (the best value option) costs £74.99 on the UK PlayStation Store and gets you close to, but not quite covering, the price of the priciest cars on this list.