These are the world’s fastest, most powerful limousines

Why build a limousine capable of 190mph, you might very well ask? Well, why the hell not?

Audi has done just that thing, by equipping the new S8 Plus with a reworked version of its 4.0-litre V8 engine, producing 597 horsepowers and 553lb ft of torque.

That means it’s as powerful as a Ferrari 458 Speciale or Nismo GT-R, all wrapped up in the body of a big, posh Audi saloon.

A big, posh Audi saloon capable of 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 190mph. That’s many accelerations and much speed.

It’s the latest in a long, fine line of stupendously fast limos: we’re not talking stuff like M5s and RS6s, but a size bigger.

Here, in a non-exhaustive, utterly unscientific list, are ten more prodigiously endowed limos with speed to boot.

The new, updated Rapide gets a fancy new eight-speed gearbox – long overdue – and an official top speed of 203mph.

And with many, many horsepowers from one of the finest sounding V12 engines ever built by a human, it’s one of the most desirable ways to scare your passengers.

Please, moviemakers, can we see this car in a chase sequence?

Just class, isn’t it? This, the W12-engined version of Bentley’s flagship bruiser, features six whole litres and 625 horses of brute force, good for a top speed just shy of 200mph.

Won’t actually fly, sadly.

Yes, we’re aware that this is the outgoing 7-Series (the range-topper from the new sixth-generation 7-Series is a V8-engined 750i), and we're aware that the M5 is more powerful and faster on the top end, but it’s too small. No, this is a proper Big BMW, all V12 engine and 544 horsepowers – not too far off the ‘standard’ M5’s 552bhp.

And though it’s limited to 155mph, we suspect it’s capable of a lot, lot more…

OK, so it’s two doors short of being a limo, but with plenty of space for four and their luggage, we’ve decided to allow it in as a wildcard. So lets not get bogged down in semantics: this is a four-seat, V12-engined bruiser with huge reserves of power, torque, and speed. And four-wheel drive.

Oh, and proper desirability. Ultimate all-weather machine? Probably.

It gets the same supercharged, 5.0-litre V8 found in the F-Type, which means a deliciously noisy world of thunder and heroics.

Here, the XJ – a proper big Jaguar saloon – will accelerate to the sort of speeds that will loosen the stiffest of upper lips.

Only the Italians could get away with giving a four-door car the name, um ‘four-door’. (Also note, Ferrari calling its halo ‘The Ferrari’.)

And with a 3.8-litre V8 on board, 530 shouty horsepowers and 191mph to contend with, they can call it whatever the hell they like. It’s fast.

Now we’re talking. The S65 gets a bi-turbo V12 – a full six litres of biturbo V12 – to make a full, healthy 626 horsepowers, a whopping 737lb ft of torque and a 0-62mph time of just 4.3 seconds.

Oh, and a limited top speed of 155mph. Unlimited? Many, many more mph.

V12-engined mega-saloons are just the business, aren’t they?

Porsche will talk to you about the Panamera’s new turbochargers with larger compressors, and an increase of injection pressure to boost torque, but we cannot move on from the mighty horsepower figure and that frightening top speed.

Oh, it’ll also do 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. Exactly the same as the new Audi S8 Plus. Anyone else feel a Rumble in the Jungle forming?

The Phantom – that’s the Ghost’s big brother – will record a 149mph top speed. Which is clearly not enough.

Step forward the excellently-named Ghost, capable of a full, 155mph. In imperious, rolling comfort.

The world contains many tuning companies who will happily take your money and your big barge, and exchange them for services rendered to said big barge to make it supernaturally fast.

Because there are many, we have picked one of the most amusing: the Brabus ROCKET 900.

The question of whether it is unethical to tune a Mercedes-Maybach model – itself no slouch nor in need of fine tuning – is a matter for another day. What Brabus has done is taken a fine automotive jewel, and fitted a rocket to its backside.

The big V12 has been rebored to 6.3 litres (a nod to AMG history?), alongside numerous engine modifications. Power now sits at 888bhp, or a cool, clean, 900 metric horses, and a whopping 1,106lb ft of torque.

0-62mph? 3.7 seconds. Top speed? On par with LaFerrari and the McLaren P1. Yes, this is the ultimate answer to the question nobody asked.

What uber-limos would make your list? Let us know in the comments below.