5 Modern Supercars That Would Get Beaten By A Quad-Motor Rivian R1T Pickup Truck To 60

It turns out that measuring a car's acceleration from 5 to 60 mph often tells you more about its performance than the traditional 0-to-60 mph. However, since folks have been tracking the latter as far back as 1946, when auto journalist Tom McCahill seems to have started the trend, we'll go with the flow. The Rivian R1T pickup can do 0-60 mph in a mere 2.5 seconds. That's according to the automaker itself, but Car and Driver did see 2.6 seconds in real-world testing, with the truck's optional 22-inch Super Sport wheels wrapped in summer rubber.

Those acceleration numbers represent some serious, supercar-beating performance either way. Just keep in mind that we're talking specifically about supercars, and not the newer echelon of hypercars. The difference between the two isn't always crystal clear. Ferrari, for one, provides some performance context that's relevant here: The experts from Maranello point out that a supercar like the Ferrari 488 GTB can clock a 3.0-second 0-60 mph time, while the LaFerrari hypercar puts the bar at 2.4 seconds.

This also means that the Rivian R1T won't be able to outrun all-electric speed machines like the McMurtry Spéirling that can drive upside down and teleport from 0 to 60 mph in 1.55 seconds or the Rimac Nevera that can pass cars on the 'Ring like they're standing still and complete the 0-60 mph run in 1.85 seconds. Yet despite the fact that the R1T is a full-size pickup that weighs about 7,000 pounds, it can still out-race modern supercars and borderline hypercars such as the Lamborghini Aventador, the Ferrari 812 Superfast, the McLaren Speedtail, the Pagani Huayra, and the Koenigsegg CC850.

The Lamborghini Aventador was a particularly important car for the iconic Italian brand. When it debuted, it marked the introduction of a brand-new 6.5-liter V12 engine that replaced the original Lambo V12 architecture created by Giotto Bizzarrini and first deployed in the Lamborghini 350 GT of 1963. Then, when production ended in 2022, the Aventador became the final Lamborghini to run solely on gasoline. All of the brand's models since then have been hybrids. Lamborghini even considered going the EV route, but it killed off its proposed entry when the EV downturn happened.

The Aventador had no trouble attracting eyeballs and earning critical acclaim, but it would run into some difficulty if it had to race the Rivian. Car and Driver estimated that the first-year Aventador, backed by 691 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque, could rocket to 60 in 2.9 seconds. The final-year limited-edition LP 780-4 Ultimae did lower the Aventador's 0-60 time by 10%, but the result still puts it at an estimated 2.7 seconds – almost a tenth behind the R1T. Of course, the ultimate Aventador's output of 769 hp and 531 lb-ft pales in comparison to what you get from Rivian's quad-motor setup. The latter can turn out 1,025 ponies and 1,198 lb-ft, more than compensating for its increased mass compared to the Lambo, which weighs in at about 3,800 pounds in its Ultimae trim.

There are multiple McLarens that can't keep up with the quad-motor R1T in a race to 60 mph. For example, neither the McLaren 650S Spider nor the McLaren Senna – a bona fide hypercar — can quite match the Rivian. Nonetheless, we're putting the spotlight on the McLaren Speedtail — if for no other reason than its especially sleek and stunning good looks. The Speedtail doesn't need to apologize for its performance, thanks to its high-output hybrid powertrain. The foundation is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that, on its own, serves up 746 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Not satisfied there, McLaren next added an electric motor for an additional 309 horses and 258 lb-ft, pushing the grand total to 1,055 hp and 848 lb-ft.

The Speedtail sprints to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, but its real focus is on top speed. Premiering as the fastest McLaren ever, it can reach 250 mph. Even better, you can bring along a pair of friends for the ride thanks to the Speedtail's premium 1+2 cabin that features a driver's seat in front and centered between two rear passenger seats. It's further worth noting that the Speedtail's lack of truck-like functionality — and that of all McLarens up to now — could soon be solved. Yes, even this famed supercar brand seems to have given in to customer demand, with engineers now hard at work on McLaren's first SUV.

Circumstances can change surprisingly quickly in the world of supercars. Just three years before the 250-mph Speedtail launched, for instance, the 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast was among the fastest supercars on the road. Jump ahead to 2026, and so-called Superfast is now slower than a pickup — well, slower than at least one pickup in one metric, anyway. With a 6.5-liter V12 nestled under the car's long hood producing 789 hp and 530 lb-ft of torque, front-engined Ferrari's flagship can post a 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds, compared to the quad-motor R1T's 2.5 seconds.

Let's also point out that even the final evolution of the 812, tuned for 819 ponies and 510 lb-ft, only moved the 0-60 needle down to 2.6 seconds. On the other hand, the 812 Competizione did sell out quickly. Ferrari built 500 coupes and 312 Competizione A open-top models, but all were reserved for customers by the time the news reached the public –another in a long line of Ferraris that us mere mortals couldn't expect to buy.

No list of modern supercars would be complete without mentioning Pagani Automobili. The boutique supercar brand was founded in 1998 by Horacio Pagani, who began his automotive design career at the heady age of 10 — by carving his own model cars out of balsa wood. This kind of background served him well, as his very first full-size car, the Pagani Zonda, became an instant supercar classic when it greeted the public at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.

The Pagani Huayra took to the Geneva stage in 2011 as the Zonda's replacement, and it gave its predecessor the full Spinal Tap treatment — turning everything up to 11. The heart of the matter was a 6.0-liter V12 engine complemented by a pair of turbochargers to produce 720 hp with 738 lb-ft of torque. That was no ordinary engine, either. It was crafted by Mercedes' AMG team, which leveraged the same V8 mill used in the flagship S-Class AMG S 63 sedan at the time. However, the exact units found in the Huayras were custom-built for Pagani. The thing is, the Huayra wouldn't have a prayer in a sprint competition with the Rivian R1T. In fact, the Pagani is the slowest car to 60 mph here, since it takes 3.0 seconds to complete the trip — albeit with a top speed of 224 mph.

With Volvo now owned by Geely — and Saab long gone — Koenigsegg is helping keep the flame alive for the Swedish auto industry with a line of amazing handcrafted supercars sprung from the mind of its founder, Christian Koenigsegg. He started his company in 1994, introduced the CC prototype two years later, and delivered his first roadgoing ride, the CC8S, in 2002. The Koenigsegg CC850 was a way of honoring the company's beginnings, right down to its engine. 

Where the original CC8S had relied on a heavily modified version of a Ford 4.6-liter V8, motivation for the CC850 comes from a Koenigsegg 5.0-liter V8 – the same displacement as in classic Mustangs, except that engine has a flat-plane crank like the 2015 Shelby GT350. The similarities end there, though, as Koenigsegg ups the ante with twin-turbochargers, boosting the CC850's output to a staggering 1,185 hp and 1,029 lb-ft of torque — and that's when filling the car with conventional gasoline. Switch to E85, and you'll unlock another 200 ponies.

Unfortunately, that still leaves this low-volume high-performer 0.2 seconds off the Rivian's pace to 60 mph, and that seems to be the case regardless of whether you shift for yourself or let Koenigsegg do it for you. Just be aware that you can enjoy both modes in the same car, as the company's innovative approach to engineering has delivered a gearbox that operates as either a 9-speed slushbox or as a true manual, complete with a third pedal and a gated shifter.