Artistic License

Racing from zero to 60 mph in three seconds happens faster than it took you to read this sentence. Not many cars can run like that, but we have a couple pictured here, playboy has rounded up a garageful of cars so exotic, there's not a Ferrari or Lamborghini in the bunch. Street racers like this don't simply roll off assembly lines; they're crafted meticulously, one component at a time, in small shops by skilled artisans. The lowest priced among this stable costs $95,000; the highest is $1.3 million. The slowest will hit 160 mph, the fastest over 250. But enough talk. Let's ride.

Koenigsegg CCR Before you scoff at the idea of a Swedish supercar, consider that in 2005 a production Koenigsegg CCR hit 241 mph and broke the McLaren F1's 231 mph speed record. Christian von Koenigsegg began building cars in 1994. Faster than a Ferrari Enzo, his CCR features a twin-supercharged 4.7-liter V8 located amidships and a sequentially operated gearbox. This car is not yet available in America but makes moving to Europe worthwhile. Stats: zero to 60 in 3.2 seconds; 242 mph top speed; 806 bhp at 6,900 rpm; about $575,000 in Europe; koenigsegg.com.

Saleen S7 (big image) Who needs Italians? Slip open the scissor doors on this chunk of exotica from California and you're ready to intimidate anything on the road. In ex-racer Steve Saleen's Le Mans-inspired S7 twin turbo, you get brilliant aerodynamics, immense disc brakes, hyperquick steering and acceleration that borders on the absurd. There's no traction control or antilock braking system, so you'd better know what you're doing. Stats: zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds; 248 mph top speed; 750 bhp at 6,300 rpm; $580,000; saleen.com.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Legendary Bugatti has returned with the most expensive, powerful road car of all time. Put the whip to the Veyron's 1,001 horses (an eight-liter W16 engine with four superchargers, mounted amidships) as we did on a Florida airport runway and you slingshot to 100 mph in six seconds. With all-wheel drive you stay firmly planted as the horizon forces its way through the windshield. Despite its power, the Veyron is surprisingly tractable, if a bit bulky at low speeds, and the huge carbon-ceramic brakes could stop a semi on a dime. Stats: zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds; 253 mph top speed; 1,001 bhp at 6,000 rpm; $1.3 million; bugatti.com.

Pagani Zonda C12S Argentine expatriate Horacio Pagani cut his car teeth at Lamborghini. His C12S coupe (there's also a roadster), built in Modena, Italy (where Ferrari started), relies on tightly wrought alloy tubing and carbon fiber for an incredibly stiff structure. A souped-up AMG Mercedes-Benz 7.3-liter V12 lurks just behind the cockpit. The Pagani is not yet available stateside, but it's rumored to be arriving soon. Stats: zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds; 208 mph top speed; 555 bhp at 5,550 rpm; about $520,000; paganiautomobili.it.

Noble M15 Noble M12s are designed in the U.K., assembled in South Africa without engines and then imported to Hamilton, Ohio by 1g Racing. You ship the "roller" to your choice of shop, have a Jack Roush-built twin-turbo three-liter V6 and a six-speed manual bolted in, and for just over $100K you're ready to hunt for Porsche 911s in your own ultralight GT. In 2008 a new Noble M15 (pictured) will be available, fully assembled stateside. Stats for the M15: zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds; 185 mph top speed; 455 bhp at 6,500 rpm; about $159,000; 1gracing.com.

Morgan Aero 8 A radical departure for the U.K.'s 95-year-old Morgan Motor Company, the Aero 8 is a streamlined, virtually all-aluminum, dare we say modern design, with bonded and riveted alloy panels. Morgan has been making top-of-the-line vintage throwbacks for years, and the Aero 8 is a thinly veiled racing machine. Still hand-built (only 120 units a year), with BMW 4.4-liter V8 power and six-speed automatic, the car zips to 60 as fast as a new Corvette. Stats: zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds; 160 mph top speed; 325 bhp at 6,100 rpm; $95,000; morgancars-usa.com.

Spyker C8 Laviolette The original Spijker company built World War I fighters and aircraft engines in the Netherlands. (The name was changed to Spyker for easier pronunciation.) That heritage survives in the C8's lavish use of polished aluminum, scissor doors, propeller imagery in the steering wheel and 19-inch alloy wheels---even the angry growl of the modified Audi-based four-cam 4.2-liter V8 engine with six-speed manual. If you're thinking bling, you're on the money, but this Dutch beauty is no slouch performance-wise. Stats: zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds; 187 mph top speed; 400 bhp at 6,000 rpm; $292,500; spykercars.com.