Guinness has withdrawn its designation of the Bugatti Veyron as the world's fastest car because the test car lacked a speed limiter present on the versions sold to the public. How a Texas Tuner and a Technicality Took Down the Worlds Fastest Car | Autopia | Wired.com Apparently, the record now belongs to Hennessey's Venom, a highly modified Lotus Exige. One could say the Tesla Roadster is a relative of the Lotus Exige due to the glider being designed by Lotus along the same lines as the Elise and Exige.
Reminds me of the competition for the tallest building. Tallest structure, highest floor, parapet, antenna, etc.