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List of automotive superlatives

 
Wikipedia: List of automotive superlatives

Contents

Automobiles are frequently judged in their industry by many superlatives: the smallest, largest, fastest, lightest, best-selling, and so on. They vary greatly in size, engine displacement, power, price, and many other traits.

In order to keep the entries relevant, the list (except for the firsts section) is limited to automobiles built after World War II, and lists superlatives for earlier vehicles separately. The list is also limited to production road cars that:

  1. are constructed principally for retail sale to consumers, for their personal use, and to transport people on public roads (no commercial or industrial vehicles are eligible);
  2. have had 20 or more instances made by the original vehicle manufacturer, and offered for commercial sale to the public in new condition (cars modified by either professional tuners or individuals are not eligible); and;
  3. are street-legal in their intended markets, and capable of passing any official tests or inspections required to be granted this status.

Vehicle dimensions

Overall

Wheelbase

Track

  • Widest Front - 1,920 mm (75.6 in) - 2002 Unimog U5000
  • Widest Rear - 1,920 mm (75.6 in) - 2002 Unimog U5000
  • Narrowest Front - 990 mm (39.0 in) - Peel P50
  • Narrowest Rear - 521 mm (20.5 in) - Isetta

Weight

Engines

Engine displacement

Smallest

  • 49 cubic centimetres (3.0 cu in) - 1963 Peel P50

Largest

Power

Highest power

Highest specific power (power to weight ratio)

  • 1045 hp/metric ton (1.91 lb/hp) - 2007 Caparo T1 V8 engine 429 kW (583 PS; 575 hp) and 470 kg (1,036 lb)

Highest specific engine output (power/unit displacement)

Torque

Highest torque

Highest specific torque (torque/unit displacement)

The mean effective pressure (MEP) is a useful comparison tool, giving the average cylinder pressure exerted on the piston.

  • Petrol engine (naturally-aspirated) - 120 N·m (89 ft·lbf) per litre - Ferrari 458 Italia 540 N·m (398 ft·lbf)
  • Petrol engine (forced-induction) - MEP 34 bar, 271 N·m (200 ft·lbf) per litre - 2009 Mitsubishi Evo X MR FQ-400 542 N·m (400 ft·lbf)
  • Petrol engine (naturally-aspirated pistonless rotary engine) - MEP 21.5 bar, 170.8 N·m (126.0 ft·lbf) per litre - 2005 Mazda RX-8 222 N·m (164 ft·lbf)
  • Petrol (forced-induction pistonless rotary engine) - MEP 28.4 bar, 226.3 N·m (166.9 ft·lbf) per litre - 1995 Mazda RX-7 Turbo 294 N·m (217 ft·lbf)
  • Diesel engine - MEP unknown, 203 N·m (150 ft·lbf) per litre - 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 250CDI BlueEfficiency 500 N·m (369 ft·lbf)
  • diesel engine - MEP Unknown, bmw 535d 580NM (428lb/ft)199.97nm per litre not in ac schnitzer spec is as high as 680NM and still comes with a full warenty

Economy

  • Highest USA EPA mileage - 48 mpg-US (4.9 L/100 km; 58 mpg-imp)/60 mpg-US (3.9 L/100 km; 72 mpg-imp) - 2001 Honda Insight 5-speed
    • Note: in 2007 the EPA changed its measurement standards, changing the rating to 48 mpg-US (4.9 L/100 km; 58 mpg-imp)/58 mpg-US (4.1 L/100 km; 70 mpg-imp)
  • Lowest USA EPA mileage - 6 mpg-US (39 L/100 km; 7.2 mpg-imp)/10 mpg-US (24 L/100 km; 12 mpg-imp) - 1986-1990 Lamborghini Countach
  • Lowest EU fuel consumption - 2.99 L/100 km (94.5 mpg-imp; 78.7 mpg-US) - 2002 VW Lupo 1.2 TDI 5-speed
  • Highest EU fuel consumption - 24.1 L/100 km (11.7 mpg-imp; 9.76 mpg-US) combined city/hwy 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
  • Longest 90% range - 1600 km (994 mi) - 2009 Mercedes E220 CDI with 6-speed manual and optional 80 L (21 US gal; 18 imp gal) fuel tank, calculated by using extra-urban Euro cycle mileage of 4.5 L/100 km (63 mpg-imp; 52 mpg-US)

Price

Performance

Acceleration

  • Quickest 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) - 2.46 seconds - 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4[2]
  • Quickest 0 to 100 mph (0 to 161 km/h) - 5.3 seconds Ultima GTR[3]
  • Quickest 0 to 200 km/h (0 to 124 mph) - 7.4 seconds - Auto Motor und Sport - 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4[citation needed]
  • Quickest 0 to 300 km/h (0 to 186 mph) - 18.2 seconds, Auto Motor Und Sport - 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
  • Quickest 0 to 400 km/h (0 to 249 mph) - 55 seconds - 2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4[citation needed]

Top speed

  • Highest top speed: SSC Ultimate Aero TT 412.28 km/h (256.18 mph)[citation needed]

Sales

See also List of bestselling vehicle nameplates
  • Best-selling models:

Firsts

Full-production vehicles are listed here. Many were preceded by racing-only cars. This list only includes developments that lead to widespread adoption across the automotive industry.

Industry

Engine types

Engine technologies

Hybrid vehicles

Body

Transmission

Layout

Suspension

Brakes

Driver-aids

Passive Restraint

Active restraint

Tires/Tyres

Lighting

Electrical system

Climate control

In-car electronics and entertainment

Other

Pre-War

  • Best-selling pre-war vehicle - Ford Model-T (15,000,000 sold between 1908 and 1928)
  • Least-expensive full-featured automobile - 1927 Ford Model-T ($300 is about $3500 in inflation-adjusted 2005 dollars)
  • Largest vehicle - Bugatti Royale - 21 ft (6.4 m) long, 180 in (4.57 m) or 170 in (4.32 m) wheelbase depending on model
  • Largest pre-war Straight-4 - 21495 cc (1312 in3) - 1912 Benz 82/200
  • Largest pre-war Straight-6 - 21112 cc (1288 in3) - 1905 Panhard et Levassor 50 CV
  • Largest pre-war Straight-8 - 12763 cc (779 in³) - 1929 Bugatti Royale production car; the prototype had a 14726 cc engine
  • Largest pre-war V12 - 11310 cc (690 in³) - 1933 Hispano-Suiza Type 68bis

See also

References

  1. ^ "Physical Dimensions for Fleetwood Limousines". mindspring.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20070402083046/http://www.mindspring.com/~dburden/wheelbase.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  2. ^ "2.5 – 7.3 – 16.7 – 55.6". Bugatti.com. http://www.bugatti.com/en/veyron-16.4/technology/acceleration.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  3. ^ "Video: Ultima GTR sets new 0-100-0mph record". LeftLaneNews.com. http://www.leftlanenews.com/video-ultima-gtr-sets-new-0-100-0mph-record.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  4. ^ "Ford F-Series Sets New Monthly Sales Record .: News". Ford-trucks.com. http://www.ford-trucks.com/news/idx/12/264/2005/article/FORD_FSERIES_SETS_NEW_MONTHLY_SALES_RECORD_.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  5. ^ Wise, David Burgess, "De Dion: The Aristocrat and the Toymaker", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. The World of Automobiles (London: Orbis Publishing, 1974), Volume 5, p.514
  6. ^ de Dion
  7. ^ "Craig's Rotary Page: LADA rotary cars from Russia/USSR". Cp_www.tripod.com. http://cp_www.tripod.com/rotary/pg07.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  8. ^ Georgano, p.43.
  9. ^ Georgano, p.68.
  10. ^ Georgano, p.75.
  11. ^ Volkswagen Group / Volkswagen AG - Volkswagen-Media-Services.com (22 November 2002). "Volkswagen DSG - World's first dual-clutch gearbox in a production car". Press release. https://www.volkswagen-media-services.com/medias_publish/ms/content/en/pressemitteilungen/2002/11/22/volkswagen_dsg_-_world.standard.gid-oeffentlichkeit.html. Retrieved 30 October 2009. 
  12. ^ Georgano, p.58.
  13. ^ Georgano, p.181.
  14. ^ Georgano, p.186.
  15. ^ "Technology | Self-parking car hits the shops". BBC News. 2003-09-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3198619.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  16. ^ "Saab Innovations at The SaabMuseum.com - a comprehensive and up-to-date history of Saab cars". Saabmuseum.com. http://www.saabmuseum.com/innovations/index.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  17. ^ Georgano, p.49.
  18. ^ Georgano, p.25.
  19. ^ "AutoSpeed - Burger With the Lot". Autospeed.drive.com.au. http://autospeed.drive.com.au/cms/A_1718/article.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 
  20. ^ "Honda Worldwide | History". World.honda.com. http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1981navigationsystem/index.html. Retrieved 2009-10-31. 

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