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List of automotive superlatives

This page lists superlatives of the automobile industry – that is, the smallest, largest, fastest, lightest, best-selling, and other such topics.

In order to keep the entries relevant, the list (except for the Firsts section) will be limited to automobiles built after World War II. Many odd vehicles emerged in the early days of the automobile industry. There is a section for early superlatives, however.

The list will also be limited to production road cars that meet the following conditions:

  1. 20 or more examples must have been 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
  2. They must be street-legal in their intended markets and capable of passing any tests or inspections required to be granted this status
  3. They must have been built for retail sale to consumers for their personal use on public roads – no commercial or industrial vehicles are eligible

Table of contents

Engine capacity

  • Straight-3
    • Smallest I3 engine (petrol) – 0.55 L (543 cc/33 in³) – 1982 Suzuki Cervo F5A
    • Smallest I3 engine (Diesel) – 0.8 L (799 cc/48.8 in³) – 2000 Smart Fortwo cdi
    • Largest I3 engine (petrol) – 1.2 L (1198 cc/73 in³) – 2002 Volkswagen Polo/Seat Ibiza 1.2
    • Largest I3 engine (Diesel) – 1.8 L (1779 cc/109 in³) – 1984 Alfa Romeo 33 1.8 TD
  • Straight-4;
    • Smallest I4 engine (petrol) – 0.36 L (358 cc/21.8 in³) – 1961 P360 Carol OHV
    • Smallest I4 engine (Diesel) – 1.25 L (1248 cc/65 in³) – 2003 Fiat Panda Multijet
    • Largest I4 engine (petrol) – 3.2 L (3188 cc/194.5 in³) – 1961 Pontiac Tempest 195
    • Largest I4 engine (Diesel) – 4.3 L (4334 cc/278 in³) – Isuzu NKR 4HF1
  • V4
    • Smallest V4 engine – 0.9 L (903 cc/55 in³) – 1939 Lancia Ardea V4
    • Largest V4 engine – 2.6 L (2568 cc/157 in³) – 1930 Lancia Lambda V4
  • Straight-5
    • Smallest I5 engine (petrol) – 1.9 L (1921 cc/117 in³) – 1981 Audi 100 1.9 E
    • Smallest I5 engine (Diesel) – 2.0 L (1986 cc/121 in³) – 1978 Audi 100 2.0 D
    • Largest I5 engine (petrol) – 3.5 L (3464 cc/211 in³) – 2004 GM Atlas L52 3500
    • Largest I5 engine (Diesel) – 3.5 L (3469 cc/212 in³) – 1990 Land Cruiser 1PZ Diesel
  • V6
    • Smallest V6 engine (petrol) – 1.6 L (1597 cc/97 in³) – 1992 Mitsubishi Lancer 6A10
      • Others: 1.8 L (1845 cc/113 in³) – 1992 Mazda MX-3 K8
    • Smallest V6 engine (Diesel) – 2.5 L (2497 cc) – 1996 Audi/VW 2.5 TDi (in multiple cars)
    • Largest V6 engine (petrol) – 4.3 L (4300 cc/262 in³) – 1985 GM Vortec 4300
    • Largest V6 engine (Diesel) – 4.3 L (4304 cc/262 in³) – 1982 GM LT6
  • V10
    • Smallest V10 engine – 4.9 L (4921 cc/301 in³) – Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI
      • Others: 4.0 L – 1992 Yamaha OX99 (never produced)
    • Largest V10 engine – 8.3 L (8277 cc/505 in³) – 2003 Dodge Viper
  • V12
    • Smallest V12 engine – 2.0 L (1995 cc/122 in³) – 1948 Ferrari 166 Inter Colombo
    • Largest V12 engine – 7.0 L (6996c cc/427 in³)- 1998 Lister Storm
      • Honorable mention: 7.3 L (7291 cc/445 in³) – 2003 Pagani Zonda C12S used an AMG-tuned version of that same Mercedes engine but was build in 15 units only.
Note: The 6.0 L (366 in³) V16 in the 1995 Cizeta-Moroder V16T is the only post-war V16 production engine. A 13.6 L V16 was used in the General Motors concept car Cadillac Sixteen.

Dimensions

Overall

  • Shortest (3 wheels) – 1340 mm (52.8 in) – 1962 Peel P50
  • Shortest (4 wheels) – 2286 mm (90 in) – 1956 Isetta
  • Longest – 6,426 mm (253 in) – 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five
    • Honorable mention – 6852 mm (269.8 in) – Checker Aerocar (Not a consumer vehicle)
  • Lowest
  • Highest

Wheelbase

  • Shortest wheelbase – 1500 mm (59.1 in) – 1956 Isetta
    • Others:
      • 1800 mm (70.9 in) – 2003 Suzuki Twin
      • 1812 mm (81.3 in) – 1998 Smart Fortwo
  • Longest wheelbase – 151.5 in (3848 mm) – 1971–1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five sedan
    • Honorable mention – 4800 mm (189 in) – Checker Aerocar (Not a consumer vehicle)

Track

Weight

  • Lightest passenger vehicle (3 wheels) – 59 kg (132 lb) DIN – 1962 Peel P50
  • Lightest passenger vehicle (4 wheels) – 350 kg (770 lb) DIN – 1956 Isetta
    • Others:
      • 370 kg (816 lb) DIN – 1992 LCC Rocket
  • Heaviest passenger vehicle – 3428 kg (7558 lb) curb weight – 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha

Other

Power

Most power

Most torque

  • Petrol (naturally-aspirated) – 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 – 712 Nm (525 ft·lbf) – 8.3 liter (505 in³) V10 engine.
  • Petrol (forced-induction) – 2003 Mercedes CL 65 AMG – 1000 Nm (736 ft·lbf) – 6.0 liter (366 in³) turbocharged V12 engine.
  • Diesel – 2005 Dodge Ram (Cummins 610 Turbodiesel), 826 Nm (610 ft·lbf)

Most specific power (power to weight ratio)

Most specific power (power per unit volume)

Honorable mention: 125 hp (92 kW)/liter – 2000 Honda S2000 F20C (250 hp (184 kW) JIS 2.0 L I4)
Note: The 250 bhp (186 kW) version was available in Japan only. For the rest of the world, the engine produced 240 bhp. Also, the 2.0 L engine is no longer available in North America, it has been replaced by a 240 hp (109 hp/L) 2.2 L F22C1

Most specific torque (torque per unit volume)

  • Petrol (naturally-aspirated) – 114 Nm (84 ft.lbf)/litre (370 Nm (273 ft.lbf)) – 2003 BMW M3 CSL
  • Petrol (forced-induction) – 206.6 Nm (152.2 ft.lbf)/litre (412 Nm (304 ft.lbf)) – 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi (japanese market)
    • Honorable mention: 233.6 Nm (172.1 ft.lbf)/litre – 700 Nm/516&ft.lbf Dauer 962, road-going Porsche 962 replica
  • Diesel – 187.1 Nm (138 ft.lbf)/litre (560 Nm (413 ft.lbf)) – 2005 BMW 535d

Performance

  • Highest USA EPA mileage – 61/70 mpg – 2005 Honda Insight 5-speed
  • Lowest EU average fuel consumption – 2.99 L/100 km (78.6 mpg (US)) – 2002 VW Lupo 1.2 TDI 5-speed
  • Quickest 0–60 mph:
    • 3.2 s – 2001 Koenigsegg CCR
      • Honorable mention – 3.1 sec – 2004 Caterham CSR 260 – (Note: the Caterham's status as a "production car" is disputed)
      • Honorable mention – 2.8 seconds – 2005 Ultima GTR [1] – (Note: production numbers for GTR are not available and the GTR's status as a "production car" is disputed)
    • Sports car (4 seat) – 3.8 s – 2000 TVR Cerbera (4.5 liter version)
    • 4-door car – 3.5 s – 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII FQ400 2.0 L (Note: the FQ400's status as a "production car" is disputed)
    • Pickup truck – 4.9 s – 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10
  • Quickest 0–100–0 mph:
    • Sports car (2 seat) – 11.5 sec – McLaren F1 LM (Note: this is the best 0–100–0 time for an undisputed production car)
      • Honorable mention: 10.73 sec – 2004 Caterham 500 – (Note: the Caterham's status as a "production car" is disputed)
      • Honorable mention: 9.8 seconds – 2005 Ultima GTR [2] – (Note: production numbers for GTR are not available and the GTR's status as a "production car" is disputed)
  • Highest top speed:
    • Sports car – 390 km/h (242.4 mph) – Koenigsegg CCR
    • 4-door car – 282 km/h (175 mph) – 1989 Lotus Carlton
    • Pickup truck – 249 km/h (154.6 mph) – 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10

Sales

  • Best-selling models:
    • Best-selling car nameplate – Toyota Corolla (more than 27,000,000 sold in nine generations since 1966)
    • Best-selling vehicle nameplate – Ford F-Series (more than 29,000,000 sold since 1948)
    • Best-selling single model – Volkswagen Beetle (more than 21,000,000 of the same basic design sold worldwide between 1947 and 2003)
    • Best-selling sports car – Ford Mustang (more than 7,800,000 of five generations sold between 1964 and 2004)
    • Best-selling 2-seat car – Mazda MX-5 Miata (more than 700,000 of two generations sold between 1989 and 2004)
    • Best single-year sales – over 912,000 – 2004 Ford F-150 (23 years in a row as the top-selling single vehicle, 28 years as the best-selling truck in the USA)
  • Lowest-production models: (excluding limited-production vehicles)
    • Pickup truck – avg. 223 per month, Lincoln Blackwood (3,356 sold in 15 months)
    • Sports car – avg. 6 per month, Toyota 2000GT (337 sold in 5 years)
      • Honorable mention: avg. 79 per month, Bricklin SV-1 (2,857 sold in 3 years)
    • SUV – avg. 4 per month, Lamborghini LM002 (301 sold in 6 years)
      • Honorable mention: avg. 200 per month, Suzuki X-90 (7,205 sold in 3 years)
  • Marques and manufacturers:

Firsts

Full-production vehicles are listed here. Many were preceded by racing-only cars.

Engine types

Engine technologies

Body

Transmission

Layout

Suspension

Brakes

Driver-aids

Passive-restraint

Tires

  • First use of pneumatic tires – 1895 Peugeot L'Eclair (Michelin)
  • First standard pneumatic tires – 1896 Bollee Voiturette
  • First radial-ply tires – 1949 Michelin "X" (patented in 1946)
  • First self-repairing tires – 1950 Goodyear

Lighting/electrical

Other

American types

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 $3200 in inflation-adjusted 2004 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 I4 – 12.9 L (12867 cc/785 in³) – 1903 Dietrich-Bugatti Type 5
  • Largest pre-war I6 – 13.5 L (13518 cc/824.8 in³) – 1914 Peerless and Pierce-Arrow (tie)
  • Largest pre-war I8 – 12.8 L (12763 cc/778 in³) – 1929 Bugatti Royale

See also







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