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, we will limit the list to more modern automobiles (those built after World War II) since many really odd vehicles emerged in the pre-history of the automobile industry. There is a section for early superlatives, however.

We'll also limit the list to production road cars. More than 20 examples must have been made by the original vehicle manufacturer (no tuner cars), and they must be street-legal in their indended markets.

Engine Capacity

• Straight-3
  • Smallest I3 engine - 0.55 L (543 cc/33 in³), Suzuki F5A, 1982 Suzuki Cervo
  • Largest I3 engine - 1.8 L (1779 cc/109 in³), 1984 Alfa Romeo 33 1.8 TD
    • runners-up:
      • 1.5 L (1493 cc/91 in³) Hyundai 1.5 CRDi
      • 1.4 L (1422 cc/87 in³) Volkswagen TDI
• Straight-4;
  • Smallest I4 engine - 0.55 L (548 cc/33 in³), Subaru EN05, 1984 Subaru Rex
  • Largest I4 engine - 3.4 L (3432 cc/209 in³), 1956 Ferrari 860 Monza (The Offenhauser Indy 500 was a 4.4 L but wasn't used in road cars)
• V4
  • Smallest V4 engine -
  • Largest V4 engine -
• Straight-5
  • Smallest I5 engine - 1.9 L (1921 cc/117 in³), 1981 Audi 100 1.9 E
  • Largest I5 engine - 3.5 L (3464 cc/211 in³), GM Vortec 3500
• Straight-6
  • Smallest I6 engine - 2.0 L (1971 cc/120 in³), Bristol-BMW, 1947 Bristol 400
  • Largest I6 engine - 4.8 L (4777 cc/292 in³) GM L25, 1968 Chevrolet C30
• V6
  • Smallest V6 engine - 1.6 L (1597 cc/97 in³) 6A10, 1992 Mitsubishi Lancer
    • runner-up:
      • 1.8 L (1845 cc/113 in³)) K V6, 1992 Mazda MX-3
  • Largest V6 engine - 4.3 L (4300 cc/262 in³) GM Vortec 4300
• V8
  • Smallest V8 engine - 2.0 L (1991 cc/121 in³), 1982 Ferrari 208 GTS Turbo (The tiny Coventry Climax 1.5 L V8 never made it into a road car)
  • Smallest American V8 engine - 3.5 L (3532 cc/215 in³), 1961 Buick Skylark
  • Largest V8 engine - 8.1 L (8194 cc/500 in³), 1970 Cadillac Eldorado
  • Largest small-block V8 engine - 6.7 L (6689 cc/408 in³), Ford 400 Cleveland
• V10
  • Smallest V10 engine - 5.0 L (4961 cc/303 in³), 2003 Lamborghini Gallardo (The 4.0 L 1992 Yamaha OX99 never made into production)
  • Largest V10 engine - 8.3 L (8277 cc/505 in³), 2003 Dodge Viper
• V12
  • Smallest V12 engine - 1.5 L (1497 cc/91 in³), 1947 Ferrari 125 S
  • Largest V12 engine - 7.3 L (7291 cc/445 in³), 2003 Pagani Zonda C12S
• V16
  • Smallest V16 - 1.5 L BRM racing unit, 500 hp

Dimensions

• Overall
  • Shortest (3 wheels) - 1962 Peel P50 1340 mm/52.8 in
  • Shortest (4 wheels) - 1956 Isetta 2286 mm/90 in
  • Longest - Checker Aerocar 6852 mm/269.8 in
• Wheelbase
  • Shortest wheelbase - 1956 Isetta, 1500 mm/59.1 in
    • runners-up:
      • 2003 Suzuki Twin, 1800 mm/70.9 in;
      • 1998 MCC Smart, 1812 mm/81.3 in)
  • Longest wheelbase - Checker Aerocar 4800 mm/189 in
  • Widest wheelbase - 1961 Jaguar Mark X, 1943 mm/76.5 in
• Weight
  • Lightest passenger vehicle (3 wheels) - 1962 Peel P50, 59 kg/132 lb DIN
  • Lightest passenger vehicle (4 wheels) - 1956 Isetta, 350 kg/770 lb DIN
    • runner-up:
      • 1992 LCC Rocket, 370 kg/816 lbs DIN)
  • Heaviest passenger vehicle - 2003 Hummer H2, 3900 kg/8600 lbs GVWR
• Other
  • Largest brake disc - 406 mm/16 in - 2004 Bentley Continental GT

Power

• Most powerful engine - 1100 hp (809 kW) quad-turbo W16, 2005 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
• Most powerful naturally-aspirated engine - 660 hp (485 kW) V12, 2003 Ferrari Enzo
  • Runners up:
    • 2004 Maserati MC12 Stradale, 630 hp (463 kW)
    • 1997 McLaren F1, 627 hp (461 kW)
    • 2004 Porsche Carrera GT, 612 hp (450 kW)
• Most naturally-aspirated power per liter - 120 hp (88 kW) per liter (240 hp (177 kW) 2.0 L), 2000 Honda S2000
  • The 1.3 L wankel engine in the Mazda_RX-8 produces 237 hp (175 kW), for 182.3 hp (134 kW) per litre, although rotary and piston engine displacement ratings are not generally considered compareable.
• Most Diesel power per liter - 91 hp (67.5 kW) per liter (272 hp (200 kW) 3.0 L), 2005 BMW 535d

Performance

• Highest USA EPA mileage - Honda Insight 5-speed, 61/70
• Lowest EU average fuel consumption - VW Lupo 1.2 TDI 5-speed, 2.99 L/100 km
• Quickest 0-60 mph:
  • Sports car - Tie: 1992 Bugatti EB110 SS, 1997 McLaren F1 - 3.2 seconds
  • 4-seat car - 2003 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, 4.2 seconds
  • Pickup truck - 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 - 4.9 seconds
• Slowest 0-60 mph -
• Quickest 60-0 braking:
  • Sports car -
  • 4-seat car -
  • Pickup truck -
• Highest top speed:
  • Sports car - 2005 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - 370 km/h (230 mph)
  • 4-seat car - 1989 Opel Lotus Omega, 282 km/h (175 mph) (Runner up: 2004 Audi RS6 Plus - 280 km/h (174 mph))
  • Pickup truck - 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 - 249 km/h (154.6 mph)

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 27,500,000 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 annual sales - Ford F-150, 911,597 in 2001 (22 years in a row as the top-selling single vehicle)
• Worst-selling models: (excluding limited-production vehicles)
  • Pickup truck - Lincoln Blackwood (3,356 sold in 15 months)
  • Sports car - Bricklin SV-1 (2,857 sold in 3 years)
  • SUV - Suzuki X-90 (7,205 sold in 3 years)
• World's top-selling manufacturer - General Motors, followed by Toyota and Ford Motor Company

Types

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

• First DOHC engine - 1925 Alfa Romeo 6C (Peugeot had a DOHC multivalve Grand Prix car in 1913)
• First front wheel drive - Citroën Traction Avant - 1934
• First fuel injected (non-Diesel) engine - 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
• First transverse engine front wheel drive - Mini - 1959
• First multivalve engine - 1964 Honda S600
• First six-speed gearbox - 1986 Porsche 959
• First variable-nozzle turbocharger - 1989 Shelby CSX
• First composite wheels - 1989 Shelby CSX
• First V10 vehicle - 1992 Dodge Viper
• First six-speed gearbox (non-sports car) - 1995 Fiat Punto 55 EL
• First hybrid car - Toyota Prius
• First V10 sedan - 2005 BMW M5

American types

• First standardized American automobile - Duryea Motor Wagon (1896)
• First American electric car - General Motors EV1
• First American hybrid car - Honda Insight
• First American hybrid SUV - Ford Escape Hybrid

Pre-War

• First automobile manufacturer - Panhard et Levassor (1889) (followed by Peugeot in 1891)
• First standardized automobile - Benz Velo (1894)
• First mass-produced automobile - Oldsmobile Curved Dash (1901)
• 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 $3000 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 engine - Bugatti Royale and Type 5, 14.7 L or 12.8 L depending on model