In an industry that’s ruled by regulation, it can be hard to design cars that are truly different. Sometimes, manufacturers design really strange options (which can fail miserably in breaking the mold). But, within the confines they’re given, there are certainly some car superlatives out there: the biggest, smallest, and fastest cars that ever went into production.
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The Biggest and Smallest Street-Legal Vehicles in the World
Length
Longest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Car
2016 Mercedes-Maybach Pullman
255.9 in
6,499 mm
Pickup Truck
2015 Ford F-650/750 Diesel SuperCab
281.0 in
7,137 mm
SUV
Ford Excursion
226.7 in
5,758 mm
Van
Iveco Daily
300.3 in
7,628 mm
Shortest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Shortest Vehicle
1962 -65 Peel P50
52.8 in
1,340 mm
Width – (Without mirrors)
Widest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Car
1954 Chrysler Crown Imperial
82.9 in
2,105 mm
Pickup Truck
Dodge Ram 3500 DRW
96.0 in
2,438 mm
SUV
1992 -2006 Hummer H1
86.5 in
2,197 mm
Van
Mercedes-Benz Vario
88.2 in
2,240 mm
Narrowest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Narrowest Vehicle
1962 -65 Peel P50
39.0 in
990 mm
Height
Tallest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Car
1904-9 Fiat 60 HP
100.4 in
2,550 mm
Pickup Truck
Brabus Unimog U500 Black Edition
116.4 in
2,956 mm
SUV
Ford Excursion
80.4 in
2,042 mm
Van
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
120.3 in
3,055 mm
Lowest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Lowest Vehicle
1956 -58 Lotus Eleven
31.9 in
810 mm
Curb Weight
Heaviest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Car
1938 -43 Mercedes-Benz 770 W150
10,582 lb
4,800 kg
Pickup Truck
International XT
14,551 lb
6,600 kg
SUV
2008 Conquest Knight XV
13,000 lb
5,900 kg
Van
Mercedes-Benz Vario
9,656 lb
4,380 kg
Lightest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Lightest Vehicle
1962 -65 Peel P50
130 lb
9 kg
Engine displacement
Largest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
/td>
1912 -18 Pierce-Arrow Model 6-66 Raceabout
and
1912 -14 Peerless Model 6-60
824.0 cid
13,503 cc
Smallest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
/td>
1962 -65 Peel P50
3.0 cid
49 cc
Horsepower
Highest
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Car
Koenigsegg Regera
1,118 kW
1,499 bhp / 1,520 PS
Pickup Truck
2014 HSV Maloo GTS
430 kW
577 bhp / 585 PS
SUV
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8
591.9 kW
794 bhp / 805 PS
Van
2014 Chevrolet Express
and
GMC Savana
255 kW
342 bhp / 347 PS
Highest Torque
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Car
2016 Bugatti Chiron
1,180 lbf·ft
1,600 N·m
Pickup Truck
2017 Ford Super Duty 6.7 Powerstroke
925 lbf·ft
1,254 N·m
SUV
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8
822 lbf·ft
1,115 N·m
Van
2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana
525 lbf·ft
712 N·m
Other Vehicle Superlatives
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Fastest Acceleration
2015 Porsche 918 Spyder
0 to 100 km/h in 2.2 seconds
0 to 62 mph 2.2 in seconds
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Highest Top Speed
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
268 mph
431 km/h
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Highest RPM Redline
Ariel Atom 500
10,500 rpm
Category
Vehicle Name
Measurement 1
Measurement 2
Most Expensive Production Vehicle
Koenigsegg Trevita
$4,850,000
/td>
Least Expensive Production Vehicle
1922 Briggs & Stratton Flyer
$125
($1,789 in 2016 dollars)
What is the fastest car in the world?
To figure out what is the world’s fastest car in production, you have to first define what is meant by “fastest.” Most people think it’s the fastest acceleration speed; for that, there’s the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder, capable of going from zero to 62 mph in 2.2 seconds. On the other hand, a different metric would be how fast a car can go; the Bugatti Veyron Super Spot clocks in at 268 mph, which is a little more than four times legal limit of most of the U.S. and nearly a third of the speed needed to break the sound barrier.
When it comes to sheer power, though, you might want to instead consider pure engine power or the highest horsepower cars, like the Koenigsegg Regera (in the car category) or the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 (in the SUV category). There’s also other factors, like the highest torque, which goes to another Bugatti, the 2016 Bugatti Chiron.
What is the biggest car in the world?
The “biggest” car is also hard to define, but the heaviest car that’s gone into production is the International XT in the pickup truck category and the 1938-43 Mercedes-Benz 770 W150 in the car category, an old-school, WWII-era car that can only really described as a beautiful monster.
You could also consider “biggest” dimensionally. The longest car is a van, the Iveco Daily. The widest car is a truck, the Dodge Ram 3500 DRW. And the tallest is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, another van.
What is the smallest car in the world?
It’s much easier to define the world’s smallest car that ever went into production. While the lowest car is the 1956-58 Lotus Eleven, the shortest, narrowest, lightest, and essentially smallest car is the Peel P50. It’s also pretty cute.
The Peel P50 was a three-wheeled, one-seat car with one door, one windshield wiper, and one headlight. It was smaller than most golf carts. It was designed in the tiny Isle of Man in the United Kingdom. It’s also an auction favorite since only 27 are known to exist. It wasn’t exactly popular, likely because of the manual reverse functionality.
Other Car Superlatives
Car Engine: The largest car engine in terms of engine displacement is a tie between the 1912-18 Pierce-Arrow Model 6-66 Raceabout and the 1912-14 Peerless Model 6-60. Both cars are from a time when car technology was changing and companies were trying to really push the envelope.
Most Expensive: The most expensive production car ever was more than $4 million: the Koenigsegg Trevita.
Best MPG: Ruling out all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, the best and highest MPG is currently the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid with 58 combined MPG. For all-gas vehicles, the result may surprise you: The best all-gasoline car for MPG was the 1986 Chevrolet Sprint ER at an amazing 48 combined MPG. How did it beat out so many modern cars? It was extremely light and had a three-cylinder engine.
These are some ways that the industry has gotten exciting: from the tiny Peel P50 to that massive WWII Mercedes-Benz to the super-fast cars of today. Which superlative record will break next?