Talk:List of automotive superlatives/Archive 3

message: The Ariel Atom seems like it should break a couple of the records:
http://www.ariel.us.com/
* Most specific power (power to weight ratio): 657 bhp/metric ton (300 hp, 456 kg) (Source: http://www.ariel.us.com/04/specs.htm) -- This is the supercharged 300HP model
* Quickest 0-60 mph: 2.9 seconds (Source: Top Gear 12/26/2004, BBC TV)
It is supposedly road-legal with indicators and lights (Top Gear, UK only?) and in production, but I don't have figures, so who-knows.  (The Ariel (vehicle) article says 30/year, which is also a record for "Lowest-production Models," but there is no reference to where that number came from, so I'm even more skeptical on that.
-- Prometheus235 21:02, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: That's a good point - it should at least get an HM  --JonGwynne 14:38, 17 Jun 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Ariel Atom 

message: Man oh man, check out the Aston Martin DB2/4.  It had a hatchbackin 1953!  Photos here.  Anyone agree that this bumps the Austin A40 Farina?  --SFoskett 12:21, Jun 24, 2005 (UTC)
: Wow, that was unexpected. I would have said no if the car was a 2-seater, but like this... go for it! --Pc13 12:42, 2005 Jun 24 (UTC)
:: I just had to modify the hatchback listing.  Not only did Aston produce the DB2/4 for 5 years, they even updated it and included a folding rear seatback on the 1958 Mark III!  This is 7 years before the Renault 16...  Aston takes the nod!  For giggles, note that the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage is a hatchback - watch all the magazines claim that this is the first Aston with a hatch!  Sports Car International already did!  --SFoskett 21:34, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  First hatchback 

message: 1983 sounds a little early, Pc13. 1990 by Pioneer sounds a little more like it:
http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/content/company/company/history.html -- Gabriel S. 2005-07-08
: The German magazine Auto Bild published a two-page article about superlatives earlier this year. The first car to use GPS was the '83 Accord. --Pc13 July 9, 2005 09:08 (UTC)
:: According to this history of GPS: [] on September 16, 1983, "Following the Soviet downing of Korean Air flight 007, President Reagan offers to make GPS available for use by civilian aircraft, free of charge, when the system becomes operational.  This marks the beginning of the spread of GPS technology from military to civilian aircraft."  The GPS constellation was nowhere near complete in 1983.  It was years after that before civilian GPS systems became available to the public. TomTheHand July 9, 2005 14:41 (UTC)
::: Honda claims to have launched the first navigation system in the 1990 Acura Legend.  They started work in 1983, but it was an analog (non-GPS) system and wasn't offered for sale until 1990.  --SFoskett 20:27, 28 February 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  That article on Honda's website indicates they offered the first analog version for sale in 1981 as a dealer-installed accessory for the new Accord.  The 1990 version for the Legend still used the gas gyro but featured digital maps. AKADriver 22:41, 3 March 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  First GPS 

message: Removed blatantly incorrect entry for 1961 Jaguar Mark X. It was incorrectly stated as 1953 mm. When the correct figures are found, they will be far from the widest. --Zaktoo 01:10, 20 July 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Widest Track 

message: Putting aside the question of whether or not this is a meaningful sub-category, any particular reason why the Ford Taurus SHO 3.4L V8 shouldn't be listed here? My only guess is that it's because it was developed in a partnership with Yamaha. In my mind, though, it was an American company's engine, and in the days of globalization, that's good enough.
:Nothing so sinister. We just forgot. Pc13 12:36, 13 September 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Smallest american V8 

message: I very much doubt they have sold 20 of these bad boys yet but they are in production and you can buy them. And knowing the company it will be in production for a LONG time selling a few units each year. To the best of my knowledge Bristol are not given to overstatement. They currently quote 628/660bhp for the Fighter S. The higher figure is quoted as the power output 'at speed' as the engine performance is improved by ram effects. Link to their site here.
Should we wait till they have sold 20 to stick it in the list as they are VERY unlikely to quote any sales figures anyway?
:I'm not so sure about this power output "at speed" stuff.  Many high performance vehicles utilize a "ram air" effect but we don't attempt to use the power figures obtained at high speed.  Using the Bristol Fighter S's "at speed" horsepower would be an apples to oranges comparison and wouldn't really belong on the list. TomTheHand 22:28, 20 September 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Indeed the 'at speed' figure is a touch iffy. But 628hp puts it right up there. Thats more than the F1 or the MC12 which is credited with being the most powerful car offered to the public. --LiamE 10:19, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: That's a very good point.  I would like to try to verify production figures if at all possible, but it looks like the Fighter S could bump the F1 and MC12.  The reason the F1 stuck around so long is that there was some debate as to whether there may have been a bhp/PS conversion mixup and its actual horsepower figure might have been 627 hp.  The Fighter S's 628 hp would (barely) make this a moot point and bump both off the list. TomTheHand 20:16, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Looks like its right up there on torque figures too. --LiamE 23:57, 2 October 2005 (UTC)
replies: text: Anyone have any ideas as to how we might verify production figures on the Fighter S model?  Bristol's web site doesn't have a contact e-mail address, and I'm not calling London ;-) TomTheHand 18:32, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Most powerful normally aspirated car