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The Largest Cars in the World

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The Largest Car

As we mentioned in our “Are Cars Getting Bigger?” article; numerous cars have been produced throughout history that are considered exceptionally large. The average size of cars has fluctuated over time for an assortment of reasons. The first automobiles were quite petite, but flash forward to the mid twenties and many sedans were remarkably large cars such as the Model J Duesenberg’s that stretched almost 21 feet in length. Luxury cars from brands such as Duesenberg, Cadillac, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Daimler, Lincoln, McFarland and others during the twenties and thirties offered some of the largest cars ever made in terms of length.  After this time period average car sizes were fairly consistent until the 1970’s energy crisis when they sharply decreased.  Ever since the late eighties the average length of cars have been on the rebound.

Although you can judge a vehicle’s size by weight, height, length and perhaps interior dimensions, we considered that a cars length was the component most often associated with how large a car is.  Therefore, the list that we’ve compiled below of the largest cars in the world is arranged in descending order from longest car on down through the fiftieth longest.  This list includes sedans, wagons, coupes and convertible cars, however excludes pickups, SUVs, vans and other types of vehicles as we strictly wanted the list to pertain to true cars.

At least to us, the list really isn’t all that surprising seeing that the top of the it is saturated with the extended wheel base versions of ultra premium luxury cars.  Evidently Germany and England automakers love their exceptionally large cars, since the top 11 largest cars on earth are manufactured in one of these countries.  Again it’s not that surprising, since these two countries are renowned for producing some of the best cars in the world.  If Mercedes-Benz didn’t discontinue their Maybach brand after last year’s model then it would have dominated the top of the longest cars list.  Our favorite car on the top of the list is the Bentley Mulsanne, which we believe carries its lengthy proportions the best and doesn’t appear to be stretched or look like an after-thought.  Perhaps to some it’s surprising to see any Ferrari qualify as one the top 50 longest cars in the world list, but if you see this AWD 4-seater in person then its considerable length is obvious (mainly due to its massive hood).

Many car enthusiasts would guess that some of the largest cars in the past half century were Cadillac’s from the sixties and seventies.  Despite this assumption, some late model cars are actually longer.  For example, the 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase is larger than almost every Cadillac and other lengthy car of this era.  The legendary 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 sedan is longer than the Rolls-Royce at 244.8 inches, but is no match for the 2005 Maybach Exelero Coupe which stands at an incredible 245.3 inches.

Top 50 Largest Cars in the World:

1 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase 239.8 inches
2 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Sedan 230 inches
3 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe 220.9 inches
4 2013 Bentley Mulsanne 219.5 inches
5 2013 Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase 219.3 inches
6 2013 Rolls-Royce Ghost Sedan 212.6 inches
7 2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Base / Speed 208.3 inches
8 2013 Audi A8 L 207.4 inches
9 2013 Jaguar XJ XJL 206.6 inches
10 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 206.5 inches
11 2013 BMW 7-Series / Alpina B7 LWB 205.3 inches
12 2013 Lexus LS L 205 inches
13 2013 Lincoln MKS 204.1 inches
14 2013 Hyundai Equus 203.1 inches
15 2013 Ford Taurus 202.9 inches
16 2013 Audi A8 / S8 202.2 inches
17 2013 Cadillac XTS 202 inches
18 2013 Jaguar XJ XJ 201.7 inches
19 2014 Chevrolet Impala 201.3 inches
20 2013 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class 201 inches
21 2013 Maserati Quattroporte 200.7 inches
22 2013 Chevrolet Impala 200.4 inches
23 2013 Lexus LS 200 inches
24 2013 Dodge Charger 199.9 inches
25 2013 BMW Alpina B7 SWB 199.8 inches
26 2013 BMW 7-Series 199.8 inches
27 2013 Chrysler 300 198.6 inches
28 2013 Dodge Challenger 197.7 inches
29 2013 Aston Martin Rapide 197.6 inches
30 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe 197.3 inches
31 2013 BMW 6-Series 197.2 inches
32 2013 Buick LaCrosse 196.9 inches
33 2013 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo 196.8 inches
34 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class 196.7 inches
35 2013 Hyundai Genesis 196.3 inches
36 2014 Acura RLX 196.1 inches
37 2013 Tesla Model S 195.9 inches
38 2013 Porsche Panamera 195.7 inches
39 2013 Audi A7 195.6 inches
40 2013 Jaguar XF 195.3 inches
41 2013 Toyota Avalon 195.2 inches
42 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible 194.8 inches
43 2013 Infiniti M 194.7 inches
44 2013 Maserati GranTurismo MC 194.2 inches
45 2013 Lincoln MKZ 194.1 inches
46 2013 Acura TL 194 inches
47 2013 Audi A6 /S6 193.9 inches
48 2013 BMW M5 193.5 inches
49 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 193.4 inches
50 2013 Ferrari FF 193.2 inches

Largest Cars in the World – No Longer Being Produced (in recent yrs):

1 2005 Maybach Exelero Coupe 245.3 inches
2 2012 Maybach 62 S Sedan 242.7 inches
3 2012 Maybach Landaulet Convertible 242.7 inches

Large Car Pictures

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Largest Cars in the World

25 Ugliest American Cars Ever

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Ugliest Car Made

Don’t get the wrong idea here.  We are huge American car fans and still drool over ZR1 Corvettes, GTS Vipers, classic 302 Boss Mustangs, etc, unfortunately every now and then U.S. car designers get their designs horribly wrong.  These ugly cars may be completely mechanically sound, reliable, fast, luxurious and packed with all sorts of other great qualities, but still revoltingly ugly cars.

Designing cars can be an exceptionally difficult process since there are thousands of considerations that go into a car model’s design.  It seems that car companies launch ugly cars the most when they start with a clean slate of paper (so to speak) and try to create a totally fresh and new car. Without the ability to do mass test marketing prior to launch (aside from concept cars); automakers risk missing the mark with their designs and standing to lose millions and sometimes billions of dollars.  Even though a some cars are unattractive, it doesn’t guarantee that they will be a commercial flop.  The Chrysler PT Cruiser was actually a relatively big success for Chrysler Corp, even though we think it is quite an ugly automobile.  Others cars such as the Edsel, were basically universally accepted as ugly (mainly due to the awkward front grill design) and lead to that Ford subsidiary’s demise.

Few cars execute their exterior design exactly right.  Either the car has the use of too much plastic (first gen Chevy Avalanche), too large of a gap between the tire and upper wheel well, awkward light placements and so on.  As long as American cars are rolling off the assembly lines, then there will continue to be colossal failures in car design.  There is a fan out there for every model of car, no matter how incredibly ugly the majority of us think it is, so we don’t expect readers to unanimously agree with our ugly American car list.

Check out our list of the 25 ugliest cars that have originated from America and make sure to click the Like button and post a comment below to speak your mind on what you think of this list and perhaps other ugly cars that you think should have made it.

List of the Ugliest Cars Ever from the US:

  1. AMC Eagle Wagon (1979-88)
  2. Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible (2005-2010)
  3. Pontiac Aztek (2001-05)
  4. Mercury Zephyr (1978-83)
  5. AMC Gremlin (1970-78)
  6. Pontiac Trans Sport (1990-99)
  7. Oldsmobile Calais (1985-86)
  8. AMC Pacer (1975-80)
  9. Dodge Rampage (1982-84)
  10. Ford Mustang II (1974-78)
  11. Cadillac Cimarron (1982-88)
  12. Buick Skylark (1990-98)
  13. AMC Matador (1971-78)
  14. Ford Thunderbird (1980-82)
  15. Lincoln Versailles (1977-80)
  16. Edsel Corsair (1958-60)
  17. Dodge Dart (1961)
  18. Packard Hawk (1958)
  19. Plymouth Valiant (1960-66)
  20. Mercury Sable (1986-91)
  21. Chevrolet Avalanche (2001-06)
  22. Ford Ranchero (1977-79)
  23. Ford Pinto (1971-80)
  24. Lincoln MKT (2010-14)
  25. Ford Taurus Sedan (1996-97)

Ugly Car Pictures:

Best Pizza Delivery Driver Cars

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Nice Pizza Delivery Car

In the past I applied to deliver pizzas for the leading pizza restaurant chain (hint: It was founded in Wichita, KS); but I must admit that I have never actually worked as a pizza delivery driver.  Despite this I still believe that I recognize some of the central needs pizza delivery people look for in a vehicle (or would like to have). Unfortunately the ultimate cars to deliver pizzas with are also going to be the ones that most with this job are not going to be able to afford, such as the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTec Diesel.  Assuming that pizza deliverers don’t typically have $55,000 laying around for a car such as this, our list was limited to vehicles that can be purchased for less than $10,000 (used) and with under 100k miles.  The top 10 pizza car list below considers automobiles that are fairly reliable so that you don’t break down in the wrong spot at the wrong time.  It also considers vehicles with decent fuel economy since pizza delivery drivers typically quickly pile on the miles and obviously the lower the MPG of their car, the less cash they stand to net.  This list of the best pizza delivery driver cars also considers vehicles that handle well in inclement weather, since (from personal experience) people tend to use the pizza delivery option even more so when the weather is poor.

Pizza delivery is different for every worker, but mainly based on where you deliver.  If you deliver pizza pies to ghetto areas such as south central Los Angeles or certain neighborhoods in south Chicago, then you may wish that you were driving a Lenco Bearcat G3 which offers .50 caliber armor protection among other goodies.  Since that’s not an option, this list at least includes cars that have respectable acceleration in which to afford drivers the time to get out of the area quickly. Other parts of the nation such as Cleavland’s lake effect snow would prompt delivery drivers in this area to prioritize their cars based on handling in bad weather and would likely prioritize all wheel drive and full 4×4 vehicles.  Finally, other considerations were made such as the interior roominess to accommodate large pizza orders and convenience features such as heated seats and navigation systems.

Top 10 Pizza Delivery Cars (for under $10K):

2009 Smart Fortwo     What this car lacks in pizza storage it makes up for in maneuverability and is ideal for big cities where parking is limited at best. Use this little guy to pull straight into a parking gap.

2002 Audi S6 Avant Quattro     This car pretty much has it all.  Audi’s are made for individuals that like to drive and particularly the S Line, which offers impressive acceleration and handling.  This is one wagon that can blow the pants off many sports cars of its day.  The Audi also features loads of leather and pretty much heated everything.  The 4.2L V8 will get you there fast, while the wagon maximizes pizza storage.  The only downsides to this choice are the MPG and potential repair costs.

2010 Wheego Whip NEV 96 Volt     If you like the size of the Smart car, but the mpg is just too much then the Wheego Whip electric car is the way to go.  Perhaps it isn’t the most exciting car to look at or drive, but you sure will enjoy the money that you save driving this thing and dealing with tight parking situations.

2007 Toyota Corolla     What this car lacks in features such as navigation and AWD, it makes up for in savings.  You stand to save a lot of dough (pun intended) with this choice as it one of the most reliable cars of the past couple decades, offers great MPG and a fairly low mile examples can be acquired for way under the $10K mark.

2010 Toyota Yaris     While this car is no giant, its exterior looks deceptively small compared to the roominess of the interior…plenty of room for pizzas back there.  Even though the Yaris doesn’t have standard features like heated seats and navigation, it offers some excellent fuel economy and good turning radius for tight delivery situations.

2000 BMW 323Ci     BMW’s are generally reliable and this 3-series generation is no exception.  This car offers tons of nice bells and whistles for the buck, which will make your pizza delivers that much easier.  It’s not the quickest BMW ever made, but it boasts great handling and MPG (for its class).  Few Bimmer owners experience post purchase regret and you probably won’t be an exception.

2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo     If you regularly deliver pizzas in rain, snow or ice, down bumpy non-paved roads, on steep inclines or declines, then this vehicle might be the right fit for you.  Yes the gas mileage is comparatively poor, but its 4×4 capability is excellent and it comes with some nice goodies such as heated leather seats, heated mirrors and a powerful sound system to keep your deliveries fun.

2002 Toyota Prius     If gas mileage is your main concern, and if you want a longer mile range than the full electric car, then a hybrid car is the way to go.  More recent hybrids are going to break the $10K budget (even used with tons of miles) so you’re probably going to have to reach back to an early Prius.  Although these are not necessarily an overly exciting car to drive, it offers amazing MPG and can even come with a navigation system.

2001 Cadillac DeVille Limousine     You’re probably thinking that a limo is a horrible choice for this delivery job, but if you can overlook the poor maneuverability and MPG, then this beast may offer more than you think.  First of all a limousine has the pizza capacity of two minivans so when the big orders roll in you’re the obvious delivery choice.  Secondly, after your shift ends, simply throw on a sport coat, swap out your hat for a chauffeur cap and voila, you’re already at your second job and the best part is you can be your own boss.

2001 Volvo C70 Convertible     If you’re a pizza delivery person in a sunny all the time area like Southern California or South Florida, then a convertible is the only way to go.  Sure you may not always want the top down, but at least you have the option to enjoy the beautiful weather to make your deliveries a bit more enjoyable.  The C70 is a solid car.  It’s reliable, comfortable, safe and pretty quick with its turbo charged engine.  These can be had for way under $10k.

Make sure to share with your friends and post a comment below and say what you think are the best pizza delivery cars

 

Top 10 Cars for Fat People

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Fat Person Cars

If you’re thinking of buying a new car but are a bit overweight, then you may want to consider our list of the top 10 cars for fat people as a starting point.  Oh sure we could have been a tad more politically correct and laced this post with “obese”, “overweight”, “plus sized”, “big & tall” or perhaps “metabolically challenged” instead of “fat”, but screw political correctness because we could certainly lose more than a few pounds and fat is a relative term anyway. Besides, if you live in America like us then there is a reasonable chance that you technically register as obese, so welcome to the club. Darn you Big Mac!

As you search for your next vehicle you will discover that although cars are progressively becoming larger, (read this article about it), many new cars accommodate fat people about as well as regional commercial jets’ seats do – or in other words not very well.  The list below includes our picks for the best sedans to comfortably accommodate fat people in the front seats and which retail for under $50,000. We opted to limit the top 10 list to sedans since most full size SUVs, pickups and minivans already boast generous interior dimensions, although sedans can be deceptively petite on the inside.  Take for instance the 2003 and older Jaguar XJ series sedans.  Their exteriors registered as full size, while the interiors were rather pint size by comparison and were more on par with a compact cars interior.  Read our list below to see what we think is the best new cars for fat people.

Year, Make & Model Front Leg Room Front Head Room Front Shoulder Room Front Hip Room Averages
1 2013 Cadillac XTS 45.8 40.1 57.8 55.1 49.70
2 2013 Hyundai Azera 45.5 40.3 58.3 54.6 49.68
3 2014 Chevrolet Impala 45.8 39.9 57.9 54.9 49.63
4 2013 Kia Optima 45.5 40 57.3 54.7 49.38
5 2013 Ford Fusion 44.3 39.2 57.8 55 49.08
6 2013 Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300 41.8 38.6 59.5 56.2 49.03
7 2013 Infiniti M37 44 39.1 58.4 54.3 48.95
8 2013 Hyundai Genesis 44.3 38.1 58.3 54.9 48.90
9 2013 Lincoln MKS 41.9 39.7 58.6 55.3 48.88
10 2013 Ford Taurus 41.9 39 57.9 56.3 48.78

Top Cars with Pop-up Headlights

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Porsche 930 Slant Nose

Many car enthusiasts have enjoyed the sleek look of car pop-up headlights.  Although 178 models of cars have been manufactured with popup headlights; this type of headlight design is essentially obsolete today.  The practical benefit of pop-up headlamps was to allow a vehicle to be designed with a lower and sleeker front form than would be possible with the traditional upright design.  In recent years, innovations in headlight design, such as the integration of LED headlamp bulbs, has allowed headlights to be situated on relatively extreme angles and still function properly, thus eliminating the need to use pop-up headlights in cars. New safety regulations in the U.S. have also encouraged the disappearance of pop-up lights in modern cars.  Although mechanical pop-up headlights may be cool in theory, they are typically not all that reliable and always a costly complex component to replace.

Prior to purchasing my C6 Corvette I asked a Corvette mechanic at my local Chevy dealer about the differences between the C5 and C6 generations.  He quickly responded, “Go with the C6.”  When I probed him he affirmatively said, “For starters the pop-up headlights will set you back about $850 a piece and they all go out eventually.”  I was already leaning towards the C6 so that was enough to secure my decision.  Beyond this, pop-up car headlights can annoyingly be frozen shut in cold weather. Although we don’t have pop-up lights in vehicles today, there a number of other headlight innovations that are arguably just as cool.  For example…

  • Headlights that automatically activate/deactivate based on the amount of light outside
  • Headlights that self level to ensure the beam is always pointed at the intended location, such as when the car is under a load and the headlights would naturally point upwards
  • Directional headlights that sense the curve in the road ahead and move  to illuminate it
  • Headlights that automatically switch between high and low beam where appropriate, such as the Mercedes-Benz “Adaptive HIghbeam Assist” that controls the intensity of the lights to reach the back of the vehicle ahead of you
  • Night vision – obviously doesn’t eliminate the use for headlights, though offers additional clarity in night driving situations

Check out the list below of the top 25 cars with pop-up headlights and make sure to post a comment below and share what you think of automobile popup headlamps!

Top 25 Cars with Pop-up Headlights

1.)  Acura NSX (1990-01)
2.)  BMW 850CSi (1992-96)
3.)  BMW M1 (1978-81)
4.)  Chevrolet Camaro (1967-69)
5.)  Cord 810/812 (1936-37)
6.)  Corvette Stingray Coupe (1963-67)
7.)  Dodge Charger Daytona (1969-70)
8.)  Dodge Charger RT (1966-70)
9.)  Ferrari 288 GTO (1984-85)
10.)  Ferrari 308 GTS (1975-85)
11.)  Ferrari 365 Daytona (1970-76)
12.)  Ferrari F40 (1987-92)
13.)  Jaguar XJ220 (1992-94)

14.)  Lamborghini Countach (1973-90)
15.)  Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster (1998-00)
16.)  Lotus Esprit V8 (2002-04)
17.)  Maserati Ghibli (1966-73)
18.)  Maserati Merak (1972-82)
19.)  Mazda RX-7 Type R (1992-1995)
20.)  Mercury Cougar (1967-70)
21.)  Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo (1990-96)
22.)  Pontiac GTO (1968-69)
23.)  Porsche 911 SE Turbo Slant Nose (1985-89)
24.)  Porsche 928 (1978-95)
25.)  Toyota Supra Turbo (1986-93)


One of the better pop-up headlamp designs in action:

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