When it comes to making performance cars, one factor that is always considered is weight, in addition to many other things. Weight reduction is often used with race cars when trying to shave some time off a track time. One might assume that the massive cars that were produced in the 80’s would be way heavier than say the more modern smaller one. According to Slate, “the average new car weights 3221 lbs in 1987, but 4009 lbs in 2010” and this number has increased since then due to a lot reasons.
While advanced technology like unibody designs, and the usage of lighter material you would think our cars would be getting lighter. But the increased weight has a lot to do with that fact that they have more options, added technology, more powerful engines, upgraded safety features and many other luxurious options that we choose to have. Slate also mentions that the heavier the car is the safer it is for the person driving it.
While some may assume that heavy cars are always slow, but that’s not always true now a days. Here are some examples of cars who break that stigma, and 20 cars that are incredibly heavy that actually go insanely fast.
20 BMW 760Li
The BMW 760 may be a massive luxury sedan, but don’t let its looks fool you. According to Car and Driver, the 760 packs a twin turbo-turbo charged V12 under her hood.
The 760 weighs in at 5250 lbs. but that doesn’t mean she can’t boogie.
The boosted V12 is good for 601 hp at 5500 rpms and 590 lb/ft of torque. The 760 needs less than 3.5 seconds for 0-60 and less than 8 to get up to 100 mph.
19 Dodge Demon
Dodge wowed the world with the first street legal track intended vehicle calling it the Demon. The production was limited to 3300 units with 300 going to Canada and 3000 for the states. According to Car and Driver, the supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi is good for 808 hp and 717 lb/ft of torque. Add the crate package and some 100-octane fuel into the equation and you can get the Demon’s numbers up to 840 hp and 770 lb/ft, which is even more impressive considering the massive Demon weighs over two tons at 4300 lbs.
18 Dodge Magnum SRT8
The SRT Magnum was a wagon that was made for a few short years, and it was sure to get your kids to soccer practice on time.
The Magnum received the 6.1-liter Hemi that was good for 420 hp and 425 lb/ft of torque.
The wagon may have weighed over two tons at 4379 lbs., but that didn’t mean it wasn’t quick. The Magnum need just 13.6 to get a ¼ mile done, and needed 5.1 seconds to do 0-60. Now that is a fast wagon!
17 Pontiac G8 GXP
Once upon a time there was a car brand named Pontiac. They were even once serious contenders in NASCAR with their Grand Prix. Similar to the Grand Prix, is its sister the G8 GXP which was also 4-door sedan. According to Car and Driver, the GXP comes packed with a 6.2-liter LS3 that also comes under the hood of the Corvette. The G8 is just shy of the 2-ton mark weighting 3980 lbs.; with that being said The G8 needed just 4.7 to do 0-60 and can get a ¼ mile done in 13.3. It may not be as fast as a NASCAR stock car, but it makes enough power to be a threat at the track.
16 Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon
The AMG E63 S Wagon is not just your ordinary station wagon, coming standard with air ride and a luxurious cabin. The Wagon also comes stocked with something not so ordinary under its hood; a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter. According to Car and Driver, the AMG’s power plant is good for 603 hp at 6500 rpm and 627 lb/ft of torque at just 2500 rpm. While the wagon weighs in at 4697 lbs it only needs 3 seconds to do 0-60 and runs a quarter mile in 11.2 seconds. It also will cost you well over 100K just for the base model.
15 Chrysler 300 SRT8
What some people may not know is the 300 and the Magnum were the original SRT8s, coming out in 2005 while the rest of the SRT8 family (Charger, Challenger, and Jeep) didn’t come until following years.
The 300 SRT8 comes standard with a 6.1-liter Hemi that is good for 425 hp at 6200 rpm and 420 lb/ft of torque at 4800 rpm.
The 300 may weigh in at 4212 lbs., but it only needed just 4.7 seconds to do 0-60 and can get a ¼ mile done in just 13.2.
14 Dodge Charger SRT8
The Charger SRT Hellcat didn’t seem to get as much attention as its sister the Dodge Challenger Hellcat, but that doesn’t make it any less fast. The Charger may be a four-door sedan that according to Car and Driver weighs 4592 lbs., but it can still can down. The supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi is capable of making 707 hp at 6000 rpm and 650 lb/ft of torque at 4800 rpm just like the Challenger. You could drop the kids off to soccer practice and then head to track to get a few runs as the Hellcat needs just 11.4 seconds to get a quarter mile done.
13 Ford Taurus SHO
The SHO first made its debut back in the 80’s when Ford first made the sleeper. The SHO making a then impressive 220 in both the torque and horsepower department. The updated version is still a 4-door sedan but now comes with 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine that is capable of making 365 hp at 5500 and 350 lb/ft of torque at just 1500 rpm. According to Ford, the SHO weighs in at 4350 lbs., but it doesn’t let it weight hinder its speed. The SHO needs just 13.7 seconds to run a quarter mile, doing 0-60 in 5.2 seconds.
12 Volkswagen Phaeton
The Volkswagen Phaeton was introduced to the world in 2004. This was Volkswagen's first attempt at making a full-sized luxury sedan that could compete with Mercedes and BMW. The Phateon came with a 6.0-liter W12 that Car and Driver describes as two V6’s that are form a W. According to Car and Driver the Phateon’s power plant is good for 420 hp at 6000 rpm and 406 lb/ft of torque at 3250 rpm.
The massive Phateon weighs in at 5436 lbs., but it doesn’t let its larger size slow it down.
The Phaeton can do 0-60 5.5 seconds and gets a ¼ mile done in 14 seconds flat.
11 Bentley Continental GT
Next on the list is the Bentley Continental GT Coupe. According to Car and Driver the snotty twin-turbo charged 6.0-liter W12 that can make 626 hp at 6000 rpm and 664 lb/ft of torque at just 1350 rpms. The GT coupe has a top speed of 191 mph. The boys on Top Gear even once drove one up a ski slope, and it did surprisingly well.The Continental weigh in at 5050 lbs., which is crazy considering it’s a coupe!
10 Mercedes Maybach
Mercedes has always been known for making luxury sedans, but when they teamed up with Maybach they took it to a whole other level. The Maybach is huge, it weighs in at 5143 lbs. and offers 40 inches of leg room for the rear passengers. Just because it is luxurious doesn’t mean it isn’t fast too. According to Car and Driver, the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter can make 463 at 5500 rpm and 516 lb/ft of torque at just 2000 rpm. They Mayback can do 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and a ¼ mile time of 13.1 seconds.
9 Bentley Flying Spur
According to Car and Driver, the Bentley Flying Spur is considered Bentley’s entry level vehicle.
The massive Flying Spur weighs in at an incredible 5509 lbs.
The Bentley comes standard with a twin-turbo charged V8 that is capable of making 521 hp at 6000 rpm and 502 lb/ft of torque at just 1700 rpm. But if that isn’t enough power for you there is a W-12 cylinder engine that is capable of making 626 hp that is available as an upgrade. The V8 is plenty fast as it can do a quarter mile sprint in just 12.8 seconds, needing just 4.2 to do 0-60.
8 Porsche Panamera
Back in 2010 Porsche released its first four-door door, calling it the Panamera. The fastest of the Panamera power trains is the hybrid option with some forced induction that is. The twin-turbo charged 4.0-liter V8 and added battery pack makes a combined power of 680 hp at 516 lb/ft of torque. According to Car and Driver the Porsche weighs in at 5300 lbs. But the Panamera doesn’t let its weight slow it down, needing just 11.1 seconds to get a quarter mile done, needing less than three to get 60 mph.
7 Rolls-Royce Phantom
Rolls- Royce has been making their luxury vehicles since 1925, The Phantom weighs in at 5650 lbs. According to Car and Driver, The Phantom has “about 287 lbs. of sound-insulating material, plus double-glazed windows” which adds to the Phantoms massive weight. Another contributing weight factor is the Phantoms massive 6.7-liter V12 that makes 563 hp and 664 lb/ft of torque at just 1700 rpm. The Phantom can do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds and can get a ¼ mile done under 13.
6 Dodge Hellcat Challenger
The Hellcat Challenger weight over 100 lbs. less than its sister the Hellcat Charger mentioned earlier on the list. Nevertheless the 2-door Challenger is still heavy, weighing in at 4448 lbs, but one thing is for sure, it’s nowhere near a lightweight when it comes to its power.
According to Car and Driver the 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi is good for 707 hp and 650 lb/ft of torque.
The Hellcat needs just 3.8 seconds and can put down a quarter mile in less than 12.
5 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
The next on the list is the wagon version of the CTS-V. The CTS-V was a five-door wagon, that weighed in at 4393 lbs. The Cadillac's supercharged 6.2-liter is good for 556 hp at 6100 rpm and 551 lb/ft of torque at 3800 rpm. The wagon needing just 12.3 seconds to get a ¼ mile done and can do 0-60 in four seconds flat. The CTS-V wagon is still a very sought-after vehicle. Road and Track recently wrote a story about one with just 362 miles on the odometer that the owner was asking 85k for!
4 Audi S5
The Audi S6 is essentially a sportier version of Audi’s A6. The S6 comes stocked with a turbo-charged V8 that can churn out 450 hp at 6400 rpm and 406 lb/ft of torque at just 1400 rpm. The S6 also comes equipped with cylinder deactivation option that will shut off cylinders that aren’t needed when cruising on the highways to increase fuel efficiency. According to Car and Driver the S6 weighs in at 4350 lbs. The S6 needs just 12.4 seconds to get a quarter mile done, and can do 0-60 in under 4.
3 BMW M5
The M series is the performance division of BMW, with the M5 being the largest of the series. The M5 weigh in at 4300 lbs, which is one of the lighter cars to make the list; but its performance is anything but light.
The M5 comes packed with a twin-turbo charged 4.4-liter V8 that is good for 617 hp at 6000 rpm and 553 lb/ft of torque at just 1800 rpms.
The M5 can get a quarter mile in just under 11 seconds, and needs just 2.8 to do 0-60. The M5 does have the option to upgrade to an AWD suspension, calling it the M5 Competition, which will most likely shave some time off the 1/4 mile and 0-60 time.
2 Tesla Model S P85D
Tesla is known for being super-fast all electric luxury vehicles. Another thing they are known for is being pricey as the new P85D starting price is over 100k, with lots of pricey upgrades available. According to Car and Driver the Model S P85D weighs in at 5010 lb. This is due to the fact that it has both front and rear electric motors. The front producing 221 ho and 243 lb/ft of torque and the rear producing 416 hp and 687 lb/ft of torque for a total of 464 hp and 687 lb/ft of torque.
1 Bentley Mulsanne Speed
Bentley is known for making massive luxury cars, even being mentioned earlier on the list with the Continental Gt Coupe. According to Car and Driver, the Bentley Mulsanne Speed is the heaviest to make the list weighing in at 6000 lbs, thats three tons!!! It only makes sense that a car this massive comes with a massive engine and that it does.The Mulsanne Speed comes stocked with a twin-turbo charged 5.8-liter that can crank out 530 hp at 4200 rpm and a ridiculous 811 lb/ft of torque at just 1750 rpm. Despite its massive size it can still get a quarter mile done in 13.2 seconds, and needs 4.7 to get to sixty.
Sources: CarandDriver.com, Ford.com, Slate.com,