What’s the slowest car in the world?

Most people will always dream of a car that can help them go ride through the streets in incredible amounts of power. Almost all of the fastest cars we have on the planet come with an exotic and sporty appeal to their overall design.

One of these fastest cars includes the SSC Tuatara which uses a 5.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine good for a whopping 1,750 hp and 1,735 Nm of torque. The SSC Tuatara recently reached a top speed of 532 km/h but had to redo as the insane record received controversies.

While most people are focused on which car will be held as the fastest in the world, there are also cars that are living on the opposite side of the game. We’re talking about the slowest car in the world. 

Why do slow cars still exist? Well, for starters, most of these cars offer some of the best in terms of fuel efficiency and affordability. This means that being the fastest is not the ultimate goal after all. 

Now, you might ask, “what is the slowest car in the world then?” To find out, we have to go to the United Kingdom and say hello to the Peel P50.

Meet the slowest car in the world ever

Before you go get confused, the Peel P50 is a legit car. In 2010, the Guinness World Records crowned the Peel P50 as the smallest car in the world. In line with that, the Peel P50 is also recognized as the slowest in the world.

The Peel P50

The Peel P50 sits at the same table as other known slow cars such as the Renault Twizy and Tata Nano. The Renault Twizy is a 2-seater vehicle with power outputs of just 5.4 hp or 17 hp, depending on the variant. Meanwhile, the Tata Nano is a discontinued model known to produce 38 hp only.

Size

In terms of dimensions, the Peel P50 has a measurement that spans 1,340 mm in length, 980 mm in width, and 100 mm in height, with a wheelbase of just 1,270 mm. It is so small that it has a curb weight rated at 56 kilograms only, meaning the overall weight including the gas, oil, and fluid but without passengers and cargos.

Yes, it is that small

The Peel P50 was first introduced way back in 1962 as a cheap alternative to walking. It was discontinued in 1966 but was later reintroduced in 2010 with an electric motor. Since the first model, it also has a 1 door that can only fit one person and few small items.

Peel Engineering Company, the official manufacturer of the model, also offers a similar vehicle to the P50 which is called the Trident. The Peel Trident is only longer than the P50 by 560 mm. Sadly, the Peel Trident is included in Time’s Magazine’s list of 50 Worst Car Ever.

>>> Related: Three examples of the oldest cars in the world

Engine and performance

How fast can the Peel P50 go? Peel Engineering Company offers the world’s slowest car in either a 2.3 kW electric motor or a 49-cc (0.049 liters) four-stroke engine. Both of the powertrains are paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and have a top speed of just 45 km/h.

A car you can use when you want to grab a snack at the grocery

The 49-cc gasoline engine variant is capable of generating 3.35 hp, while the 2.3 kW electric motor variant is capable of generating 3.08 hp. The powertrains may sound underpowered, but it is capable enough to drive one person around the city. Two of the downsides of utilizing the gasoline variant is that it tends to produce heat in the cabin and a lot of noise.

During the first models of the Peel P50, it uses a 3-speed manual transmission that has no reverse gear. The lack of a reverse function raised the question of whether the Peel P50 is a road-legal car or not. As such, it was finally fitted with a fully functioning reverse gear in the newer models.

Name another car that can fit inside an elevator

As said earlier, the Peel P50 is primarily made to be used as an alternative to walking in the city. On roads that are prone to traffic, you won’t need a speed of 40 km/h anyway. Plus, you will not have a hard time parking the Peel P50. In an episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson even brought his Peel P50 up at the BBC building and drove around for few rounds.

Pricing

You might think that the Peel P50 is an affordable vehicle due to its small size and low power capabilities. Well, technically it is affordable, but not to an extent. Peel Engineering Company is offering the P50 in the U.K. at 14,879 pounds (or around Php 979,000 excluding local taxes).

The value of the Peel P50 increases over time

However, finding one of these is difficult as the manufacturer makes around fifteen units only per year. There is a Peel P50 auctioned at 90,000 pounds (around Php 5.92 million), with some being priced more and some less. With the given price tag and its name in the industry, we can conclude that going slow is not so bad after all.

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