A Bugatti Veyron can empty its tank in 12 minutes, about $136 of gas
A 6,780-pound Lamborghini SUV tops the ranking of fuel-hungry machines, while a Bugatti can drain its tank in minutes at a time when gas sits near $5.
By
Graham Pettigrew
In brief
- Jalopnik ranks seven vehicles by thirst, with the Lamborghini LM002 at 5 to 7 mpg in first place.
- The Ram TRX is rated 12 mpg combined by the EPA, yet independent testing reported as little as 9 mpg.
- The Ferrari Enzo is the only entry that did better in independent testing than in its EPA rating.
With U.S. gas prices near $5 a gallon, Jalopnik has picked seven modern and classic vehicles that burn fuel at record rates. The outlet orders them by efficiency, with the most “impressive” first, and says it is not calling any of them useless. Its warning is aimed at anyone nervous about pump prices. The focus is mostly on machinery a reader might still meet on the road, such as the Dodge Ram SRT-10 and its successor the Ram 1500 TRX, with a few supercars added for excitement.
Trucks and a land yacht
The 2021 Hellcat-powered Ram 1500 TRX pairs a 702-horsepower supercharged V8 with a 3.7-second sprint from 0 to 60 mph. Its base curb weight is 6,396 pounds. The EPA rates it at 12 mpg combined, made up of 10 mpg in town and 14 mpg on the highway. Independent testing has reported as little as 9 mpg, so the real figure can fall below the official one.
The 2005 Dodge Ram SRT-10 took an 8.3-liter V10 with 500 hp and 525 lb-ft of torque from the Viper and put it in a full-size truck. It reaches 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and weighs 5,100 pounds, or 5,450 in Quad-Cab form. It returns 9 mpg in town, 14 on the highway and 10 combined, whereas the Viper that shares its engine can reach up to 19 mpg on the highway. Thirst has not scared off collectors: according to Hagerty’s valuation tool, concours-condition examples now command over $70,000, almost 15% more than three years earlier.
The 1973 Lincoln Continental belongs to another era. Its 460-cubic-inch Ford V8 made only 212 hp, and its reported economy is 10 mpg. Because it predates official EPA ratings, that number is a reported one. The newly mandated 5-mph bumpers added weight, leaving the sedan at around 5,200 pounds.
Supercars where thirst is part of the deal
The Ferrari Enzo uses a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12. Its EPA figures are 7 mpg in town, 12 on the highway and 8 combined, yet independent testing saw 11 mpg. Jalopnik says buying an Enzo takes around $8 million.
The Bugatti Veyron combines a 1,001-hp quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 with a top speed of 253 mph. The EPA lists 8 mpg in town, 14 on the highway and 10 combined, for a car whose tank is gone in a dozen minutes.
The Lamborghini Countach stayed in production from 1974 to 1990. The first LP400 had a 3.9-liter V12 sending 370 hp to the rear wheels, while the late-1980s 5000QV grew to a 5.2-liter V12 with 50 hp more. The later car weighs roughly 850 pounds more than the LP400 and manages 6 mpg in town and 10 on the highway. For more on the Veyron, see this look at the 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4.
The SUV that tops the thirst chart
The 1980s Lamborghini LM002 takes the crown at 5 to 7 mpg, according to various reports. It weighs 6,780 pounds and uses the same basic 5.2-liter V12 as the Countach 5000QV. It is cited at around 444 horsepower against the Countach’s 420. Despite that appetite, top examples have recently sold above $400,000, a price well beyond what most buyers worried about fuel would consider.
Photo: Michael Pointner / Pexels
