Fast Company: Scientifically Sorting the Industry’s Biggest Pushers of Speed and Power [Infographic]

You’ll find a celebration of speed throughout this issue. Because if cars weren’t fast, they wouldn’t be so thrilling; and if cars weren’t powerful, they wouldn’t be so fast. Here, we’ve ­compiled a data mountain pertaining to speed and power and the companies that move them in the greatest volume in the U.S. Like most good things, automotive performance is best enjoyed in excess, so we’ve only concerned ourselves with cars that have at least 400 horsepower and can top 150 mph. The lesson? If you want to go really fast, it helps to be really rich. And if you can’t be rich, being patriotic is the next-best thing.

Sales of vehicles offering top speeds of at least 200/190/175/150 MPH

Sales of vehicles with at least 600/500/400 HP

Based only on these figures, you might think that Mercedes and Chevrolet are direct competitors. But in 2013, Chevrolet outsold Mercedes nearly six to one.

Number and percentage of model lines offering top speeds of at least 150/175/190/200 MPH

Chevrolet represents the workingman’s car companies here for two simple reasons.

1.) The Camaro outsells the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger.

2.) Chevy has the Corvette. The Dodge Viper’s 591 sales in 2013—as well as the Nissan GT-R’s 1236—are inconsequential compared with the Vette’s 17,291.

It’s a great era to be alive and licensed: Nine of these ten companies offer more vehicles with at least 400 horsepower than vehicles with less. As you may have guessed, Chevrolet is the odd brand out here. Get with it, GM, and create a 420-hp all-wheel-drive Cruze, already.

Number and percentage of model lines offering at least 400/500/600 HP

Least expensive vehicle offering a top speed of at least 150/175/190/200 MPH

Least expensive vehicle with at least 400/500/600 HP

If we were counting by parent company, not brand, Volkswagen would be a strong competitor. Of these ten brands, five are owned by VW: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Porsche.

Number of individual models offering top speeds of at least 150/175/190/200 MPH

The California might lower Ferrari’s price of entry and broaden its appeal, but it also blocks the brand from joining Bugatti, Lamborghini, and McLaren as companies that sell only models that can exceed 200 mph.

Number of models offering at least 400/500/600 HP

Many model lines contain multiple high-powered variations. Mercedes-Benz, for example, offers the 429-hp S550, 510-hp S600, 536-hp S63 AMG, and the 624-hp S65 AMG.

All data is from 2013 calendar year.

Some top speeds are manufacturer estimates.

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