25 brilliant and obscure facts you didn't know about cars

Six months ago I posted 15 weird and wonderful facts you didn't know about cars and you all seemed to love it. That is why I have decided to write another one in honour of Richard Porter's new book: Boring Car Trivia volume 2 and as a way to end my 2020 DriveTribe Advent Calendar.

The first article (of which there are now three, including this one) was based off of facts from Richard's first book: The Medium sized book of Boring Car Trivia. So, with the release of his new one, I thought it would be rude not to write another.

Not only has he produced some rather obscure yet brilliant car facts throughout the two books but, the latest book features a foreword from Jeremy Clarkson himself.

Anyway, let's get stuck into 25 juicy facts I bet you didn't know about cars.

I promise you this image is relevant.

I promise you this image is relevant.

Fact number 1:

The pumps in the engine cooling system of the Bugatti Chiron can run a bath in 12 seconds.

Fact number 2:

The IVECO Daily van used mostly by supermarkets to deliver groceries actually shares its automatic gearbox with the Rolls-Royce Phantom. The 'box in question is the 8HP70 made by ZF.

Fact number 3:

The first new car of the 21st century was... the Rover 45 which was officially unveiled on 4th January 2000.

Fact number 4:

In 2013, Mercedes-Benz became the first car company to fit QR codes to its cars giving emergency services access to information about that specific model and how to safely dismantle it in the event of an accident.

These code stickers can be found inside the fuel filler cap and on the B-pillar in newer models. Mercedes has since made this available to older models from 1990 onwards as a retro-fit option.

Fact number 5:

The seven-speed double-clutch gearbox found in the Bugatti Veyron was developed by Ricardo in the UK using an old Lamborghini Diablo as a test mule.

Fact number 6:

Since 1964 Playboy magazine has given its Playmate of the Year a free car. The first one ever given out was a bright pink Ford Mustang.

Over the years, Playmates have received various Porsches, Jaguars and Corvettes, except 2009 Playmate of the Year, Ida Ljungqvist, who received a Mazda6.

Fact number 7:

The E32-shape BMW 7 Series was the first car in the world to feature xenon headlights.

Fact number 8:

The first-gen SMART ForFour didn't have a parcel shelf.

Fact number 9:

Any Fiat Barchetta built between 1995 ans 2002 contained a hand-written travellers' prayer on a little piece of paper hidden somewhere in the car. This was something organised by the workers at the Maggiora plant in Chivasso where the cars were assembled.

But when Maggiora went bust in 2002, Barchetta production moved to Fiat's Mirafiori plant and the notes stopped.

Fact number 10:

The 6.2L 727hp Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye has an eco mode.

Fact number 11:

Subaru used to import right-hand-drive Legacy estates into the America exclusively for the US postal service so that post delivery drivers could hop out kerbside to post letters and parcels into mailboxes.

Fact number 12:

Hot Wheels currently produces over 10 million cars a week.

Fact number 13:

The first Porsche 924 test mule was a BMW 2002 with subtly swollen wheel arches.

Fact number 14:

The Ferrari SF90 Stradale can go from 0-124mph in the same time (6.7 seconds) it took a 1980s 308 GTB QV to go from 0-60mph.

Fact number 15:

The world's first front-wheel-drive production car with a limited slip differential was the Ford Escort RS Turbo.

Fact number 16:

The Citroën DS was meant to have an air-cooled flat-six engine. However, the plan was abandoned because the engine was too noisy and there were problems keeping the middle pair of cylinders cool.

Fact number 17:

The distinctive raised front wings of the 911 are known within Porsche as its 'Kanonenrohre', German for 'cannon barrels'.

Fact number 18:

At the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show, Rover displayed a one-off car called the Rover 800 Coachbuilt Coupé featuring a lavishly trimmed interior with, in the rear seat centre armrest, a built-in chess board.

Fact number 19:

The Ferrari V8 in the Lancia Thema 8.32 was assembled by Ducati.

Fact number 20:

The entire Jaguar XJ40 project cost £200 million. In the same era Mercedes spent £120 million just to develop the 'multilink' rear axle for the 190 saloon.

Fact number 21:

The lower bodywork sculpting of the second-gen Toyota MR2 was inspired by the muscle tone of a female sprinter's thighs.

Fact number 22:

The wooden trim found in the original Lexus LS400 was finished by the piano makers at Yamaha.

Fact number 23:

Before settling on 'Defender' as the model name for its most rugged model, Land Rover considered calling its updated 90 and 110 range the 'Attacker'.

Fact number 24:

The average Bentley owner has eight cars. The average Bugatti Chiron owner has 42. They also own a jet, a yacht, a helicopter and four houses.

Fact number 25:

Charles Leclerc's mother cuts David Coulthard's hair. Mrs Leclerc is a hairdresser in Monaco where Coulthard lives, and that's where he chooses to go.

The end!

If you enjoyed reading these facts, then I would suggest buying a copy of Richard Porter's latest book. He has many, many more of these excellent facts and it would make a great gift for either yourself or a loved one. Click here to check it out on Amazon.