What’s Faster, Nature or Machine?

The Briefing

• The race between animals and cars is surprisingly close
• The peregrine falcon is the world’s fastest animal, capable of speeds beyond many modern sports cars

Comparing Top Speeds of Animals and Cars

Did you know that the world’s fastest animals can actually keep up with, or even beat most modern cars?

In this graphic, we’ve visualized the top speeds of several animals and cars to show you how close the race really is. The data we used is also listed below in tabular format.

At the top of this list is the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, the first production car to reach a top speed of over 300 mph (482 km/h). The Super Sport 300+ is a limited edition variant of the regular Chiron, and only 30 examples (with a price tag of $4 million) are being built for the entire world.

At 300 mph, the Chiron’s specially designed tires rotate up to 4,100 times per minute, and are subjected to a centrifugal force of over 5,000 G. Here’s another interesting fact: when the Chiron is driving at a constant top speed, its 22 gallon (100L) fuel tank will completely drain in less than 10 minutes.

What’s That in the Sky?

The peregrine falcon surpasses most sports cars by reaching a top speed of 242 mph (389 km/h) while diving. This feat was achieved in 2005 by a falcon named “Frightful”, and verified by Guinness World Records.

The peregrine falcon is found in nearly every corner of the world, and hunts other, medium-sized birds by dropping down on them from above.

Further down the list is the Mexican free-tailed bat, which only weighs between 11 to 12 grams. For context, a wooden pencil weighs about 7 grams. These bats are considered the world’s fastest mammals, and unlike the peregrine falcon, reach their top speed purely through wing power (without diving).

Source: Britannica, Car and Driver, Guinness World Records, Honda