By Ted Laturnus
Your ship has finally come in. You're on easy street. You're rolling in it, because a) you've just won the lottery, b) you hold stock in an oil company or c) you're Jesse James. Either way, you don't have to worry about money anymore and the first thing you're going to do is go out and buy the most expensive, politically incorrect vehicle you can find. It doesn't matter how much gas it gulps, because you can afford anything.
The top 10
Just so you know what you're getting into, here are the 10 thirstiest cars on the market, according to the people that monitor such things ... i.e., Natural Resource Canada.
No. 1 with a bullet is the Ferrari 575M Maranello. This Pininfarina designed coupe is powered by a 5.7-litre V12 engine that has twin overhead camshafts and develops 515 hp, give or take. In combination with its six-speed manual gearbox, the 575M can hit 100 km/h in less than four seconds and will consume 24.8 L/100 km (11 mpg) in the city and 13.6 L/100 km (21 mpg) on the highway. It will cost you $3,043 per year in gas bills to keep it running. In fact, the top five gas guzzlers in Canada are all Ferraris.
Not far behind is the Bentley Arnage T. No big surprise there, with a turbocharged, 6.7 litre, 450-hp V8 engine that has to haul a 2,585 kg (5,700 lb.) four-door sedan. And it's an overhead valve engine at that. For its size, the Arnage is hellaciously quick, but slurps the juice at a rate of 22.9 L/100 km (12 mpg) in town and 14.9 L/100 km (19 mpg) out of town, for a yearly gas bill of $2,972.
Next up is another Italian thoroughbred, the Maserati Cambiocorsa Coupe GT. Duh. The 4.2 litre V8 engine for this sleekly-styled speedster is made by the parent company, Ferrari, which is owned by Fiat. But never mind. If you can find one of these rare birds, you'll find that it costs $2629 a year in gas, at a rate of 20.4 L/100 km (14 mpg) and 13 L/100 km (22 mpg) respectively. Obviously for Italian carmakers, fuel is not a factor.
Just a whisker less expensive to operate is the Mercedes G500 Gelandewagen. Its 5.0-litre V8 engine will suck up fossil fuel at the rate of 18.7 L/100 km (15 mpg) in town and 15 L/100 km (19 mpg) on the highway, which will cost $2,623 a year in gas. Interestingly, the hot rod version of this vehicle, the G55 AMG, is slightly easier on gas, at 17.4 L/100 km (16 mpg) and 14.3 L/100 km (20 mpg). It'll cost you $2,465 a year at the pump.
Still in the automotive stratosphere, the fifth hungriest gas hog in the Great White North is the Maybach 62. This Mercedes-built luxo-sedan is powered by the same V12 engine as the Mercedes CL600 and SL600, and goes through high-test at the rate of 19.9 L/100 km (14 mpg) and 12.6 L/100 km (22 mpg). That means you'll contribute $2559 a year to the fuel company's coffers. However, you will be able to get up to freeway speed in about five seconds, so you'll have fun while you're doing it.
Next up, the Ford Lightning F-150. This supercharged toy for big boys has the distinction of being the most gas-hungry pickup on the market. Its 5.4 litre V8 bangs out 380 hp through a four-speed automatic transmission, with a resultant 18.7 L/100 km (15 mpg) and 13.1 L/100 km (22 mpg) in fuel consumption, for a grand yearly total of $2492 in gas bills. Most of the guys interested in this rig couldn't care less. Many of Ford's big trucks are in the same neighbourhood as the Lightning, including the F-150 Bi-fuel 4x4 and normally-aspirated 5.4 litre V8 models.
Monster trucks
Because it has the same basic powerplant as the Maybach 62, Mercedes' S600V is next on our list. Its 493-horsepower V12 will siphon up gas at 18.9 L/100 km (15 mpg) in town and 11.6 L/100 (24 mpg) on the highway, for yearly cost of $2405. Mercedes other V12 offerings, the SL600 and CL600, are in the same ballpark, if only slightly less thirsty, but we don't wanna spend all day talking about Mercedes.
Rubbing shoulders with the Maybach 62 is the Rolls-Royce Phantom, with a BMW-built V12 engine that delivers 453 hp at 5350 rpm, which is enough to send this land yacht from 0 to 100 km/h in under six seconds. Not that the chauffeur driving it cares, but the bean-counters at Natural Resources Canada rate it at 18.8 L/100 km (15 mpg) and 11.6 L/100 km (24 mpg), for yearly fuel costs of $2396. Home, Jeeves.
Moving right along, the Dodge SRT-10 is right behind the Maybach ... actually, it's in front in a drag race. At any rate, this V10 propelled pickup is rude, crude, and as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. What a concept: a truck that's not meant to haul anything except butt. Anyway, the Viper-engined SRT-10 consumes supreme grade only at 19.5 L/100 km (14 mpg) and 10.7 L/100 km (26 mpg) respectively, which will cost you $2,393 per annum in gas. You can also find some other Dodge trucks in this group, including the Ram 1500 4X4 with the 4.7-litre V8 engine.
Last but not least, rounding out our top 10 gas guzzlers is the Chevy Avalanche K1500 4x4 with the
Flexible Fuel (FFV) option. It's rated at 19.5 L/100 (14 mpg) and 14.3 L/100 (20 mpg), with annual costs of $2,334. And, like its domestic rivals, it has plenty of company within GM's truck divisions, including the Chevy Silverado 4X4 FFV, GMC Sierra 4X4 FFV and GMC Denali AWD.
