Vrooooooom! Ever since the wheel was invented, people have been coming up with new kinds of vehicles. And Guinness World Records is here to discover the weirdest and wildest ones out there! From the world’s fastest toilet to the smallest helicopter, there’s plenty to know about things that go.
To most people, a tricycle is a plastic toy that you ride in the driveway when you’re three years old. But Wouter van den Bosch, of the Netherlands, built a very different kind of tricycle. This trike weighs 1,650 pounds—almost one ton! It became a world record setter—the heaviest rideable trike—in May 2010.
If you think Wouter van den Bosch’s one-ton tricycle is impressive, get a load of this! On November 23, 2007, Tilo and Wilfried Niebel of Germany built the heaviest rideable motorcycle, and it weighs 10,470 pounds!
The loudest bicycle horn is capable of producing a sound pressure level of 136.2 dB. Nicknamed the Hornster, it was developed by the Environmental Transport Association (UK), and was demonstrated by Yannick Read of the UK on February 13, 2013, in Weybridge, Surrey, UK. The Hornster was built to highlight the dangers that cyclists face on busy roads. It uses a modified freight-train horn, powered by a scuba diving tank.
The heaviest limousine in the world is the Midnight Rider. This 70-foot-long luxury car weighs 50,560 pounds! That’s 25 tons, or about as much as 15 normal cars! Midnight Rider was designed by Michael Machado and Pamela Bartholomew in California and has been operating since 2004.
Martin Bacon of the UK set a record on February 19, 2013, when he got his coffee-fueled vehicle up to 65 miles per hour. That’s freeway speed for the fastest coffee-powered vehicle! Those fumes must have smelled great.
The fastest toilet in the world is the Bog Standard. This mobile bathroom has everything: a bathtub, a sink, and even a laundry hamper. Built by inventor Edd China of the UK, it sits on top of a motorcycle and sidecar, and it can travel up to 42.25 miles per hour.
If you wanted to ride on this plane, you’d have to be the size of an ant! The world’s smallest radio-controlled model aircraft was built by John Wakefield of the UK in October 2010. Its wingspan is just 2.72 inches! The aircraft flew for 6 minutes, 56 seconds . . . and it weighed just 0.07 ounces!
Most people find gardening very relaxing. But a garden shed zooming along at 58 miles per hour is the opposite of relaxing—it’s exhilarating! Edd China built the fastest garden shed and revealed it to the world on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Italy on April 1, 2011. That’s April Fool’s Day . . . but this was no joke.
The smallest helicopter is the GEN H-4. This remarkable machine is made by the Gen Corporation of Japan. The length of its rotors is only 13 feet—giving it the smallest rotor length of any helicopter in the world. The GEN H-4 has one seat, one set of landing gear, and one power unit. It weighs only 154 pounds . . . about as much as a single passenger!
Submarines are not usually very roomy. But the smallest submarine is a really tight fit. It was made by Pierre Poulin of Canada, and its official dive was in the Memphremagog Lake of Magog, Quebec, on June 26, 2005. Poulin’s submarine is called BIG and can turn in a full circle. It can also go up and down through the water without help. Poulin piloted the sub and stayed 16 feet underwater inside it for 43 minutes.
The largest mining truck is the monstrous Belaz 75710 with a volume of 22,792 cubic feet. It was made by construction vehicle manufacturer Belaz of Belarus and tested at their premises on January 22, 2014. The giant earthmover can carry 450 tons at once, which means it also takes the record for highest rated payload capacity. The truck was built as part of the general trend within the mining industry for increasing the unit sizes of machinery, to make them capable of moving greater loads per haul cycle.