Numbers help us make sense of the world. In cars, numbers tell us a lot—a car that does 0-60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds is objectively quicker than one that does it in 3.6 seconds. 

 

In the age of the car magazine, a car’s most important numbers were its 0-60 mph time and its top speed. But those only paint a small picture of what a car can do. Add in skid-pad and braking tests, and the picture looks more complete, but it’s hardly done.