New Mars rover Curiosity is ultimate off-road vehicle

Today's blastoff of the latest rover raises an interesting question. Since it is as big as a car, with wheels the size of one, how would the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity stack up if it were the latest flashy model in your local showroom?

Well, for starters, we're not sure that name, Curiosity, would rank right up with other space-related monikers like Mercury Montego or Saturn Vue -- even Ford Galaxie. But when you get down to statistics on the latest, biggest rover, you come away seeing the possibilities.

Curiosity is as long as a Mini and as wide as a Hummer, making it plenty stable for the steep sides of canyons or craters, NASA tells Drive On. Some other cool stats that compare it to a car:

Top speed. 1.5 inches per second on flat, hard ground; less when using autonomous hazard-avoidance capability.

Range. Designed and built for more than 12 miles.

Off-road capability. Six-wheel drive. Can roll right over a 20-inch tall rock.

Power. The nuclear battery (radioisotope thermoelectric generator) puts out about 110 watts, around the clock. Two lithium-ion batteries trickle charge from that and can put out more power for shorter durations when driving.

Infotainment system. It can communicate directly with Earth via a high-gain radio in the "X" band of frequencies (7 to 8 gigahertz), but more routinely will send home information via relay to orbiting Mars spacecraft (Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) using the rover's UHF-band antenna.

Air conditioning and heating. Thermal control system delivers heat to critical components from the radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Electrical heaters provide additional heat when and where needed.

Steering. Four-wheel steering (independent for each wheel).