What is RPM (revolutions per minute)?

RPM (revolutions per minute) is a measure of how many times a thing spins around in one minute. For cars, this refers to how fast the engine is spinning. Most modern car engines idle around 700rpm, do most of their regular driving between 1,200 and 2,500rpm, and max out at around 6,000rpm. You'll usually see this figure measured in your dashboard on the rpm gauge (tachometer) next to your speed gauge (speedometer).