What's The Best Power/Weight Ratio Per Dollar?

"472CID" (472CID)
04/23/2015 at 14:11 • Filed to: USELESSLISTS

So calculating the a vehicle’s rough performance by dividing it’s power by it’s weight is simple enough. It’s also pretty easy to figure out which car gives you the most power for your buck. But what about comparing that power to weight value against a car’s cost? That question is a little less simple.

When you punch the numbers in you’ll find the price is the far more important factor in the equation. When you look at the numbers they will indeed confirm some of your suspicions (ah yes, a V6 Mustang is a good value), but ultimately the cheapest car is king. For a perfect example look at the top cars. Used cars, particularly super cheap beaters are in another league altogether (plus think of all the rust adding lightness).

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The list isn’t totally pointless however. It’s interesting to see how similarly priced or similarly powered cars compare to one another.

DISCUSSION (23)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:14

Cheap small potatoes are still small potatoes.

MultiplaOrgasms > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:25

Inb4 Motorbikes.

Justin Hughes > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/23/2015 at 14:27

So for the best price to horsepower to weight to price to seat time ratio, take a 1999 Cavalier to Track Night.

bob and john > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:29

you want cheap straight line speed? you buy yourself a motorcycle.

TheBaron2112 > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:30

I think you just made up that last column, because none of that math works out.

BigBlock440 > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:36

FYI, I think your formula is displayed wrong. I tried doing it for a Ram tradesman (395/4684/.08433/25415) and got 301, so between a FiST and a Camaro SS, but it took a few tries. I believe the formula is ($/1000)/(hp/lb), at least that’s what worked for me.

BigBlock440 > MultiplaOrgasms
04/23/2015 at 14:42

Beat it by 4 minutes.

472CID > TheBaron2112
04/23/2015 at 14:42

Goofed on typing the equation, should be ($/(hp/lb))/1000

472CID > BigBlock440
04/23/2015 at 14:43

yeah it’s corrected

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:49

Kinja'd!!!

My guess is something like this. 2.5-3 HP, less than 10 lbs, can be had for about a hundred bucks.

BigBlock440 > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:49

Thanks, it was a confusing few minutes for me.

Shoop > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:49

I think this formula is wrong

the (hp/lb)/dollar ratio for the cavalier should be some multiple of .0439 since the price is a multiple of 10

TheBaron2112 > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 14:54

Well if that’s the case, then you’re not actually comparing the cost of the car to the power to weight ratio. You get an artificially inflated price that you then have to divide. In order to get 1 HP/LB in a Fiesta ST, you need to spend $295,000.

See how nonsensical that is?

You should have used the power/weight value nearly everyone uses—HP/Ton. Then use $/hp/ton.

So for a Fiesta ST, hp/ton is 144.85. And for every hp/ton you want you have to spend $147. Because $21,400 / 144.85 hp/ton.

I’m an engineer, so units are important and actually contribute to understanding the problem being solved. This is better.

Shoop > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 15:00

I Personally like lb/ hp better, so I redid this with the formula ((lb/hp)/price)*1000

this is what i got

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Shoop > Shoop
04/23/2015 at 15:04

I also get a different order than you which is interesting

472CID > TheBaron2112
04/23/2015 at 15:16

Your right that is a better unit, but end result isn’t any different. Just divide the last column by 2 and you get those figures.

Shoop > Shoop
04/23/2015 at 15:17

I FUCKED THIS UP AT IT WONT LET ME EDIT PLS IGNORE

Shoop > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 15:19

This is what i get when i do ((hp/lb)/dollar) * 1000000

NOW WITH 100% LESS FUCK UP

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Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 15:58

So except for the used Cavalier, are all of these cars 2015 models?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Shoop
04/23/2015 at 16:04

Thanks for all the effort. I enjoy exercises like this one. What I’d like to see is a column for 0-60 times and braking distance.

Interesting to me is the cluster of Ford vehicles right up top on the list.

Also interesting to me is that the bottom five are basically half the ROI of the next car up the list.

472CID > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
04/23/2015 at 16:14

yes

swaptastic > 472CID
04/23/2015 at 18:43

I like to take two stats and compare them in a spreadsheet. 0-60 mph and price. I will sort first by price and then add another sort by 0-60 times. This breaks cars down into price groups that I can pick out the quickest car from.

472CID > swaptastic
04/23/2015 at 20:01

I tried to find all the 0-60 times, but it seems kind of pointless. On the lower end times can vary by a second or more for each model (ex GTIs are quoted at 5.6-6.7), on the high end cars are so close it’s hardly worth comparing them.