Determining Levels of Performance

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind) 07/01/2016 at 19:44 • Filed to: Performance

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I wanted a way to judge or have an idea of the level of performance a vehicle has without watching reviews or driving the vehicle. Power-to-weight ratio (in lbs/hp) seems to be the best ballpark figure so I decided to make up a ranking system using that. I haven’t tested this out, so pick some vehicles and see if this is at all accurate .

*Note that the names are just performance markers, not necessarily ways of determining whether or not a vehicle is a sports car, super car, or hyper car. However, hopefully this tells you whether it “performs” like a sports car, super car, or hyper car.*

Sub Sport - Benchmark 15 lbs/hp .

Entry Sport - Benchmark 14 lbs/hp .

Full Sport - Benchmark 12 lbs/hp .

Entry Performance - Benchmark 10 lbs/hp .

Full Performance - Benchmark 9 lbs/hp .

High Performance - Benchmark 8 lbs/hp .

Super Performance - Benchmark 7 lbs/hp .

Hyper Performance - Benchmark 5 lbs/hp .

*String of Expletives* Performance - Benchmark 3 lbs/hp .

One:1 Performance = 2.2 lbs/hp

Also note that this is for street vehicles. I haven’t looked into higher performance vehicles and what happens to segments as you approach 0 lbs/hp . I also haven’t created performance terms for vehicles that are well below 16 lbs/hp since I think below that benchmark you’re looking at performance in terms of efficiency instead of athleticism .

Until a vehicle hits the benchmark, it is at the top end of the class below the benchmark.

Examples:

Vehicle 1 can be had with a P2W ratio of 12.10 lbs/hp .
Vehicle 2 can be had with a P2W ratio of 11.97 lbs/hp .
Vehicle 3 can be had with a P2W ratio of 10.51 lbs/hp .

Vehicle 1 is at the top end of Entry Sport vehicle.
Vehicle 2 is at the bottom end of a Full Sport vehicle.
Vehicle 3 is in the middle of an Entry Performance vehicle.

Pick some cars and see where they stack up! You can help me refine this.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 19:54

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My TA would be somewhere between 11.2-9.9.

Wobbles the Mind > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 07/01/2016 at 19:57

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So it is a pretty solid mid-top level “Full Sport” in performance. Hopefully we get a good list going in the comments that way I can compare and refine this thing.

Liam Farrell > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 19:59

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The rover is Mariana Trench sub sport

3300/62=~53.2

Wobbles the Mind > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 07/01/2016 at 19:59

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Also note I’m going off 2016 performance levels!

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 20:01

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A BRZ with a weight of 2,764lbs and 200hp has a power to weight of 13.82lbs/hp putting it at the bottom of Entry Sport.

Wobbles the Mind > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 07/01/2016 at 20:04

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That sounds believable to me. So if it made 230 hp, it would be a solid Full Sport vehicle in terms of performance. That may be why it seems under-powered.

Wobbles the Mind > Liam Farrell 07/01/2016 at 20:05

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That’s so epic!

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 20:14

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Meanwhile I did the math for my car which has 115hp and weighs 2,315lbs and it didn’t even get onto the scale with a power to weight of 20.13 lbs/hp. Probably explains why I can thrash it around town and not get into to much trouble. Better than my old car at 20.75 lbs/hp.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 20:15

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A stock 5th gen Prelude with a 5-speed weighs 2954 pounds and makes 200 HP, giving it a 14.77 ratio, making it a Sub Sport. (Kinda sad, actually.) Mine has bolt-ons and some weight reduction and is probably in the Entry Sport area. With some more weight reduction and a tune, I could get it down (up?) to Full Sport.

6SPD5.0 > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 20:15

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Hmm 2014 Mustang Gt Premium says ~3618-3735. I went with 3700 as it’s relatively loaded. HP is 420. So ~8.8.....

Thoughts?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 20:22

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The 528i clocks in at 18.4 but I think the close ratio 5-speed makes up for that a little. What about “honorary sub-sport"?

Wobbles the Mind > 6SPD5.0 07/01/2016 at 20:22

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That sounds about right to me. I think a V8 ‘Stang would be solidly in the Full Performance vehicle category in nearly all it’s equipment levels. So it would take more power and less weight to bump up into the High Performance category, which I bet trims above the GT hit.

Funktheduck > interstate366, now In The Industry 07/01/2016 at 20:22

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According to Google my Mazda 3 weighs 2797 pounds. How is my car a person lighter than yours?

misfitmascots > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 20:46

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5.2lbs/hp

Sam > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 20:58

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GT350 for sure does. The R is probably well into High Performance. Though some small considerations should probably be made if a street car has functional aero (350R, Z06, Cayman GT4) . Probably not a new classification, but maybe an asterisk.

Wobbles the Mind > misfitmascots 07/01/2016 at 21:04

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I would say that performs at the top end of Super Performance vehicles. Not quite a Hyper Performance vehicle. I think this list is working out pretty well so far!

RT > Wobbles the Mind 07/01/2016 at 21:05

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I bet I can find a loophole somewhere.

Ariel Atom 500?

Wobbles the Mind > RT 07/01/2016 at 21:11

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Isn’t that the same thing as a one:1 since it’s hp is equal to it’s kilograms? I think that’s 2.2 lbs/hp, which I should make a separate spot for vehicles that break below this.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Funktheduck 07/01/2016 at 21:24

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From doing an engine swap, I can safely say there are quite a few unnecessarily heavy parts on the front half of the car. Some are gone, others (hood, clutch line) have been replaced with lighter things, still others remain.

RT > Wobbles the Mind 07/02/2016 at 04:40

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It’s around that level, yeah. Some data says 2.7, others 2.2.

Overall it’s not as fast as a top supercar though, but that power to weight ratio would probably make it unstoppable in shorter circuits.

Connqr > Wobbles the Mind 07/02/2016 at 09:57

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The Renault Twizy! Weighing in at a microscopic 1045 pounds (without driver) and carrying a mind blowing 17 horsepower, it is in the “ultra super mega badassly non sporty category of ~61.5 lbs/hp. Wow!

Goofnik > Wobbles the Mind 07/02/2016 at 19:02

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Currently at “High Performance” (7.73 lbs/HP), bone stock.

When I strip yet more weight out, and uncork the engine a bit over time (+50HP, +30lb-ft), it’ll eke into “Super Performance” (6.63 lbs/HP).

Considering when top down and driven in anger quickly enough it has made me say, “ Fuck me, that’s fast! ” the list seems to be in good shape.