Ranked: The best power-to-weight ratio cars

Using lightweight components, you can achieve some exhilarating acceleration without having stacks of power. These are the modern-era champions:

MG’s aggressive XPower SV one-off was unveiled in 2002. Fins, vents, a big spoiler, designed by Peter Stevens of McLaren F1 fame, and a 320bhp 4.6-liter Ford V8 helped match the performance to its looks. To combat the poor sales figures on release in 2003, MG decided to build 42 go-faster versions called the SV-R. 390 hp was now on offer from a 5.0-liter V8 and while the complete shell weighed just 143 lb, the total 3295 lb mass gave a 8.4 lb per hp figure.

As things go greener, older hot V8 Mercedes are becoming increasingly sought after. The W204 C63 AMG fed 457 hp and 443lb ft from its 6.3-liter V8 to the rear wheels, trumping its E90 M3 competitor by 37 hp and 148lb ft. Put your foot to the floor and the C63 would quickly climb through all seven gears of the automatic gearbox, eventually reaching a limited 155mph top speed. Its steel body weighed 3809 lb, which gave the C63 AMG 8.3 lb per hp.

What was essentially a sportier version of the DB9, the DBS shared the same V12 but had bigger inlet ports and a higher compression ratio raising the power from 456 hp to 517 hp. This meant the DBS was capable of 191mph and a 0-62mph time of 4.3sec in comparison to the DB9’s 4.7sec. Flared arches and aggressive bodywork helped to differentiate the DBS from other models, whilst underneath the makeup were various carbonfiber components, resulting in a 143lb saving over the DB9. This meant the DBS weighed 3736 lb and offered 7.2 lb per hp.

About 20-odd years ago, a car appeared on the market that confused many – the Noble M12 GTO. The Noble badge was unheard of and although the M10 had already been released, company founder Lee Noble relied solely on the press for promotion as he never had the budget to push it much. When introduced in 2000, the M12 GTO used a twin-turbo 2.5-liter Duratec V6 producing 314 hp but the GTO-3R saw a new 357 hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. This meant that the lightweight 2380 lb GTO-3R could crack 0-62mph in 3.7sec and offer 6.7 lb per hp.

With few competitors that match its performance and looks, the Ultima GTR offers track day performance in a usable road car. Designed in the MIRA wind tunnel, Ultima spent valuable time ensuring that the GTR’s aerodynamics were spot on, and the result was a car that could hit 160mph with just a 355 hp Chevrolet V8. While 160mph wasn’t groundbreaking in the early 2000s, its 2094 lb weight meant 0-100mph was over in 5.3sec, and it would go past 150mph in 10.4sec. With such little weight, the GTR gave 5.9 lb per hp.

A name that sits comfortably beside the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959. Like its rivals, the XJ220 had a twin-turbo setup but it was tied instead to a mid-mounted 3.5-liter V6 – originally, it was to receive a racing V12 but this was penned out. The Jaguar achieved 550 hp and a 0-140mph time of 14.9sec, while the aero generated 3007 lb of downforce at 220mph. Overall, the XJ220 weighed 3209 lb, this meant 5.8 lb per hp which was more than a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.

KTM are more known for motorbikes than cars but the X-Bow was their go at an ultra-light car, inspired by GT racing cars. The first X-Bow used a 240 hp 2.0-liter Audi engine, but when the updated X-Bow R arrived, this received a new turbo and cylinder head to produce 299 hp, later variants had a 2.5-liter from an Audi RS3. Weight was just 1741lb, thanks to a carbonfiber tub, which gave 5.8 lb per hp, allowing it to accelerate to 62mph from rest in 3.9sec.

Around 200 Sagaris were built with production running from 2005 to 2006. Underneath the worldly bodywork was a 4.0-liter straight-six that fed 412 hp and 270lb ft through the rear wheels. It was quickly labelled as one of the rawest sportscars that Brits could buy due to it having no airbags, no ABS and no traction control.

Vents sat on each wing of the prototype model but these were filled in on production models to stop stones from being picked up from the tires hitting the windshield. In a bid to keep weight low, TVR carried over the bare-bones interior as found in previous models, which resulted in an overall weight of 2376 lb and 5.8 lb per hp.

Powered by the old BMW M5 V8, Ascari managed to extract 507 hp for the KZ1 and fed it to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. A carbonfiber monocoque chassis meant weight was kept low at 2810 lb, which gave 5.5 lb per hp and an achievable 200mph top speed. When released in 2004, it was priced at around $150,000, north of its Ferrari F340 and Lamborghini Murcielago rivals. Ascari cars filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

The standard Exige offered Porsche-rivalling performance and looks but Lotus managed to squeeze 436 hp and 325lb ft from the 3.5-liter supercharged V6 for the Exige 430. New carbonfiber bumpers, aerofoils and bodywork meant 484 lb of downforce at a 180mph top speed and a dry weight of just 2328 lb, resulting in 5.3 lb per hp. 0-62mph was cracked in 3.2sec and it managed a 1m 24.8sec around Helthel’s test track, which was 1.2sec quicker than a road-spec Lotus 3-Eleven.

Striking looks, coupled with a Formula 1-derived 520 hp V12 and a six-speed manual gearbox, meant that Ferrari had created one of their most driver-rewarding cars at the time. Built in 1995 to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari, the F50 strayed from the turbocharged powerplants used by Ferraris of old and reverted back to its naturally aspirated roots.

0-62mph arrived in 3.7sec and a 200mph-plus top speed was achievable, while 2711 lb meant 5.2 lb per hp. An electronic damper control system was used to optimise ride and handling depending on the road conditions, while the suspension used a pushrod system to keep to its F1 roots.

Named “The first of its kind” by Maserati at launch in 2022, the MC20 uses a monocoque chassis that weighs just 220 lb while the total car weight comes in at 3251 lb. A twin-turbocharged 90-degree V6 produces 630 hp and 538lb ft allowing for 5.2 lb per hp, a 203mph top speed and a 2.9sec 0-62mph dash, rivalling the likes of the Ferrari F8 Tributo and Porsche 911 Turbo. Selectable electronic driver modes include GT, Sport, Corsa and Wet allowing the driver to switch between each depending on the thrills required.

The E10 R still holds the record for being the fastest, and most focused, Zenos car to date. In comparison to the base E10, the E10 R got higher spring rates, retuned dampers and lightweight wheels that shaved off 22 lb. A 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine was robbed from a Focus RS and produced 355 hp and 350lb ft allowing the 1543 lb E10 R to offer 4.3 lb per hp and barrel onto 155mph while hitting 62mph from rest in 3.0sec. Underneath was an extruded aluminum spine that was bonded to a composite carbonfiber tub. 

0-62mph in 5.6sec is still considered rather rapid. The 720s not only manages to hit 100mph from rest in that time but will also hammer onto 212mph. Underneath the sleek bodywork is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 which develops 720 hp and 568lb ft and is mated to a dual-clutch seven-speed flappy paddle transmission. A one-piece monocoque chassis contributes 224 lb to the 3128 lb curb weight which means the 720s gives 4.3 lb per hp.

Once described as the most potent and hardcore Seven yet, the R500 was replaced by the 620R. Keeping to the Ford-derived powerplant theme that Caterham has followed since 2006, the 620R has a supercharged 2.0-liter that produces 315 hp, coupled to a six-speed sequential gearbox with flat-shift – there are no electronic aids to tame any wheelspin. Tipping the scales at just 1201 lb, the 620R gives 3.8 lb per hp which is more than a standard Bugatti Veyron has to offer.

Once, Veyron shook the world with 1000 hp and a 253mph top speed, but its victory was short-lived after Shelby Supercars (SSC) stole the world record with its 257mph SSC Ultimate Aero. Bugatti had to win back the title and a few years later the Veyron Super Sport arrived with a tuned variant of the 16.4-liter W12 giving 1200 hp and a 268mph top speed. A full-carbon monocoque meant 4387 lb, slightly heavier than the normal Veyron, giving the Super Sport 3.7 lb per hp.

The Ferrari LaFerrari followed in the footsteps of many other Ferrari legends such as the 288 GTO, F50, Enzo and F40 and was the first Ferrari to feature a mild-hybrid drivetrain. It was priced at $1.4 million when new and aimed at the Porsche 918 and McLaren P1. Buyers received a supercar with a 6.3-liter V12 developing 800 hp and revving to 9250rpm aided by a 162 hp electric motor driving through the differential. This means 963 hp and, with a weight of 2766 lb, a 2.9 lb per hp figure.

Atoms of old had the 2.0-liter Civic Type R unit but then Ariel dropped a 507 hp 32-valve 3.0-liter V8, derived from a pair of Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle engines, allowing it to rocket to 62mph from a standstill in 2.3sec. It was mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox which meant 100mph could be achieved in 5.4sec. The Atom has been described by many as a scaffolding frame with two seats, some headlights and an engine. which gives it an ultralight weight of 1212lb and a 2.4 lb per hp figure.

Sitting high in the ranks amongst the world’s fastest and most powerful cars, the Koeniggsegg One was introduced in 2014 with 1359hp and was marketed as producing one megawatt of power. It could run on a variety of different fuels such as regular fuel, performance fuel, and E85 biofuel which would restrict the power from the twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 to 1176 hp. Performance claims were 0-250mph in 20sec and 0-62mph in 2.5sec with a 2998 lb weight which means 2.2 lb per hp, if you use the right fuel.

Last on our list is the Venom F5 and all of its 1842 hp and 2998 lb weight. Use of an 189 lb carbonfiber monocoque and a rear tubular aluminum subframe, which holds the 6.6-liter V8, means 0-186mph in around 8.4sec, 0-125mph in 4.7sec and 0-62mph in 2.6sec, with a top speed of circa 300mph. While the Venom GT of old used a heavily modified Lotus chassis, the Venom F5 was built entirely in-house. 24 examples were built and boast 1.6 lb per hp.