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Pitting the Superkart Against Rivals

Hail to the superkart! It leaves a standard sports car like the Mazda Miata in the dust, and even a muscle car like the Corvette, with its beefy hp and flashy top speed, is a pokey 25 seconds slower per lap. The superlight superkart (just 462 pounds) accelerates faster than the Corvette and is nimbler in the curves. The Champ car bests the kart, but there’s no shame in that: It costs 20 times more and requires an entire support crew.


CHAMP CAR

Price: $600,000

Engine type: Turbo V8

Displacement: 2.65 liters

Peak power: 700 hp

Hp/liter: 264

Weight: 1,565 lb.

Hp/pound: 0.45

Lateral acceleration: 4 Gs

0-to-60: 2.2 seconds

Quarter mile: 10 seconds

Top speed: 240 mph

Lap time (2.38 miles): 1:10

Cost per second gained*: $11,500

CORVETTE

Price: $50,000

Engine type: V8

Displacement: 5.7 liters

Peak power: 350 hp

Hp/liter: 61

Weight: 3,100 lb.

Hp/pound: 0.11

Lateral acceleration: 0.92 G

0-to-60: 4.8 seconds

Quarter mile: 13.2 seconds

Top speed: 175 mph

Lap time (2.38 miles): 1:50

Cost per second gained*: $2,500

SUPERKART

Price:$30,000

Engine type: Two-stroke

Displacement: 0.25 liter

Peak power: 90 hp

Hp/liter: 360

Weight:462 lb.

Hp/pound:0.19

Lateral acceleration:2 Gs

0-to-60: 4 seconds

Quarter mile:12 seconds

Top speed: 150 mph

Lap time (2.38 miles): 1:25

Cost per second gained*: $143

MIATA

Price: $25,000

Engine type: Inline-4

Displacement: 1.8 liters

Peak power: 142 hp

Hp/liter: 79

Weight: 2,400 lb.

Hp/pound: 0.06

Lateral acceleration: 0.88 G

0-to-60: 8.1 seconds

Quarter mile: 16.3 seconds

Top speed: 121 mph

Lap time (2.38 miles): 2:00

Cost per second gained*: NA

Performance data for production models from Car and Driver. Some performance data for Champ car and superkart are estimates. *The additional amount of money driver must spend to gain each second on the racetrack, using the Miata as a baseline.