What is the famous power-to-weight ratio of a car all about? It is simply the value obtained by dividing the weight of a car by its power, a number that is in practice an index of sportiness and which tells us how many kilos each horsepower of the vehicle has to move.
In this sense, some hypersports cars score less than 1 kilogram/PS (pferdestarke or metric horsepower), which is crazy. To get an idea of this figure, it is enough to remember that an exceptional car like the Ferrari SF90 Stradale has a power-to-weight ratio of 1.57 kg/PS.
To find out which are the kings of this specification, we have compiled a ranking of the top ten, including both models already in production (usually limited) and those coming soon.
- SSC Tuatara - 0.70 kg/PS
- Hennessey Venom F5 - 0.73 kg/PS
- Zenvo Aurora Tur - 0,77 kg/PS
- Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut - 0,79 kg/PS
- Deus Vayanne - 0,80 kg/PS
- Koenigsegg Gemera HV8 - 0,89 kg/PS
- Czinger 21C- 0,90 kg/PS
- Lotus Evija - 0,92 kg/PS
- Koenigsegg CC850 - 1,0 kg/PS
- Owl Aspark - 1,01 kg/PS
These vehicles are out of the classification
SSC Tuatara - 0.70 kg/PS
The SSC Tuatara is one of the fastest cars in the world and, above all, holds the record for the best power-to-weight ratio among registerable vehicles. With a dry weight of 1,274 kg and a maximum power output of 1,774 PS (1,750 bhp), the Striker version claims a staggering 0.70 kg/PS.
SSC Tuatara
With such an advantage in terms of weight and power, the Tuatara has demonstrated that it can reach a top speed of 475 km/h (295 mph) and promises to take just 2.6 seconds to accelerate from 0-100 km/h.
Credit also goes to the 5.9-litre twin-turbo V8 engine developed with Nelson Racing Engines, which transmits power (with an E85 ethanol blend) to the rear wheels via a seven-speed robotised gearbox.
Hennessey Venom F5 - 0.73 kg/PS
On the second step of the podium is the Hennessey Venom F5, which in the Revolution version weighs 1,360 kg dry and has a maximum power output of 1,842 PS (1,817 bhp). The power-to-weight ratio is therefore 0.73 kg/PS.
Hennessey Venom F5
The Venom F5's monstrous performance started at the more than 500 km/h (311 mph) as predicted at the design stage by the Texan manufacturer (437.1 km/h / 272 mph top speed so far) and goes up to 2.6 seconds in the 0-60 sprint.
Powering this incredible Hennessey is a 1,617 Nm twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V8 engine, mated to a seven-speed semi-automatic transmission.
Zenvo Aurora Tur - 0.77 kg/PS
The newly unveiled Zenvo Aurora Tur is a hybrid hypercoupé with a dry weight of just 1,450 kg and a power output of 1,876 PS (1,850 bhp) for a 0.77 kg/PS ratio.
Zenvo Aurora
The declared top speed is 450 km/h (280 mph) and the acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h is just 2.3 seconds.
These figures are made possible by a quad-turbocharged 6.6-litre V12 engine combined with three electric units, one integrated with the combustion engine and two on the front axle. The gearbox has a seven-speed transmission. The less powerful Zenvo Aurora Agil has a 0.89 kg/PS ratio.
Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut - 0.79 kg/PS
The first Koenigsegg in the ranking is the Jesko Absolut, a combustion-engine-only beast that weighs 1,290 kg dry and develops 1,625 PS (1,602 bhp). The power-to-weight ratio is therefore 0.79 kg/PS.
Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut
The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut aims for a top speed of 531 km/h (330 mph), not yet tested on tarmac, while acceleration from 0-100 is estimated at 2.6 seconds.
Under the rear bonnet hides a twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 engine that, with an E85 ethanol blend, can develop 1,500 Nm, providing drive to the rear axle via the nine-speed multi-clutch transmission Light Speed Transmission.
Deus Vayanne - 0.80 kg/PS
The first electric car on this list is a 'promised' hypercar to be produced from 2025. It is the Austrian Deus Vayanne, a project by Italdesign and Williams Advanced Engineering, which at a weight of 1,810 kg boasts an impressive 2,243 PS (2,212 bhp), the highest figure ever achieved by a battery-powered car. The power-to-weight ratio is 0.80 kg/PS.
Deus Vayanne
With such properties, it is easy to imagine that the expected exceptional performance, such as a top speed in excess of 400 km/h (249 mph) and acceleration from 0 to 100 in 1.99 seconds, is possible.
The Deus Automobiles car is powered by three electric motors developing precisely 2,040 Nm of torque, with an 85 kWh battery that promises a range of 500 km (311 miles).
Koenigsegg Gemera HV8 - 0.89 kg/PS
The world's most powerful road car, the Koenigsegg Gemera HV8, with its sophisticated Dark Matter E-motor plug-in hybrid system, delivers a record 2,333 PS (2,300 bhp). The weight of around 2,090 kg of this 2+2 hypercar puts the ratio at 0.89 kg/PS.
Koenigsegg Gemera
With these figures in mind, it is easy to imagine that the performance of the Gemera HV8 is astounding and, in fact, the Swedish four-seater is close to 400 km/h (249 mph) and can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in an incredible 1.9 seconds.
The sophisticated hybrid system consists of a twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 engine combined with the Dark Matter E-motor electric drive for a total of 2,750 Nm of torque. All managed by the Light Speed Tourbillion (LSTT) nine-speed multi-clutch transmission.
Czinger 21C - 0.90 kg/PS
Another very special hybrid hypercar is the American Czinger 21C, which develops 1,368 PS (1,350 bhp) and has a dry weight of 1,240 kg. The magical power-to-weight ratio is therefore 0.90 kg/PS.
Czinger 21C
The Czinger C21 achieves a top speed of 452 km/h (280 mph) in low drag configuration and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 1.9 seconds.
Under its elegant body is a centrally mounted 2.9-litre V8 biturbo engine, combined with two electric units at the front wheels. The gearbox is a seven-speed sequential multi-clutch gearbox.
Lotus Evija - 0.92 kg/PS
The first ever electric Lotus deserves to be in this prestigious top 10. The Lotus Evija is, in fact, the zero-emission coupe that boasts a power output of 2,039 PS (2,012 bhp) at a kerb weight of 1,887 kg, for a 0.92 kg/PS ratio.
Lotus Evija
The Evija's top speed is electronically limited to 349 km/h (217 mph) and acceleration time from 0-100 km/h is estimated to be under 3 seconds.
The four electric motors, one per wheel, are supplied by Integral Powertrain, while the 70 kWh battery and electrical system have been developed with Williams Advanced Engineering.
Koenigsegg CC850 - 1.00 kg/PS
Koenigsegg manages to place a third car in the ranking with the Koenigsegg CC850, the most classic of its hypercars, which unloads 1,385 PS (1,367 bhp) and weighs 1,385 kg. The power-to-weight ratio is therefore exactly 1.00 kg/PS.
Koenigsegg CC850
The CC850, despite the absence of any eye-catching aerodynamic appendages, is capable of over 480 km/h (300 mph) and 0-100 km/h in around 2.8 seconds.
The credit for such exuberance goes to the twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 engine which, fuelled by an E85 ethanol blend, achieves precisely 1,385 Nm, almost a magical figure consistently repeated in this car. The rear-wheel drive is mated to the nine-speed Light Speed Transmission, with a real manual gear lever in the cabin.
Aspark Owl - 1.01 kg/PS
Rounding off our top 10 is another electric hypercar, the Japanese Aspark Owl, which puts 2,000 kg on the scales and claims 2,012 PS (1,985 bhp) for a final result of 1.01 kg/PS.
Aspark Owl
The top speed declared by the Osaka-based company is 413 km/h (257 mph) and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 1.91 seconds. This is one of the fastest times in the world.
The Aspark Owl, initially developed in collaboration with Manifattura Automobili Torino, is equipped with four electric motors that develop a total of 1,920 Nm of peak torque.
In a league of their own
We want to reserve a final paragraph for those supercars and hypercars that "on paper" boast a power-to-weight ratio worthy of being included in the ranking, but which have not yet been produced, and are limited to digital renderings and theoretical specifications, or whose tracks have been lost after a big presentation.
The king of the 'lost beasts' is undoubtedly the Devel Sixteen, which promised 5,076 PS (5,007 bhp) on a weight of 2,300 kg (0.45 kg/PS), but the most exaggerated is the Arash Imperium S, of which there has been no news since 2021, with its 3,260 PS (3,215 bhp) for 1,150 kg (0.35 kg/PS).
We are also waiting for the Estrema Fulminea, the Italian electric hypercar designed to have 2,040 PS (2,012 bhp) and weigh 1,500 kg (0.73 kg/PS), as well as the SP Automotive Chaos, with a 3,064 PS (3,022 bhp) twin-turbo V10 hybrid for 1,272 kg (0.41 kg/PS).
Estrema Fulminea
SP Automotive Chaos
Also worth mentioning is the 9ff GT9, which is still bespoke-built in Germany from the Porsche 911 to produce 1,400 PS (1,381 bhp) at a weight of 1,240 kg (0.88 kg/PS).
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