If you’re chasing speed, a lightweight car might be just what you need. These vehicles are designed to reduce drag and enhance performance, delivering impressive speed without the extra bulk. In this list, we’ll explore 25 lightweight cars that are built for one thing: speed.
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Lotus Elise
The Lotus Elise is renowned for its lightweight chassis and minimalistic design, weighing in at just around 1,931 pounds. Powered by a 1.8-liter supercharged engine, it offers impressive acceleration and nimble handling. Its stripped-down approach ensures that every pound saved translates to higher performance, making it a quintessential lightweight speed machine.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is celebrated for its agility and light curb weight of around 2,341 pounds. While its 2.0-liter inline-four engine produces a modest 181 horsepower, the Miata’s lightweight design enables it to deliver a dynamic driving experience with responsive handling and sharp cornering ability, emphasizing fun over brute force.
Alfa Romeo 4C
The Alfa Romeo 4C is built on a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, giving it a featherlight weight of around 2,465 pounds. Equipped with a 1.7-liter turbocharged engine, it delivers 237 horsepower, enabling it to go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Its exotic looks combined with exceptional power-to-weight ratio make it a formidable lightweight sports car.
Porsche 718 Cayman
The Porsche 718 Cayman combines luxury with performance in a lightweight package, weighing about 3,034 pounds. Its mid-engine layout and turbocharged flat-four engine offer excellent balance and acceleration. With up to 414 horsepower in the Cayman GT4, this car is a serious contender for speed enthusiasts who want precision handling in a relatively light frame.
Caterham Seven 620R
Weighing just 1,201 pounds, the Caterham Seven 620R is a raw, track-focused car that emphasizes extreme lightweight engineering. Powered by a 2.0-liter supercharged engine producing 310 horsepower, it can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in an astonishing 2.8 seconds. This minimalistic car is built purely for speed, with no frills.
Ariel Atom 4
The Ariel Atom 4 is practically a road-legal go-kart. Weighing only 1,312 pounds, it is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that produces up to 320 horsepower. The Atom’s exposed tubular chassis gives it a truly unique look, and its incredible power-to-weight ratio ensures blistering acceleration and razor-sharp handling.
Alpine A110
The Alpine A110 weighs just over 2,400 pounds and is powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter engine delivering 249 horsepower. This French sports car combines retro-inspired styling with modern engineering, offering a well-balanced driving experience with exceptional agility, making it a fantastic option for those seeking lightweight performance.
Tesla Roadster (2nd Gen)
The upcoming Tesla Roadster is set to redefine lightweight speed with its all-electric drivetrain. Despite its battery pack, the Roadster’s lightweight, aerodynamic design, paired with over 1,000 horsepower, promises a 0 to 60 mph time of under 2 seconds. Its cutting-edge electric powertrain brings a new level of speed to the lightweight category.
BMW i8
The BMW i8 is a hybrid supercar that focuses on lightweight construction, thanks to its carbon-fiber body. Weighing around 3,514 pounds, it’s heavier than most on this list but makes up for it with cutting-edge hybrid technology, combining a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine with electric motors for a combined 369 horsepower, offering impressive speed and eco-friendliness.
McLaren 600LT
The McLaren 600LT is a lightweight, track-focused supercar with a curb weight of 2,749 pounds. Its 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 delivers 592 horsepower, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds. With extensive use of carbon fiber and a no-nonsense approach to performance, the 600LT is built for pure speed.
BAC Mono
Weighing just 1,257 pounds, the BAC Mono is a single-seater track car designed for extreme performance. Its 2.5-liter engine produces 332 horsepower, giving it a phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. Built with lightweight materials like carbon fiber, the Mono is an uncompromising vehicle that delivers mind-blowing speed and handling.
Ferrari 488 Pista
The Ferrari 488 Pista combines a lightweight body, using carbon fiber extensively, with a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. Weighing around 3,054 pounds, it generates 710 horsepower, pushing it from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds. Ferrari’s expertise in weight reduction and aerodynamics makes this car a lightweight speed powerhouse.
Lamborghini Huracán Performante
The Huracán Performante is Lamborghini’s lightweight version of its iconic supercar, utilizing forged composites to keep weight down to 3,047 pounds. Its 5.2-liter V10 engine produces 631 horsepower, resulting in a 0 to 60 mph time of just 2.9 seconds, making it both fast and agile.
Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray
The Corvette C8 Stingray represents a shift in Corvette design with a mid-engine layout and a lighter, more compact frame. Weighing around 3,366 pounds, its naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine produces 495 horsepower, delivering serious performance and a top speed of nearly 194 mph.
Ford GT
The Ford GT is a modern lightweight supercar with a carbon-fiber body and a dry weight of just under 3,054 pounds. Powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 producing 660 horsepower, the GT’s aerodynamic design and lightweight structure allow it to reach speeds over 216 mph, making it a track-ready beast.
Radical SR3
The Radical SR3 is a lightweight, track-only car that weighs about 1,400 pounds. Its 1.5-liter or 1.6-liter engine options deliver between 150 and 260 horsepower, but its lightweight design makes it a dominant force on the track, focusing on nimble handling and raw speed.
Noble M600
Weighing approximately 2,800 pounds, the Noble M600 is a handcrafted British supercar powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. Producing up to 650 horsepower, the M600 can reach a top speed of 225 mph, offering a blend of raw power and lightweight engineering for serious speed enthusiasts.
Koenigsegg Agera RS
The Koenigsegg Agera RS is one of the fastest cars in the world, with a carbon fiber body and a curb weight of around 3,075 pounds. Its 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine delivers an astonishing 1,341 horsepower, propelling it to speeds over 277 mph, making it a masterpiece of lightweight engineering and speed.
Pagani Huayra BC
The Pagani Huayra BC is a hypercar with extensive use of lightweight materials like carbon fiber and titanium, weighing only 2,685 pounds. Its 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine produces 791 horsepower, allowing it to reach breathtaking speeds while maintaining an elegant, streamlined design.
Honda S2000
The Honda S2000 is a lightweight roadster with a curb weight of around 2,800 pounds. Its 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine, revving up to 9,000 rpm, delivers 237 horsepower. Known for its sharp handling and high-revving engine, the S2000 is an enthusiast’s favorite for lightweight performance.
Jaguar F-Type SVR
The Jaguar F-Type SVR combines lightweight aluminum construction with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine, producing 575 horsepower. With a weight of around 3,455 pounds, it offers a thrilling driving experience, hitting 200 mph with ease while maintaining a luxurious feel.
Dodge Viper ACR
The Dodge Viper ACR is a lightweight, track-focused version of the iconic Viper. Weighing around 3,400 pounds and powered by an 8.4-liter V10 engine with 645 horsepower, it’s designed for maximum performance on the track, with a focus on aerodynamics and weight reduction for faster lap times.
Audi R8 V10 Performance
The Audi R8 V10 Performance sheds unnecessary weight with the use of lightweight materials like carbon fiber, weighing around 3,650 pounds. Its 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine produces 602 horsepower, allowing it to reach 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, combining luxury with speed.
Toyota GR Supra
The Toyota GR Supra is a modern sports car with a curb weight of about 3,397 pounds. Powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 382 horsepower, it offers a balanced blend of speed and agility, making it one of the best lightweight options in its class.
Nissan GT-R Nismo
The Nissan GT-R Nismo may weigh more than other cars on this list at 3,865 pounds, but its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 600 horsepower makes it a force to be reckoned with. With extensive use of carbon fiber to shed weight and increase performance, it’s built to handle high speeds with precision.
This article originally appeared in MyCarMakesNoise.
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