With the ever-increasing modifying scene producing incredibly fast cars, times are becoming quicker than the fastest of Supercars. As a general comparison, we calculate a Ferrari 355 to cover the standing 1/4mile in 12.29secs, crossing the line at 116.26mph. The fastest road legal and well known car a few years back was the 627bhp Mclaren F1, its figures are calculated at 11.06secs at 134.94mph (0-60 in 3.2secs).

So let us look at tuned cars. One of the fastest highly modified FWD cars in the UK a year ago was a well known MG Maestro running approximately 500bhp. With a possible 966kg we predict the car to be near 11.90secs at 125.68mph in drag conditions, not bad for FWD! Another example would be to see how fast a turbo’d 400bhp new Civic Type R could go, and in this case the calculator produces 12.24secs at 119.77mph, assuming it can get its power down with careful spec. As a comparison, the standard 197bhp Type R, already one of the fastest standard FWD cars on the road, is calculated at 14.77secs at 95.90mph.

Modified RWD cars run much more power. A Toyota Supra Twin Turbo UK spec running standard 326bhp and 1549kg is calculated at 13.39secs at 106.42mph, but increase this to 380bhp and the time drops to 12.76secs at 112.62mph. Tune the car to a very expensive, but genuine 1000bhp, and there are rare cars running this, and the times hit 9.81secs at 156.25mph!

4WD cars are supreme on the 1/4mile drag strip due to their aggressive launch technique. Take an early Subaru Impreza Sti as an example. In standard trim with 276bhp and lightweight addition 1270kg it can get near 12.91secs at 107.37mph, but with a huge turbo and with all kinds of modifications to get 600bhp we predict near 10.78secs at 135.99mph. With 700bhp this could be as low as 10.40secs at 143.26mph!

The fastest of the 4WD cars are usually the Nissan Skylines mainly because of their very high state of tune, big power and cost. An R33 with 750bhp and in full road trim of 1540kg is calculated at 10.38secs for the 1/4mile, crossing the line at 144.94mph. If you extensively tuned the lighter R32 model to a genuine 1000bhp, as well as dramatically stripping its weight to a drag spec of 1170kg, then the formulas produce unbelievable figures, how does 9.35sec at 161.41mph sound for a road car? Give it another 150bhp and it could get into the high 8secs! Now wouldn’t you want to be in one of them when a Mclaren F1 pulls up at the lights!

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* Please note this article is based on the site’s theory figures using its own formulas