Here's a stupid idea I just had.
What if someone could come up with a vehicle rating formula to rate vehicles that took different specs into account? Using the following parameters:
MPG or L/100km LBS/HP or kg/kW HP/c.i. Maybe even price and/or coefficient of drag
Through a formula of multiplying, dividing, etc of these numbers, come up with a "rating" to describe the vehicle's efficiency/economy. So the higher/lower the number, the more "efficient" the vehicle is in the real world and in your wallet.
We all know that more performance = less mileage, but this system could take into account the amount of performance you are getting for your mileage. This would decide which vehicle is more "efficient."
Example (Canadian Models, pricing and specs):
Vehicle: 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Hardtop 1SB Price: $96,150CDN Engine Size: 7.0L Mileage Highway: 8.2 L/100km Mileage City: 14.3 L/100km Power: 377 kW Weight: 1420 kg Coefficient of drag: 0.34
Vehicle: 2006 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Price: $130,000CDN Engine Size: 8.3L Mileage Highway: 11.8 L/100km Mileage City: 19.6 L/100km Power: 373 kW Weight: 1547 kg Coefficient of drag: 0.39
If you compare the two vehicles' numbers, you can see the Corvette Z06 is more "efficient." So if you could take all those numbers and mathimatically turn them into one, it would make for easy comparison. I'd call it the Mackie Vehicle Rating System. ;) Something like, "the MVRS of the Z06 is 52 and the MVRS of the Viper is 45." Then if you applied the formula to a Cobalt and got an MVRS of 48, you could say "the Cobolt is more "efficient" than the Viper, but because of the R&D and technology built into the Corvette, it is more "efficient" than the Cobalt." Kinda of a "bang for your buck" rating.
See what I'm getting at?
Steve