First Place: 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (11.5 lb/hp)With a 303-hp 5.3-liter V-8 mounted transversely over the front wheels, the 3490-lb Monte Carlo SS takes the top spot for Burnout King. It shares its engine with two other top-five contenders (Grand Prix GXP, 11.8 lb/hp, and Chevy Impala SS 12.2lb/hp), but since the Monte Carlo is the lightest of the group, it takes top honors.
With a power-to-weight ratio that rivals Porsche 911s of just a few years ago, the front-drive GM cars are dynamic disasters. Practically any throttle at low speeds breaks the front wheels loose, especially given the V-8's prodigious low-end grunt. (The Monte Carlo SS has 323 lb-ft of torque, which also makes it the torque-to-weight king, by a significant margin). If you enjoy shredding your front tires every 5000 miles, this is the car for you.
Second Place: 2008 Nissan Altima V-6 (11.8 lb/hp)Without fail, every time we have an Altima with the 3.5-liter V-6 in the office, you'll hear someone laughing about how fast it is. No front-wheel drive car has the right to be this quick - and the 3186-lb Altima almost pulls it off. Almost. But that's only because Ann Arbor's roads are mostly straight. As soon as you try to hustle the 270-hp Altima around bends, you realize that it's not, in fact, a poor man's G35. It's merely a wheelspin machine.
