500 hp in the quarter mile at 2,200–4,600 lb
How Fast Is 500 Horsepower?
With 500 hp a 3,500 lb car should run roughly 11.14 seconds at 122.3 mph through the quarter mile. Change the weight below to see how your own car stacks up.
- 1/8-mile ET
- 7.14 sec
- 1/8-mile speed
- 97.9 mph
- Trap speed
- 196.9 km/h
- Weight per hp
- 7.00 lb/hp
- Conservative ET (Huntington)
- 12.03 sec
- Conservative trap (Huntington)
- 117.1 mph
500 hp quarter-mile times by weight
| Race weight | 1/4 mile ET | Trap speed | 0–60 (RWD) | lb per hp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,200 lb | 9.55 s | 142.8 mph | 2.49 s | 4.40 |
| 2,600 lb | 10.09 s | 135.1 mph | 2.84 s | 5.20 |
| 3,000 lb | 10.58 s | 128.8 mph | 3.19 s | 6.00 |
| 3,400 lb | 11.04 s | 123.5 mph | 3.52 s | 6.80 |
| 3,800 lb | 11.45 s | 119.0 mph | 3.85 s | 7.60 |
| 4,200 lb | 11.84 s | 115.1 mph | 4.17 s | 8.40 |
| 4,600 lb | 12.21 s | 111.7 mph | 4.49 s | 9.20 |
500 hp is high-performance and supercar territory: power that overwhelms street tires in a heavy car and demands good traction. These numbers come from the ideal-traction formula, so treat the quicker end of each range as a best case.
The estimate uses the widely published Patrick Hale equations: ET = 5.825 × (weight ÷ hp)1/3 and MPH = 234 × (hp ÷ weight)1/3, with weight in pounds and hp measured at the crank. They are documented, along with the more conservative Huntington (6.290 / 224) and Fox constants, in Stealth316’s horsepower / ET / MPH calculator notes. See the full formulas and sources page.
What weight does 500 hp need to run a certain ET?
| Target ET | Max weight at 500 hp | Trap speed |
|---|---|---|
| 14.00 s | 6,942 lb | 97.4 mph |
| 13.00 s | 5,558 lb | 104.9 mph |
| 12.00 s | 4,371 lb | 113.6 mph |
| 11.00 s | 3,367 lb | 123.9 mph |
| 10.00 s | 2,530 lb | 136.3 mph |
| 9.00 s | 1,844 lb | 151.5 mph |
For example, 500 hp is enough to run a 12.00 second quarter in a car up to 4,371 lb, and a 10.00 second pass at 2,530 lb or lighter.
500 hp compared with 450 and 550 hp
At 3,500 lb, going from 450 to 500 hp saves 0.40 s, and going on to 550 hp saves a further 0.35 s. Gains shrink as power rises because ET follows a cube root, so the same 50 hp is worth less each time. At 500 hp, the 1/8-mile ET for 3,500 lb is about 7.14 s at 97.9 mph.
The power-to-weight of a 3,500 lb car with 500 hp is 7.00 lb per hp, or 315 hp per tonne. See all horsepower comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
How fast is 500 hp in the quarter mile?
A 3,500 lb car with 500 crank hp is estimated at 11.14 s at 122.3 mph. Lighter cars are quicker, heavier ones slower.
How fast is 500 hp from 0 to 60?
At 3,500 lb a rear-wheel-drive car estimates about 3.60 s, all-wheel drive about 3.32 s.
Is 500 wheel hp the same as 500 hp?
No. If 500 is wheel horsepower, the crank figure is higher, about 588 hp on a rear-wheel-drive car. Use the WHP to HP converter.
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