Got this over at Elise Talk

[SSRL]

These cars are all under 3000 pounds:

1. Smart fortwo = 1808 lbs / 70hp
2. Lotus Elise = 1984 lbs / 190hp
3. Lotus Exige S = 2077 lbs / 220hp
4. Toyota Yaris = 2295 lbs / 106hp
4b. Honda Fit = 2432 lbs / 109hp
5. Mazda MX-5 = 2441 lbs / 166hp
6. Hyundai Accent GS 3-Door = 2467 lbs / 110hp
7. Chevrolet Aveo = 2544 lbs / 103hp
8. Honda Civic Coupe DX = 2586 lbs / 140hp
9. Ford Focus S Coupe = 2588 lbs / 140hp
10. MINI Cooper Hardtop S = 2668 lbs / 172hp
11. Nissan Versa = 2671 lbs / 122hp
12. Toyota Corolla = 2723 lbs / 132hp
13. Suzuki Reno = 2745 lbs / 127hp
14. Suzuki Forenza = 2756 lbs / 127hp
15. Pontiac Vibe = 2855 lbs / 158hp
16. Honda S2000 = 2864 lbs / 237hp
17. Toyota Matrix = 2865 lbs / 132hp
18. Honda Civic Si Coupe = 2877 lbs / 197hp
19. Volkswagen New Beetle = 2884 lbs / 150hp
20. Kia Spectra LX = 2919 lbs / 138hp
21. Saturn ASTRA XE = 2921 lbs = 138hp
22. Mitsubishi Lancer DE = 2922 lbs / 152hp
23. Scion tC = 2932 lbs / 161hp
24. Toyota Prius = 2932 lbs / 110hp
25. Hyundai Tiburon GT = 2969 lbs / 172hp
26. Porsche Cayman S = 2954 lbs / 295hp
27. Porsche Boxster = 2965 lbs / 295hp
28. Volkswagen Rabbit = 2975 lbs / 170hp
29. Pontiac Solstice GXP = 2976 lbs / 260hp
30. Saturn SKY Red Line = 2990 = 260hp
31. Chevrolet Cobalt SS = 2991 lbs / 205hp

[JohnD]

And with the exception of the two Porsches we have more horsepower in the Red Line and GXP than any of them...

Not too shabby!

[Bogie]

Originally Posted by JohnD

And with the exception of the two Porsches we have more horsepower in the Red Line and GXP than any of them...

Not too shabby!

Yeah, but the weight to power ratio of the Lotus Exige S is phenomenal:
2077 lbs / 220hp. Wow!

[WishfulThinking]

Ah, I like this view better...

	Name			Lbs	Hp	lbs/hp	hp/lbs
3	Lotus Exige S		2077	220	9.44	0.11
26	Porsche Cayman S	2954	295	10.01	0.1
27	Porsche Boxster		2965	295	10.05	0.1
2	Lotus Elise		1984	190	10.44	0.1
29	Pontiac Solstice GXP	2976	260	11.45	0.09
30	Saturn SKY Red Line	2990	260	11.5	0.09
16	Honda S2000		2864	237	12.08	0.08
31	Chevrolet Cobalt SS	2991	205	14.59	0.07
18	Honda Civic Si Coupe	2877	197	14.6	0.07
5	Mazda MX-5		2441	166	14.7	0.07
10	MINI Cooper Hardtop S	2668	172	15.51	0.06
25	Hyundai Tiburon GT	2969	172	17.26	0.06
28	Volkswagen Rabbit	2975	170	17.5	0.06
15	Pontiac Vibe		2855	158	18.07	0.06
23	Scion tC		2932	161	18.21	0.05
8	Honda Civic Coupe DX	2586	140	18.47	0.05
9	Ford Focus S Coupe	2588	140	18.49	0.05
22	Mitsubishi Lancer DE	2922	152	19.22	0.05
19	Volkswagen New Beetle	2884	150	19.23	0.05
12	Toyota Corolla		2723	132	20.63	0.05
20	Kia Spectra LX		2919	138	21.15	0.05
21	Saturn ASTRA XE		2921	138	21.17	0.05
13	Suzuki Reno		2745	127	21.61	0.05
4	Toyota Yaris		2295	106	21.65	0.05
14	Suzuki Forenza		2756	127	21.7	0.05
17	Toyota Matrix		2865	132	21.7	0.05
11	Nissan Versa		2671	122	21.89	0.05
4b.	Honda Fit		2432	109	22.31	0.04
6	Hyundai Accent GS 3-Door 2467	110	22.43	0.04
7	Chevrolet Aveo		2544	103	24.7	0.04
1	Smart fortwo		1808	70	25.83	0.04
24	Toyota Prius		2932	110	26.65	0.04

[Blue Sky Redline]

I wonder where they shave the weight on the sub 2000 cars?

[RedHeaded RedLine]

Originally Posted by Blue Sky Redline

I wonder where they shave the weight on the sub 2000 cars?

Carpet, radio, A/C, interior panels, seat padding, sound insulation, nav, empty passenger seat - 'cause I ain't ridin' in one. -J

[Bogie]

From Edmunds:

Of course there is a practical downside to extreme lightweight engineering. The bonded aluminum chassis used in the Exige S is a 150-pound marvel. But to be that light, the sills are high and wide and there isn't a door cutout.

That makes squeezing into the cockpit an exercise in human origami, as you must fold yourself between the sill and the ultralow roof and then deposit your backside ungracefully into the seat. Once inside, the Exige S looks and feels quite like a racecar, as the aluminum chassis members are exposed everywhere.

The confines of the cockpit are tight even once you're inside. You'll need a pair of narrow shoes (Chapman's feet were famously small) to keep from inadvertently stepping onto two pedals at once. The legroom is sufficient, but the molded driver seat is one-way adjustable — it manually slides back and forth. Passengers sit in a fixed seat with zero adjustments, while a rally-inspired, floor-mounted foot brace keeps them from flailing about.

Our Exige S was equipped with the optional $1,350 Touring Pack, which adds carpet on the aluminum floor, leather upholstery for the seats and doors, additional sound insulation and an upgraded stereo. Surprisingly, every Exige comes standard with air-conditioning, and you actually have to pay $250 if you want to delete it. (What would Chapman think?)

Once you fire up the engine, you're introduced to yet another category of sacrifice required in an authentic racecar. Everything buzzes and vibrates, as the suspension bushings are pretty hard in the name of cornering performance and they transmit more information about the road surface than you want to know. Our Exige S produced the highest sound readings at idle and full throttle that we've ever measured in a street car, and the engine note isn't particularly pleasing, either. Earplugs aren't out of the question.

What I found funny is how less is more. You have to PAY to not get an air conditioner

This reminds me of a funny exchange between Jeremy and Richard from Top Gear, when discussing the Porche 911 GT3 RS (the stipped down lightweight 911), which cost more than the standard 911 or GT3.

Jeremy: Your RS is 15,000 pounds (sterling) more than the standard GT3
Richard: Yes.
Jeremy: Because it has fewer parts?
Jeremy: So it stands to reason the less parts you have on your Porche, the more expensive it becomes. Until it gets to the point someone with no Porche at all walks by a showroom and they're going to get charged a million pounds.

And for those who really want to race:

YouTube - Lotus Elise racing