If you're a speed freak, here's tangible proof that you don't need a pricey exotic supercar to tattoo a smile on your face and draw attention.

You see, the T-Rex is powered by a 1,352-cc, 16-valve Kawasaki inline-4. The engine gets air shoved down its throat by a roof-mounted air scoop, and develops 200 horsepower. Your initial reaction might be to say that it's not enough for hunting down Corvettes and 911s, but one important number needs to be known: the T-Rex weighs only 1,000 pounds, or 455 kg.

Different versions of the T-Rex including the Silence powered by an electric motor.

Blistering acceleration
Here's a quick breakdown of the power-to-weight ratios of some of the quickest cars in North America, in pounds per horsepower:

Ariel Atom 2 with 300-hp engine: 4.5
Campagna T-Rex 1400R: 5.0
Dodge Viper SRT10: 5.7
Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera: 5.7
Lamborghini Murciélago LP640: 5.7
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano: 6.0
Chevrolet Corvette Z06: 6.2
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: 6.3
KTM X-Bow: 6.4
Ferrari 430: 6.5
Ariel Atom 2 with 205-hp engine: 6.6
Porsche 911 GT3 RS: 7.3

So, the 1400R trumps all of them except the most-powerful Ariel Atom 2. And what's ironic is that the T-Rex has been on sale since 1994. Over the years, it has swapped engines a few times, and of course, this latest version is the most powerful so far. Last year, Campagna narrowed the rear tire down from 315/35ZR17 to 285/40ZR17, which actually improves driving dynamics and is less prone to slip and slide on wet surfaces. The front tires are of 205/45ZR16 size.

Although we couldn't use our accelerometers, the test vehicles not being equipped with a 12-volt socket, the manufacturer claims a very credible 3.92 seconds to 60 mph (0-96 km/h). Barreling down a stretch of the track at the Autodrome St-Eustache, which is slightly less than a quarter-mile long, we were doing over 170 km/h (105 mph) before hitting the brakes for a 90-degree curve. Top speed is 220 km/h, or 130 mph.

At ease on the road and on the track.