Home Car insurance Car insurance rates Baby you’re much too fast: Speedy cars with the cheapest insurance Baby you’re much too fast: Speedy cars with the cheapest insurance Written by: Emmet Pierce | Reviewed by: Penny Gusner Penny Gusner Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. | Posted on September 20, 2011 Why you should trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. I guess we shoulda known by the way you parked your car sideways that you like to drive fast. So we performed a review of high-performance cars and the cost of auto insurance, Insure.com has found some insurance bargains among cars that deliver quick acceleration. And you say, “What have I got to lose?” Not much — you can drive a powerful auto without paying top dollar for your coverage. A variety of factors are used to calculate insurance rates. Insurance companies base their premiums on the perceived risk of paying out injury and damage claims. They consider safety features that protect drivers, the likelihood of vehicle theft and the cost of repairing and replacing parts. Believe it or not, we started to worry, wondering if we had enough data – but we’ve found many choices that deliver speed and a relatively lower insurance bill. You need a love that’s gonna last: The Chevrolet Corvette GS two-door convertible, for example, has a national average annual insurance premium of $1,802. When you factor in the car’s 0-to-60 mph acceleration rate of 4 seconds, you have an average premium cost of $450.50 per second. Move over baby: In comparison, the Mercedes SL65 AMG has a 0-to-60 acceleration rate of 4.5 seconds and an average annual premium of $3,544. That gives the slower accelerating vehicle an average premium cost of $787.56 per second, nearly 75 percent more than the Corvette GS. (Insure.com’s average rates are based on what a 40-year-old male with a good driving record would pay.) Gimme the keys Among the 44 automobiles Insure.com reviewed that travel from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds or less, the best car insurance bargain — as calculated by cost per second — was the Chevrolet Camaro SS. While not the quickest car in the group, the Camaro SS still has a relatively fast acceleration rate of 5 seconds. But the Camaro SS has a cost-per-second insurance rate of $324, compared to $687.35 for the ZR1. That means you’ll pay 112 percent more for car insurance to shave 1.6 seconds off your acceleration time with the ZR1. That’s on the verge of being obscene! You’re moving much too fast Our study found that the Ford Mustang GT two-door coupe and the Mercedes C63 AMG each have a 0-to-60 acceleration rate of 4.3 seconds. The Mustang GT has an average cost-per-second insurance premium of $401.40 compared to $633.02 for the C63. That means the Mercedes owner pays 58 percent more per second of acceleration time. Whichever fast car you choose, honey you’ve to slow down, because if you don’t you’re gonna run your little car right into the ground. Fast cars with cheap auto insurance Rank 2011 vehicle Avg. national premium Seconds, 0 to 60 mph Insurance cost per second of acceleration time 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS $1,620 5 $324.00 2 Dodge Challenger R/T $1,757 5 $351.40 3 Ford Mustang GT convertible $1,696 4.7 $360.85 4 Ford Mustang GT coupe $1,726 4.3 $401.40 5 Chevrolet Corvette coupe $1,741 4.2 $414.52 6 Audi S5 4.2 Quattro $1,995 4.8 $415.63 7 Chevrolet Corvette convertible $1,782 4.2 $424.29 8 BMW M3 $2,013 4.7 $428.30 9 Lexus IS F $1,979 4.6 $430.22 10 Chevrolet Corvette GS convertible $1,802 4 $450.50 11 Chevrolet Corvette GS coupe $1,818 4 $454.50 12 BMW M3 $2,142 4.7 $455.74 13 Audi S5 4.2 Quattro Prestige $2,218 4.8 $462.08 14 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 coupe $1,923 4.1 $469.02 15 Cadillac CTS V coupe $1,841 3.9 $472.05 16 Mercedes C63 AMG $2,051 4.3 $476.98 17 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 convertible $1,959 4.1 $477.80 18 Cadillac CTS V sedan $1,937 3.9 $496.67 19 Jaguar XJ L $2,458 4.9 $501.63 20 Porsche Panamera 4S $2,426 4.8 $505.42 Methodology Insure.com commissioned a study from Quadrant Information Services that calculated the average premiums for a male driver (see full profile below) using car insurance rates from six large carriers (State Farm, Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, Farmers and Nationwide) in 10 ZIP codes per state. Not all models are available for calculating average rates, especially some exotic cars. We took the vehicles with eight or more cylinders and collected their acceleration times, and used only models that go from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds or less. We then calculated a ratio of insurance premium to acceleration times. Averages are based on a single 40-year-old male driver who commutes 12 miles to work each day, with policy limits of 100/300/50 ($100,000 for injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and $50,000 for property damage in an accident) and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage. He has a clean driving record and good credit. The rate includes uninsured motorist coverage. Average rates are for comparative purposes; your rate will depend on your personal factors. See the average insurance costs for all 2011 models. QuickTake Car insurance for leased cars: A comprehensive guide Compare and shop auto insurance Car insurance rates by state: The most expensive and cheapest states for car insurance in 2023 How much does car insurance cost a month? Everything you need to know about car insurance The most expensive and cheapest cars to insure in 2023 Factors that affect your car insurance rates Determining which drivers should be listed on your car insurance policy The most and least expensive trucks to insure in 2023 How does mileage affect car insurance rates? Why you must insure all the cars you own How to Buy the Cheapest Car Insurance for a New Car Auto insurance quotes comparison - How and why you should compare car insurance rates? Cheap thrills: 7 cars with high horsepower, reasonable insurance Average insurance rates for your 2022 How your gender affects auto insurance rates Cheapest Car Insurance Buying Guide Most and least expensive convertibles to insure Popular cars that are cheap to insure Cheapest trucks to insure, most expensive trucks to insure: 2019 models Most car insurance purchases start online 5 luxury sedans with low insurance costs Insurance sleepers: 6 unassuming cars with high premiums Insuring 2015's cheapest cars The least expensive small SUVs to insure The least expensive 2011 hybrids to insure See more > In case you missed it Best Car Insurance Companies of 2023 Car insurance rates by state: The most expensive and cheapest states for car ins... What is Full Coverage Car Insurance? How much does car insurance cost for seniors? A complete guide to adding a teenager to your car insurance policy What to do after a car accident that’s not your fault Total warfare: What to do when your auto insurer totals your car Car insurance claims: Who gets the claims check? Buying and insuring a used car: Most and least expensive models to insure in 202... The Best Car Insurance for Bad Credit of 2021 The best car insurance companies for speeding tickets Car insurance after a DUI Guide to Car Insurance Discounts Proper insurance coverage for college-bound children How to read actually understand your auto insurance policy Car Insurance Companies New driver insurance grace period: What you need to know How much do insurance agents make Autonomous cars: 5 delightful and 5 distressing things Busted! Part 1: How insurance companies spot bogus claims Insurance options for rideshare drivers 10 things that are illegal but shouldn’t be 1/1 Get instant quotes now ! Please enter valid zip Get Quotes