The Cost of Performance and Conclusions

Planes vs. Cars - Mig Fighter Jet vs. Rally Car vs. Drift Car!

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Planes vs. Cars - Mig Fighter Jet vs. Rally Car vs. Drift Car!

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The Cost Of Speed
Perhaps one of the most eye-opening comparisons lies with the cost breakdown of running each of these competition vehicles. Each one is a pro-level, fully built machine and you'd better go over these figures twice before considering a jump into the front ranks of drifting, rally racing or air show competition. But the interesting part is how they stack up against each other.

The MiG-15, a full-on decommissioned jet fighter, is the one you'd expect to be the most expensive to run. But actually, the Solstice takes that crown. After seeing the Solstice waste a pair of brand new Bridgestone RE-01R rear tires in about two minutes, you'd believe it too. Luckily for Millen, Formula Drift competition isn't too lengthy and that half-hour of run time goes a long way. According to the drift team, upkeep is easy and parts don't have to be replaced that often throughout the season.

The ex-Polish Air Force MiG-15 cost the Reesmans just $80,000 fully restored. This included a fully operational machine gun (which had to be torched into un-operational status and then reinstalled for proper weight balance).

The MiG-15 also demands an expensive hangar rental at Camarillo Airport and is significantly more expensive to transport, should the need ever arise. Still, the plane's low running cost (fuel mostly) is surprisingly positive. That is, until a $200,000 replacement engine bill comes across the desk.

The STI falls between the other two and its upkeep is mostly Rally America running costs. This includes having five technicians and one engineer to service the car at rallies, Sunoco 104 GT Plus fuel, BFGoodrich rally tires, preparation, labor and parts. The figure doesn't include travel and transport, entry fees, engine and transmission overhaul costs, and team management labor fees.