Today, dollar for dollar, is the 318 faster than the 340 ???

When you really look at the "Horsepower PER Cubic Inch", the 340 is really low on the scale. Even the 2.2 Shelby and the 273 4bbl have more HP per cube.

It is known that Chrysler under rated those numbers. Mopar Manipulatin - Hotrod Magazine Aug/Sep '69 (I believe?) dispells that rating.