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

And I've never disagreed. But you're wrangling the rules to suit your question and that's not real world stuff.
lol.. never wrangled anything. :D It all stemmed from folks having a 318 and stating they have a limited budget, and some here tell them to buy a 340. After thinking about this, I decided that they won't go as fast if the pay market value for a 340 on their limited budget. So, as stated in the title, in todays world, is the 318 the faster engine vs 340 if a person has to buy the engine and build it on their limited budget, bet it 2500 or 3k or even 3500. I say the 318 will be the faster engine because of the price of the 340.