Use a fast (33MHZ?) '51 clone

I think that when going for speed it is an illusion to go by the clock frequency.

A lowly 932 at 12MHz is more than twice as fast as a 'normal' derivative at 33MHz.

The really fast chips share one thing: less than 12 clocks ( 1 - 2 - 4 or 6) per instruction cycle.

For a true 'speed demon' go for a Cygnal f12x at 100MHz and one clock. This makes it 1200 times faster than the 'regular' '51.

Erik