"Underpowered."
Please define this for me as it applies to cars. 
My confusion (and i don't know why this hit me today) is that i consider my Celica to be currently VERY slow. But yet, i don't consider it to be underpowered. Maybe over-engineered and over-tired for the drivetrain. But not underpowered.
Your definition? What makes a car "underpowered?"
I would say that anything with a power-to-weight ratio of greater than 18 pounds per hp would be considered underpowered. This is slightly more than Miata. Of course, this number is debatable, but it is generally a pretty good way to discuss the overall power of a car as it relates to that specific car and all others.
Yikes... if we're going by crank hp, i'm sitting at just under 18. If i'm in the car, then we're over. 
Crank HP.
I think it was Smith that said race car drivers want enough HP to smoke the tires all the way down the straight and then enough tire to not smoke with that much HP and then more HP to smoke those tires.
Miata?
Thats always the answer right?
Chevette, or Diesel Chevette.
Any car that you beat on the steering wheel while you have it floored while yelling "GO...GOGOGO...you stupid piece of motherberkelying E36 M3"....is underpowered.
Underpowered is when I cannot, with regularity, merge with interstate traffic. Of course, there are certain places where EVERY car will be underpowered, due a very tight lane leading to the road that one is gaining access to, coupled with an utter lack of an acceleration lane. Why they even bother, I don't know. Around here, people just go to the bottom, stop (even when no one is coming), and then proceed when the way is clear.
Anything that can't break the speed limit (75) in a 1/4 mile is underpowered. Cars that slow have problems merging into traffic and are so slow and unresponsive that they are unsafe.
There's also "gutless", but that's just the car doesn't have enough powerband/torque to be as fast as it should be.
To me, its any car that doesn't accelerate as quickly as I want when my foot is to the floor.
My F150 with a 4.6L is underpowered to me, but others don't find it to be that way.
A 46 HP MB 220D is underpowered, as an example but not a definition. That car has a top speed of 77 MPH, downhill with the wind behind it. There are roads where it won't reach the posted speed limit.
P71 wrote: Anything that can't break the speed limit (75) in a 1/4 mile is underpowered. Cars that slow have problems merging into traffic and are so slow and unresponsive that they are unsafe. There's also "gutless", but that's just the car doesn't have enough powerband/torque to be as fast as it should be.
Ok... i'm safe in that respect. My last one trapped 88mph in the quarter, and i think this one should do about the same.
Underpowered, Definition: Fox body Mustang equiped with the N/A 2.3l and Autotragic transmission.
I think you are going to find as many definations as there are people..
79 Mercedes 300D non-turbo with unknown history. 88hp when brand spanking new.
I think I agree with confuZion3 , it's got something to do with power/ weight ratio.
My Yugo only has about 80 hp.
But it only weighs 1200 lbs. 15 lbs/ hp- not underpowered.
But my F-250 weighs over 6500 lbs. With 300 + hp, you would think it would be underpowered at 21 lbs/ hp. But it's not- this is diesel, and torque is king (665 lb/ft will motivate just about anything)- not underpowered either.
curtis73 wrote: To me, its any car that doesn't accelerate as quickly as I want when my foot is to the floor. My F150 with a 4.6L is underpowered to me, but others don't find it to be that way.
Have you ever driven a car that accelerates as quickly as you want with the accelerator on the floor? I know I haven't. For me, the fastest car so far was C6 Corvette. You can always go faster. 
when you step on the loud pedal and car goes no where...
Nearly every 4-banger or below with an autotragic is underpowered. Even if it's rated for the same amount of horsepower in both manual and auto trim.
SVreX wrote: I think I agree with confuZion3 , it's got something to do with power/ weight ratio. My Yugo only has about 80 hp. But it only weighs 1200 lbs. 15 lbs/ hp- not underpowered. But my F-250 weighs over 6500 lbs. With 300 + hp, you would think it would be underpowered at 21 lbs/ hp. But it's not- this is diesel, and torque is king (665 lb/ft will motivate just about anything)- not underpowered either.
Touche: but when we speak of diesels, we shouldn't really talk about hp. A Mack truck only has 300 hp but it can tow 60,000 lbs. That's because it has 700 ft-lbs of torque. I think torque should be the standard for engine ratings regardless of fuel because torque is rotational energy and that's what engines do--rotate. (Torque is a force, HP is an energy rating.)
Yeah, so diesels are different.
I agree with jfx1001. If you've ever timed your 0-60 merge with a wristwatch, you're there.
I feel old when I say this.. but having been a youngster in the 70s and early 80s.. I am still pretty used to comparing things to cars from that era.
But yes.. any car that cannot safely merge into traffic is underpowered
Grtechguy wrote: Underpowered, Definition: Fox body Mustang equiped with the N/A 2.3l and Autotragic transmission.
A-berkeleying-MEN! That POS was soooooooooo slow it wouldn't do 70 if it was pushed out of an airplane at 10,000 feet!
confuZion3 wrote:curtis73 wrote: To me, its any car that doesn't accelerate as quickly as I want when my foot is to the floor. My F150 with a 4.6L is underpowered to me, but others don't find it to be that way.Have you ever driven a car that accelerates as quickly as you want with the accelerator on the floor? I know I haven't. For me, the fastest car so far was C6 Corvette. You can always go faster.
motorcycles don't count huh, I rode a gixxer 1000 and well I didn't want more power, that thing nearly ripped my arms off. Ok sorry for going OT.
confuZion3 wrote: Have you ever driven a car that accelerates as quickly as you want with the accelerator on the floor? I know I haven't. For me, the fastest car so far was C6 Corvette. You can always go faster.
Good point. I just didn't want to spark an argument from autocrossers talking about how there can be "too much power."
There is a limit, though. I drove a Hennesey Viper with something like 900 hp and really fat race slicks. The acceleration was insane, if you only used about 1/2 throttle. Anything more and you were liquifying tires through 4th gear.
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