What's the least powerful car you've owned?

"Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen" (distraxi) 09/04/2018 at 20:47 • Filed to: None

2

43

I’ve had several t ire-shredding bea sts in the 50-60hp range, but my personal best is 34hp, from my 1980s Renault 4GTL. And that was the go- faster 1100cc version: if I wasn ’t such a bourgeoisie (I paid GBP100 for it) I could have had the basic 750cc model , with a terrifying 25hp, like proper paysans dro ve.

I’m sure there’s a few people out there with 2CVs, Bambinas, or classic kei cars in their history who can beat me - show me your worst.

bhtooefr > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:08

0

I can’t beat you, but 52 horsepower of fury, twice, so I’ll use the heavier one:

1588 cc of naturally aspirated diesel fury, pulling around 2350 lbs of Mk2 Jetta.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:14

1

Truck.  Only like 100hp when new, feels like 20 now

facw > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:15

0

Nothing as bad as any of those:

Only so much engine you can stash under the driver’s seat, and mine was not the supercharged model. I think it made ~ 135HP, which is way better than an old economy car, was not a lot for vehicle as large as the Previa.

Wasn’t bad at all though, just mash the pedal to floor and it would do ok (except on snow/ice it didn’t make enough power to slip the rear wheels, so you could just floor it out of every stop).

E90M3 > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:16

0

My 1997 Explorer Sport SOHC 4.0 V6 with 205 hp. 

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > bhtooefr 09/04/2018 at 21:20

1

I just barely beat you on power to weight. The 4 was 1780lb, for a power to weight of 0.0214hp/lb compared to your 0.0221. Assuming both of us still had rated hp, which is a pretty safe bet not to be true.

I’m pretty sure the 4 wasn’t my worst car on power to weight though, if I could be bothered doing the math. And not even close to worst vehicle - the Case 350 dozer wins that one by a country mile at 55hp and about 5 tons !

XJDano > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:22

1

I used to daily a 98 metro, window sticker said 55hp, doubt it. It would cruise at 80 though. 

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > E90M3 09/04/2018 at 21:24

0

Bet you it needed every o ne of them though.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > XJDano 09/04/2018 at 21:25

0

God, I dreamed of 80 in the 4. Actually, I didn’t - it was scary enough at 60.

Urambo Tauro > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:25

0

The oldest car I ’ v e had was a 1984 Delta 88. Its 305 V8 was supposedly rated at 140hp, 240tq. My 1994 Cougar (V6) had the same hp rating, but only 215tq.

E90M3 > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:27

1

It wasn’t fast but it had no problem getting out of it’s own way. 

ranwhenparked > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:27

1

1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle: 60hp, but only like 1900lbs, so I didn’t consider it crazily underpowered. It was perfectly  adequate.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > facw 09/04/2018 at 21:27

1

Previas are great - best people mover out there IMHO

bhtooefr > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:27

0

I do know that before the engine was reringed, I topped out at 85 MPH indicated, after it was reringed and then put into a Golf shell (lighter, but worse aero, which is more important at high speed), I was doing 90 MPH indicated and it was still accelerating.

But seeing as the reringing happened, and THEN I crashed it and the engine got moved over... I probably actually had the original 52 hp for a time.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > bhtooefr 09/04/2018 at 21:28

1

Compression’s kinda important in diesels

fintail > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:31

2

I’ve driven many less powerful cars, but the least powerful one I have legally owned is t he one I drove Sunday (not the S cabrio):

~135 of the old hp, so maybe 120 new hp, not sure if any horses have escaped.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > ranwhenparked 09/04/2018 at 21:31

0

It’s amazing how the standard for “perfectly adequate” ha s c ha nged. I’m old enough to remember when 0-60 in 10 seconds was a respectable time for a vanilla sedan .

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:33

1

The rabbit’s 1.7l made 65hp new. The carb, intake, and exhaust could be power adders, but the oil comming our the exhaust say they don’t matter. 

ranwhenparked > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:43

0

This would have been around 2001-2002, but it was just fine in traffic and kept up on highways. Not the fastest out there, but not dangerously slow.

I replaced it with a 1991 Volvo 940 Turbo with an earth shaking 162hp and a blistering 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds (which, actually, was reasonably quick for the early ‘90s ) - that’s the third least horsepower I’ve had, and the second smallest engine. 

f86sabre > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:43

0

44 hp out of our 90 Mini with the 998. I’ve had it up to 75 mph on the freeway.  I have other cars for the go fast stuff. 

wafflesnfalafel > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 21:46

0

1970 VW Beetle - 57hp, (up from 53 in 69'!)

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > facw 09/04/2018 at 22:00

2

My parents had one and it was our first car in the US. This thing was properly slow and didn’t even have a tachometer .

Dusty Ventures > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 22:14

1

Lowest horsepower I owned was 150 in my first Ranger. Lowest I road tripped was 70-ish in a Baja Bug

Berang > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 22:26

0

25hp Subaru 360. It was not actually that slow, at least not worse than a contemporary Beetle.

DipodomysDeserti > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 22:26

1

My first bike was a ‘79 Honda CM185. Made 10 hp from the factory, but had a leaky headgasket and was thirty years old, so it probably made a bit less when I rode it. Would still do 80 mph on the interstate when I needed her to.

I’ve driven a couple of sub 100 hp cars, but I don’t know how those Euros manage to ring such few ponies out of their machines. My current bike was designed in post nuclear war Japan, and it’s 444cc engine makes almost twice the power as that  Renault.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Berang 09/04/2018 at 22:30

0

You win. You’re right about comparisons though - the 4 wasn’t scary slow either, in the co ntext of the early-90s UK traffic I was driving it in. It’d be bloody terrifying on a Texas freeway.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 22:50

0

I had a 1975 Datsun B210 with a 1.5 L ohv 4 banger. The fire wall sticker said 75 hp at 5200 rpm. It would move but I had to go down to 2nd gear to get over Teton Pass.

RX > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 22:55

0

1991 Volvo 240.  I believe it was rated at 114.  Didn’t feel like it had half that much.  

Spoon II > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/04/2018 at 23:38

0

I guess it’s pretty much a toss-up between my two VW Bugs

pip bip - choose Corrour > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 06:36

0

1.6L of throbbing power

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 07:03

2

Least Powerful:

Had a 1200cc VW engine when we got it, 34hp is the numbers I’m finding for it, likely closer to 20hp given how tired it was. Surprisingly quick/fun to drive.

Slowest:

According to what I found, 102hp. Driving it felt more like 20hp. It was later swapped for a modded 2.0 T iburon motor, put on heavy sway bars and K-sport coilovers, and used for tearing up auto-x.

The last stock SC 5speed > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 07:41

0

1968 Chevy c-10 longbed powered by a 250 straight six driven through a 3 speed manual with the shifter on the column.  

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 08:12

0

I drove a first generation Geo Metro in highschool...55HP.

Thankfully it had a stick so you could at least wind it up to get up to speed.

I miss that car.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 08:37

0

Not as bad as some relies, but m y first car was an ‘84 Chevette with a claimed 65 hp. It was slow - especially with the 3 speed auto . But if you dumped it from N to D while flooring it you could get it to chirp the rear tires.  Basically because they were so skinny.  Then once it hooked up it would think about getting to 60 sometime in the next 20 seconds. 

deekster_caddy > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 09:28

0

My MG has a factory rated whopping 68 hp. I’m sure it’s a bit less these days , but it’s not awful to drive.

It barely weighs anything, so it’s enough power to get it up to highway speeds and keep it there...

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 12:36

0

1985 Dodge Aries.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 09/05/2018 at 12:42

0

Have you ever owned a normal, mundane car?

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 12:43

0

my Mini Cooper S. 188hp of terror

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! 09/05/2018 at 12:49

1

Does the time I buy it to the time I start modifying it count?

Jokes aside, closest I’ve came was one of three vehicles:

1965 Chevy c10, 250 I6, auto, the motor was swapped in when I bought it, we swapped it to an auto when the clutch went.

1990 Buick Century Custom, 3300 V6, 4-speed auto, had a shorty intake and full exhaust.

Our current F250, intake and exhaust are the only real “mods” outside of the normal 6.0 bulletproofing.

Otherwise, nothing I’ve owned has stayed stock long enough to count.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! 09/05/2018 at 12:57

1

Last time we tallied I’ve owned something like 25 vehicles totaling around $150k not i ncluding vehicles bought on loan.........

Not bad for 20 yrs.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 17:00

0

Least powerful for me would be a 1990 Ford Festiva... 63HP.

But it actually wasn’t the slowest.

The slowest I had was a 1995 Ford Escort wagon.... 88HP for about 2500lbs.

duurtlang > E90M3 09/05/2018 at 17:20

0

I’ve owned many cars, but none that powerful . None even near that heavy either.

duurtlang > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/05/2018 at 17:23

0

My first car, a 1991 VW Golf mk2 1.3i. 54 hp, 4 speed manual .

NojustNo > bhtooefr 09/05/2018 at 17:37

0

Yup! I had a first gen diesel jetta with like 45hp. Got 3 spee ding tickets in it 8^D

Full D is claimer : i was going downhill. Momentum tickets!