6 Big Engines With Shockingly Low Horsepower

In the early 1970s, tightening emissions restrictions did not mix well with American automotive ideals. Bigger is always better, right up until the point things get throttled down. The result was big block V8s and muscle cars with hilariously underpowered V8 engines. It is, of course, worth noting that buyers of those cars had the relatively simple task of simply removing the restrictive smog components, upgrading cylinder heads, and so on to unlock the hidden power inside those boat-anchor V8s. Still, their power figures are fun to look back on and laugh at. After all, virtually any base-model regular-traffic sedan you can buy in 2023 comes with more power.

It's also worth noting, though, that it wasn't just America making embarrassingly low-output engines. Whether it's a big block V8, small block V8, or even a screaming V10, all sorts of manufacturers throughout the world have put some truly gutless engines into production. Let's take a look at some of the worst offenders. 

The 1982 Chevrolet Camaro is the absolute epitome of this topic. Just look at it — it's got iconic American muscle car design cues, sharp, angular lines, and, to truly cement it in the 1980s, four seal-beam halogen headlights straight from a commercial vehicle. It's a glorious thing; the only thing that can complete the equation is an angry, roaring American V8. That, unfortunately, is where the issue lies.

The LG4 V8 engine under the hood of the 1982 Camaro had 5 liters of displacement. It's Chevy's classic small-block V8 engine architecture, which is nothing short of iconic. However, the 1982 model had an embarrassing power output of just 143 horsepower. For comparison's sake, the 1982 Golf GTI made 112 horsepower with less than a third of the displacement of this V8 engine — yikes. 

Of course, this engine is also a perfect example of the above-mentioned concept of the power needing to be dug out. A cam upgrade, exhaust, and upgraded cylinder heads could easily double the lowly V8's power output. In stock form, though, you only got 28.6 horsepower per liter.

Let's hop over the pond for this one. As mentioned above, America wasn't the only country producing offensively low-output engines with plenty of displacement. This 6.75-liter V8 has nearly ancient architecture, having been around since the 1950s. This basic engine platform is still around to this day, though it now sports a pair of turbochargers and spits out over 500 horsepower under the hood of the Bentley Mulsanne. If we take a step back a couple of decades, though, you'll see it wasn't always packing that punch. 

In the 1991 Rolls Royce Corniche, this 6.75-liter V8 engine put out only 215 horsepower. At 31.8 horsepower per liter, it does beat out the Camaro's engine by a hair, but it's still woefully unimpressive. It's also worth taking into consideration that this Rolls Royce, like most of these luxury land yachts, is wildly heavy. We can only imagine the acceleration is far short of "spirited." 

If you're at all familiar with this topic, you had to know that this was coming. The iconic (or infamous) Cadillac 500 cubic-inch V8 engine is a massive beast with zero bites compared to its sizable bark. Sure, in a Cadillac, the engine is pretty quiet. However, the sheer size of this thing, 8.2 liters of American-made iron, just leads the brain to think it's going to put out a sizable power figure. Not all big blocks have big power, though. 

In 1976, the Cadillac 500 V8 reached the bottom of the barrel for its power output. At only 178 horsepower, we're dealing with a lowly 22.8 horsepower per liter. Worse yet is the fact that this engine was available in the Cadillac El Dorado, which was front-wheel drive. It's hard to imagine a worse combo as a car enthusiast than a gutless big block V8 sending power to the wrong wheels. 

This one will likely cause a bit of a stir for Viper fans, but hear us out. The 8.0-liter V10 engine found under the hood of the first-gen Dodge Viper makes for a phenomenal driving experience. It's mated to a manual transmission in one of the most true-to-form analog driver's cars in history. However, its power output was nothing short of a victim of circumstance. 

At 400 horsepower, it certainly does not lack punch. In fact, the first-gen Viper is quite fast. However, by today's standards, just 50 horsepower per liter is pretty underwhelming. It's a bit of an engine with big displacement, and hearing "eight liters" in the modern age prepares you for a much bigger number. For comparison's sake, take a look at more modern Viper models. The final Viper model year, 2017, saw an 8.4-liter V10 engine making a whopping 645 horsepower. It may be a little unfair to compare these two, considering the monumental advancements in engine technology between the two, but we're doing it anyway. 

The Chrysler Power Tech V8 is our most recent offender. This 4.7-liter V8 engine was found under the hood of the Jeep Commander and Jeep Cherokee as recently as 2007. So, despite having relatively modern electronic fuel injection technology at its disposal, Chrysler still managed to only squeeze 232 horsepower out of it. It's worth noting that, during the same timeframe, Ford and Chevrolet both offered V8 powerplants in their trucks and SUVs that floated right around 300 horsepower. Which, by today's standards, still doesn't seem all that impressive. Apples to oranges, here, but the LS2 under the hood of the 2007 Chevrolet Corvette made 400 horsepower. 

Its 49.3 horsepower per liter is not as bad as things get, clearly. However, this particular example truly shows how much engine efficiency and power capabilities have advanced within the last 20 years or so. Perhaps the best comparison, then, is the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 392. Its Hemi V8 puts out a whopping 470 horsepower. 

Some folks might consider using a naturally aspirated diesel engine as cheating on a list like this. However, it's hard to beat a non-turbo diesel when it comes to impressively low horsepower output. In particular, it's hard to beat the General Motors Detroit Diesel V8. In various forms, it's found under the hood of 1980s Suburbans, the Hummer H1, and even the 1981 Impala Sport. 

The 6.2-liter version put out a woefully uninspiring 128 horsepower. At just 20.6 horsepower per liter, we have a clear-cut winner for this list. Obviously, this diesel platform was largely about the torque output and, most importantly, its robust build. Power wasn't a priority so much as ensuring it would never die, considering it also powered a host of military-use vehicles. So, while we can definitely appreciate its intended use case, it's still a hilariously low power output for its size and displacement. Thus, it made its way to this list.

[Featured image by VX1NG via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]