A lot is said about usable horsepower and torque, but what really matters is how well your engine's powerband matches the gears.

The main problem with Honda engines is that their powerband is very high up... say, on the B18, you have usable power between 6000rpm and 8000rpm. What this means is, from a standing start, you are spending the time from 1000-6000rpm in a low horsepower area of the hp curve, making it sluggish. Whereas, with a 2.0 like on my RS, torque peaks lower, giving you a bigger kick in the pants at about 2000rpm (with over 100ft-lbs of torque at near idle) up to about 4000rpm, and gets you to peak horsepower sooner.

My horsepower peak is low, but I get there faster, BUT the guy with the Honda engine will still be accelerating, and he has more horsepower over 6000rpm than I do... he'll kick my a$$, no doubt. Torque only matters for the first second or two out of a corner or from a standing start, then HP is all that matters.

In a race, as long as the gearing matches your engine and the demands of the track, you can keep the engine spinning in the proper rev range to produce maximum hp. With a torquey engine, this is easy, as if you dip below your optimum power band, it'll push you back into it quickly. With a revvy engine, you have to be careful not to shift too early or let the engine fall below its useable rpm peak. A torquey engine may seem better for slow tracks, then, but higher horsepower is always better, as speed on the straights makes up for difficulties in turns. And close-ratio transmissions on most Hondas can make up for the lack of torque, anyway.

Nissan once made a Sentra/Sunny/Pulsar with a 1.6 liter 190hp engine. It had more power than a Honda B16, but couldn't keep up with a Spoon Civic of the same power. Reason? Useable power. The Nissan had a useable powerband that was so high up in the rev range, it was almost impossible to access.

Same thing with Toyota's XRS Corolla variant. It's got 180+ hp, but it's slower than the Honda (and even my RS!) because the useable powerband is VERY far up and the gearing (for economy's sake) isn't made to exploit it fully.