I think the 738 is pretty bloody powerful. At Prestwick I've watched it get airborne in about 3000ft and it climbs like a bat out of hell compared to all the other aircraft that come and go at PIK (apart from the jaguars and hawks
) As a pax on the 738 we once cruised at FL360 between Stansted and Prestwick, which is only a distance of about 280nm! and it took less time on the -800 to reach FL360 than it does on a 737-200 to reach FL310.