Efficient 5.0L LS V8 Project Makes Coyote-Rivaling Power

By Brett Foote - May 11, 2026

On the same budget, this 5.0-liter LS is already on par with its Coyote rival, but there’s still some power left to be unlocked.

For quite a few years now, Ford and General Motors fans have duked it out with one particular engine family from each gaining prominence in the world of performance – the legendary LS V8, and the newer Coyote V8. While the debate over which is the best of that duo will likely rage on for a long time, the fact of the matter is, each of these powerplants is quite different in many ways. That’s precisely why the folks behind the EngineLab YouTube channel set out to even the playing field back in 2020.

They did that by announcing an ambitious project – a 5.0-liter LS V8 aimed at beating the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 at its own game, with a budget of $10,000 set aside for each build. The concept here is to build a budget-conscious, street-style LS V8 engine capable of matching or exceeding the Coyote’s power and power band within similar constraints, making for one interesting little science project. The LS build ran into some complications, however, and was essentially delayed for a period of years prior to this point.

The Gen 1 Coyote used in the comparison features upgrades such as Maley rods and pistons with an 11.3:1 compression ratio, Comp stage three cams, plus a Boss 302 intake manifold and timing components, helping it churn out 510 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque on 91 octane fuel. The goal here was to build an engine that’s relatively affordable and very steerable, with no exotic goods or other pricey parts.

As for the LS V8 rival in this test, it’s based on a Gen 4 4.8-liter small block with the stock crank, forged Manley internals – giving it the same 11.3:1 compression ratio as the Coyote – LY2 799 cast heads that were CNC ported by Lingenfelter and have 2.02″ intake valves and 1.575″ exhaust valves, Comp Cams Comp Evo hydraulic roller lifters, XDA pushrods, Comp BSR rockers, a Holley low ram base with a Performance Designs 105 mm carbon fiber lid, and a Holley EFI mechanical throttle body.

The results of that combo make for a pretty darn even match with the Coyote – the LS V8 here makes 508 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque, falling just two ponies shy while producing seven more pound-feet of twist. However, the folks at EngineLabs aren’t done just yet – they’ve got quite a few other tweaks in mind, such as testing out different cams, heads, and intakes, so this little science experiment still has some legs left in it before we can declare the true winner.