^ Damn right, Big cubes and big torque.

I love the ls7, it makes the stock c6 zo6 faster than stock vipers and i think all bmw's with that engine. But i had to vote for the dodge V10. I have seen what the things can do with just 5psi of boost and it is just nasty.

 

i agree that the V10 will top out in the 2k hp range, but you guys fail to mention some things, you could mod the LS7 for a 10th of the price to mod a V10..... i would take the LS7 ALL day because the parts would be hella cheaper. i read somewhere where they got a TT LS7 on 6psi making 7 something

 

Probably the majority of the world considering the Vette isn't sold outside the US and the Viper sells in only double or triple digits outside of American soil.

 

Sooo, I guess it ends up with what do you want that 500 hp motor for.

Expandability -> Viper V10

Pricing -> LS7

Able to put in REAL cars -> LS7

Durabilty -> Viper V10
(sorry guys those are a LOT more tough than the LS7)

Handling -> LS7
LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMP

Technology -> non-domestic V10



If you had the engine sitting in front of you the LS7 would cost more to upgrade when you compare it to the Viper's V10.

It's the whole diminishing gains thing. Why because that LS7 is almost at its peak.

Turbo crap is basically the same price regardless of motor, all you are buying is the tubing and turbo's BUT the V10 has a stonger crank and block than the LS7's.

You could put MUCH larger turbo's on the V10 and you would get a LOT more power than the already pinnacled LS7. You would practically have to start off buying a forged bottom end and reduce the compression ratio a bunch to go over 800 hp.

Of course you can slap a cam and headers on it but after that, your first 25-100 hp, the Viper would be much cheaper to expand when you are talking boost wise.

If you had the engines sitting in front of you and you did the work yourself.

That of course means budget type (non-venom stuff) porting, custom/smaller non-name shop turbo work, etc. A Viper with a cam isn't a slouch either and you can do that under a shade tree; the LS7 is already working the cam angle and would need to get seriously big to compete.

 

bravo my good friend, you got it on the nose

 

So, its small block vs. big block vs. euro block eh?
Genesis, you nailed the block on the head (pun intended) on which is which.

Small and big block, I'll stick to Chevy, personal pref...
Viper V10 isn't *entirely* apples to apples to a GM LS7. Now the new Hemi 6.4... hmm... that'd be more in line, at least it seems to me.

 

im a little biased on this one....7.0L FTW

 

I voted for the LS7, but cus I am a Chevy guy...and also this is a GM LSx based site as well...so this thread is like going to an STI site and asking if EVO's are cool!

 

Just don't go to a Impreza/WRX forum and ask if you think Evo's are cool.

The LS7 is the only engine out of the three above that you can reasonably put into a car that it wasn't made specifically for it. Try fitting a V10 into a Solstice or a Sky or 1st/2nd gen F-Body.

 

Next year's Viper will be 600HP according to the car rags and still has room to grow. Can't take anything away from the Mopar guys...they got that car right!
The LS7 is an engineering gem in its own right. Physically compact, proven architecture, lightweight and even reasonably fuel efficient! Plus a decent cam and long-tubes and you are talking 500rwhp...
BMW...all the bells and whistles like VVT, variable intake length etc., but not even a contender in this fight.

 

how come nobody mentioned the superchraged Ford 5.4 in the GT500, thats close to 500 horse

 

Because it isn't an engine. It is an engine and a supercharger.

The only especially impressive about the 5.4 is that it uses a supercharger so well.


I might add it uses that super charger very well, better than the LS7, but it still uses a supercharger to hit 500 hp. It can use that same supercharger to get well past 500 hp too, without any problems with breaking parts either unlike a LSX engine.

 

well there's too many motors to list really.

And it all depends on your perception of "best".

I mean a turbocharged 4 cylinder motor could easily make 500bhp be smaller, lighter and more compact than any V8. So surly it must be best.

But then again There's motors such as the Mercedes V8 which can support 7.0 litres + and is DOHC, sure it's a tad bigger and heavier than a LS7 but in a car weighing 3200-4000lbs does and extra 70-100lb really matter?

Plus being DOHC the Mercedes unit will easily out HP the LS7 in n/a form, this is due to a thing called curtain area. A good DOHC setup will always be able to produce a higher specific output.

Then you have motors like the TVR 7.7 DOHC V12, stock trim it made 800bhp+.

Not too mention engines from Ferrari, Lambo, Audi, Jaguar and ofcourse the Bugatti Veyrons W16 powerplant.

So best is all relative to what you want to define it too.

For an available, affordable and HP potential the LSx units are exellent But there are engines out there which will easily eclipse what the Lsx is capable of.

 

As far as most potential power, the V10 will obviously win, but the question was best overall. Like others have mentioned, the LS7 is lighter, better oiling system, smaller, easier to drop into other cars, and it doesn't get 11mpg like the Viper. Not to mention the sound of an LS7 V8. I love Vipers but they just sound awful. All around best is the LS7.