[wakespeak]

To me the LS3/7 are the last of the great pushrod engines for what made them old school fun: they are simple to hop up/mod relative to the DOHC Ford engines and all those cams and timing chains. Swap out the heads, cam, retune the motor, add exhaust, intake, etc, etc. Easy on the LS engines.

So that's the difference with the Ford engines IMO. If you don't work on the engine, track the car, mod it, then its just about hp, torque so who cares. Its also a different discussion on whether you want big displacement torque or free revving OHC's with their less reciprocating mass.

The LT1 has complex DI, VVT, AFM, PCV systems, and related programming. Is it still easier to keep running on the track or to hop up than the Ford engines? Dunno, but I doubt it will be in the same category for the garage modder as the LS series. With the LT1 pushrods were retained for AFM, packaging (fits better in a Corvette), and cost IMO.

Smaller bore engines are easier to do clean emissions with (Ford didn't need DI with the Voodoo), so the LT1 may be the last of the 2 valve pushrod engines since smaller bores usually need the multiple valves to keep the flow moving.