[CJFusco]

hillelson1, where do I even start?

First off, claims that one engine is "better" than another is just as simple and naive as arguments about one car being "better" than another. There are so many factors to take into account in this kind of argument that makes a decisive conclusion just about impossible.

Does a Chevy V8 put out more power cheaper and easier than a Porsche flat six or turbocharged four? Sure. But as someone already pointed out, you don't see too many Chevelles being run near redline on a road course for hours on end. Porsche engines are built to exacting specifications. Essentially every Porsche engine built from the 1960s to the 1990s has been raced in some form in long-distance endurance racing, and in endurance racing, one cannot afford to perform a top-end rebuild or any serious engine work.

Porsche engines are durable and reliable. Does this make them "better" than Chevy V8? Nah, it just makes them better for certain applications. Just as a Suburu Imprezza is better-suited to rallying than, say, a Dodge Viper, a Porsche engine is a better fit than a Chevy V8 for a certain type of car, and the Chevy V8 is a better engine for another.

I'm not sure what kind of project you're going for. Your sig says you have a 911 Turbo project in the works. May I recommend that you stick to Porsche's air-cooled flat six for your project? It is the perfect size, shape, and weight for your project. If you try to shoehorn a Chevy V8 in there (or a Ferrari V12 or a 951 2.5 Turbo), you would have to modify mounts, bodywork - not to mention that it would completely change the weight bias and balance of the car.

How long have you been driving? Have you driven many Porsches? They are precision machines that benefit from certain types of balance, which rely on weight being located in a certain location on the car. A 911's light front end makes it handle like a scalpel, with razor-sharp exactness in steering feel and a tail-happy rear end that allows a talented driver to steer with the throttle. If you put more (or less) weight in the rear or the front, it would completely upset the balance of the car, making it drive like... well, not a 911.

If you are talking about 944s, their near 50-50 weight bias and low center of gravity make it handle more like a conventional sports car, albeit one that is so composed and neutral that it makes even novice drivers look like heroes at the limit. If you change this weight bias - say, by putting a different engine in the car - you would severely alter the 944's easy driveability.

If you want a drag racer, I suggest you start looking at other marques. If you are looking for an all-around great performer - the tri-athlete of the sports car world - than the Porsche is your weapon of choice. Yes, turbocharged Porsches are very fast in a straight line, but Porsches rarely win races on the straights.

The engine might be the heart of the car, but it is far from the whole story.