[arominus]

Reality is, the cheap swap outside of the S2/968 engine IS the v8. You do the 4.8 as mentioned and you can probably get it done for around what it would cost to do a 968 motor swap. Its the cheap swap because its the one the community coalesced around and developed, you don't have to waste money figuring out how to make it happen because its been documented and detailed. You can't say that about any of the other engine swaps.

I mean what else do you have? there is the audi option, which requires a hard to find bellhousing and has no readily available standalone engine harness like the LS does so its harder to integrate into the cars electrical system. The VR6 has the same problem. The oil pan is not right for the 944 also IIRC.

There is one shop that worked up an RB swap kit last year that i have yet to see anyone do, but if they did they end up with a JDM motor never used in the US so parts are less fun to get.

The VQ would be cool, but its new territory and as such needs development to work, not cheap.

Subie motors are likely too wide and suffer from price inflation, every one thinks their 200k mile beat to **** WRX is worth 8k. They get hurt a lot and so its hard to find a good core that doesn't need to be gone through. Not a great option also because you end up with the same amount of power you would have gotten from a 968 swap (225 vs 236).

Any SR20's in the US have suffered the wrath of the drift kids and are usually stuck inside an overpriced beat down 240. Not a great option.

I doubt that a complete SRT-4 motor is easy or cheap to get as most SRT-4's still sell for 9k+. Also beat down.

XSchop has made the parts to do a 1uz-fe swap from the lexus SC/LS400 cars, this is a tempting swap.